Department chief Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said the donated vaccine will arrive at the end of this month.
Thailand today signed a separate deal with Pfizer to purchase 20 million vaccine doses, which are due to arrive in the fourth quarter this year.
The 1.5 million donated doses will be allocated to vaccinate public health staff treating Covid-19 patients. Also in line for the donated Pfizer jabs are doctors who have already received two doses of vaccine, at-risk groups in Dark Red provinces, and expats in infection hotspots. The medics will be first to get the jabs in August.
Meanwhile, private hospitals and beauty salons have also requested vaccine, though some do not meet the allocation criteria.
“We will administer doses to front-line medical and public health staff first, so organisations who have sent the wrong registration list will not be approved,” Dr Opas said. Each provincial communicable disease committee will review jab-registrations before sending them to the central agency, he added.