Why Chulabhorn Royal Academy closed its vaccination unit

SATURDAY, JUNE 05, 2021
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The Chulabhorn Royal Academy has decided to close its vaccination unit from June 14 in order to improve vaccine administration, the academys chief has clarified.

In a Facebook post on Friday, the academy's secretary-general, Dr Nithi Mahanonda, said:

“We are overhauling our administration system to prepare for the provision of alternative vaccine, which should start in a few weeks.”

The academy had announced on June 3 that it would close the vaccination unit from June 14, as it was not allocated the main vaccines -- Sinovac and AstraZeneca. It apologised to those who had registered with the academy. Those who have already received the first jab, however, can still come in to get their second jab as per schedule, Nithi said.

There had been wide criticism about denial of the main vaccines to the academy after it had announced its plan to import 1 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine as an alternative.

“It is no one’s fault. So please stop blaming the government, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation or the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for the closure,” he said in the Facebook post.

“During the closure, the academy would still send volunteers to help provide vaccine at Kasetsart University and other vaccination units in Bangkok,” Nithi said.