Govt bans Covid vaccines for commercial purchases

The government has banned privately-owned entities from purchasing Covid-19 vaccines with intent to sell them.
Explaining the reason for the ban, Director General of the Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion under the Ministry of Health, Dr Phonepaseuth Ounaphome, told Vientiane Times on Wednesday that the government understood public concerns about a shortage of supply of vaccines.
But, despite increasing demand, he said government stocks were sufficient and it was anticipated that more vaccines would be delivered in the near future.
However, the government is allowing private entities to buy vaccines for their own use.

“We think this is a good idea because more imported vaccines will supplement government stocks and companies can vaccinate their staff at a time where there is huge demand for vaccination,” Dr Phonepaseuth said.
Extra supplies will also help the government fulfil its ambitious target to vaccinate 50 percent of the population against Covid-19 by the end of 2021.
The government has banned the purchase of Covid vaccines by private entities in order to stave off complaints from members of the public about unequal access to vaccines by poor and wealthy people.
Health authorities acknowledged that a privately-owned company and a foreign-owned company, both in Laos, had asked permission from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to import vaccines for commercial purposes.
Permission was denied but the government is allowing privately-owned companies to procure vaccines to immunise their own employees.
The owners of such companies must submit a letter of intent to the government before purchasing any vaccine.  This arrangement will bolster the government’s efforts to accelerate the vaccination programme as Laos struggles to contain a widespread outbreak of Covid-19, which began in mid-April and resulted in the country being placed under lockdown.
Some private enterprises have stumped up money for the purchase of vaccines in a move to help the government expedite its inoculation programme.
Almost all of the vaccines provided to Laos have been donated by China and other countries, as well as the UN-led COVAX Facility, which distributes vaccines free to the poorest countries.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
(Latest Update June 4, 2021)