CP Group, part-owner of Sinovac, says will pursue other vaccines for its own workers

Thailand’s largest conglomerate, Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group) says that it will pursue ‘alternative vaccines’ for its workers. The CP Group is a partial owner of the company that manufactures the controversial Sinovac Vaccine.

So far, Thailand only imported the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines to much criticism. Sinovac has not yet been approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization for emergency use with the body asking for more information from manufacturers before granting authorization.

Despite millions of Sinovac vaccines being imported to Thailand and being administered to frontline workers, CP said it would pursue other vaccines for its workers.

“Charoen Pokphand Group has a standpoint to support alternative vaccine import policies whether it is Sinopharm, Pfizer, Moderna, or other vaccines in the approval process,” says Suphachai Chearavanont, the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.

“The import of alternative vaccines will provide Thais access to a larger range of vaccines, allowing vaccine distribution to become more flexible than it is now, with only two primary vaccines, AstraZeneca and Sinovac.” 

Suphachai says the company is willing to use their own funds to provide vaccinations to its employees, including their family and other groups under the organization.

The vaccine recipient will not be billed in any way, and the vaccines will not be resold, he adds. 

CP Group states that it expects this solution to speed up the vaccination process and reduce the burden on the government’s budget.