Thailand on track to distribute locally made COVID-19 vaccines in June

[rooster59]

Thailand on track to distribute locally made COVID-19 vaccines in June

By Panu Wongcha-um

 

FILE PHOTO: People wearing face masks as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are seen at a train station in Bangkok, Thailand, January 7, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's plan to produce the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine locally is on track to be ready to begin mass inoculations in June, with a capacity to make up to 18 million doses per month, a senior official said on Friday.

 

It was still unclear how many would go to Thai citizens and how many would be exported to other Southeast Asian countries under a deal with AstraZeneca that has come under fire from opposition critics for being too slow and lacking transparency.

 

Thailand’s vaccine strategy revolves around production of AstraZeneca shots by local firm Siam Bioscience, owned by the Thai king’s vast business holdings.

 

Tests of the first batches are due to be completed by the end of May, the head of the National Vaccine Institute, Nakorn Premsri, told Reuters in an interview.

 

"The industrial batch will come out by June," Nakorn said.

 

Siam Bioscience underwent a five-day virtual audit in December and all the batches it produces will also undergo quality testing, AstraZeneca said in a statement.

 

Nakorn said Thailand chose to produce locally because it wanted to safeguard its own vaccine supply amid the global rush to protect against a virus that has killed more than two million people worldwide.

 

Thailand signed the AstraZeneca deal in October, putting it months behind nations such as the United Kingdom, the United States and India.

 

Thailand has ordered 61 million locally made doses from AstraZeneca – enough for 30.5 million people, or just over half the adult population, excluding people under 18 and pregnant women.

 

Until June, Thailand will rely on imported vaccines.

 

The first 50,000 imported doses from AstraZeneca are expected in February with 100,000 more due in the next few months, but on Friday Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul warned that supply issues in Europe might cause delays.

 

Thailand has also ordered two million doses of China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd vaccines with 200,000 doses due in February, though it has yet to be approved by the regulator.

 

For most of last year Thailand was able to keep infections low, but a second wave broke out in December, bringing total cases to 17,023 and 76 deaths.

 

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat, Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Ed Davies)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-30

 

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[ThailandRyan]

https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/astrazeneca-vaccines/102155/

 

A reduction of 60% in deliveries and availability, getting a little tight it looks like

 

COVID-19 vaccine row: How reliant is the EU on supplies from AstraZeneca? | Euronews

 

Looks like this may be a reason why Thailand's order has also been delayed.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55862233

 

The European Union’s medicines regulator has approved the use of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 18.

[Bkk Brian]

23 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Tests of the first batches are due to be completed by the end of May, the head of the National Vaccine Institute, Nakorn Premsri

Production not even started yet, they're still on the testing stage, end of May for final results. Thats what happens when you give a vaccine development contract to a company thats never produced vaccines before.

[statman78]

Production of 18 million doses per month sounds good but as stated in the OP, how many will remain in Thailand.  In another thread there was a story about plans to vaccinate 70% of the Thai population by the end of 2022.  It doesn't sound like very many of the 18 million doses per month will remain in Thailand.  If they did, considering 2 doses per person, everyone i Thailand could be vaccinated within 8 months after the start of production.  Even sooner since inoculations will be starting sooner, 

[internationalism]

used to be "second part of year", changed to "by May" and now "by June" and "in June". All changed within a month.

 

India is already making large quantities and cheap vax, there was no need to buy from italy a very small, and probably, very expensive

[kingdong]

Locally made covid vaccine in  june?did he mention which year?

[kotsak]

5 minutes ago, internationalism said:

used to be "second part of year", changed to "by May" and now "by June" and "in June". All changed within a month.

 

India is already making large quantities and cheap vax, there was no need to buy from italy a very small, and probably, very expensive

 

We can assume the Italian brown envelopes were more artistic.. ????

[Dagfinnur Traustason]

As usual it sounds to good, to be true. If it is, it´s really good, though.

[dahinni]

BS

[dcnx]

Thailand will cure COVID19. You wait and see.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, dahinni said:

BS

How expressive! Care to expand on that a little?

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, statman78 said:

Production of 18 million doses per month sounds good but as stated in the OP, how many will remain in Thailand.

''Nakorn said most of the doses would head abroad.

"Thailand will secure only 26 million doses. We may ask for more, but it will not be a big part, so maybe more than half of that [200 million] can be exported," he told VOA''.

 

https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thai-firm-joins-astrazeneca-make-covid-19-vaccine-southeast-asia

[mr mr]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The industrial batch will come out by June," Nakorn said.

 

industrial sized for sure. anyone wanna take the bet ? 

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Production not even started yet, they're still on the testing stage, end of May for final results. Thats what happens when you give a vaccine development contract to a company thats never produced vaccines before.

They have

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, statman78 said:

Production of 18 million doses per month sounds good but as stated in the OP, how many will remain in Thailand.  In another thread there was a story about plans to vaccinate 70% of the Thai population by the end of 2022.  It doesn't sound like very many of the 18 million doses per month will remain in Thailand.  If they did, considering 2 doses per person, everyone i Thailand could be vaccinated within 8 months after the start of production.  Even sooner since inoculations will be starting sooner, 

"Thailand has ordered 61 million locally made doses from AstraZeneca "

[Bkk Brian]

11 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

They have

No they have not @44:29 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByHsLWyDrOw&t=2520s National Vaccine Institute, Nakorn Premsri explains the process

 

[Moonlover]

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Production not even started yet, they're still on the testing stage, end of May for final results. Thats what happens when you give a vaccine development contract to a company thats never produced vaccines before.

“AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine is a modified adenoviral vector grown in mammalian cells. Siam Bioscience has experience with manufacturing and exporting products that use such mammalian cell technology''.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30401773?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=internal_referral

[Bkk Brian]

1 minute ago, Moonlover said:

“AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine is a modified adenoviral vector grown in mammalian cells. Siam Bioscience has experience with manufacturing and exporting products that use such mammalian cell technology''.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30401773?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=internal_referral

But never made a vaccine in its life before, a new venture, good luck to them I hope it works and meets all quality standards

[Bkk Brian]

19 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

"Thailand has ordered 61 million locally made doses from AstraZeneca "

No they have ordered 26 million doses, they are currently seeking to purchase an additional 35 million

 

Thailand hopes to buy an additional 35 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine,  https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/thai-pm-says-government-plans-to-buy-a-further-35-million-vaccine-doses

[DLock]

The 50,000 AZ was purely a diversion and PR stunt. Irrelevant.

 

The Chinese vaccine is not approved and may not get approved. Unreliable.

 

The ongoing delivery problems will stretch out  longer than "February". Unclear.

 

The offer by India was dismissed. Face issue.

 

The Siam Bioscience being manufactured in Thailand is not of that much benefit as most will be "sold" overseas. Bad contract with AZ or profit motives.

 

If we need a local hero, now is the time to step up. 

 

Chula....Oh <deleted>.

[ThailandRyan]

4 hours ago, kotsak said:

 

We can assume the Italian brown envelopes were more artistic.. ????

India was going to give the vaccine FREE, no envelope needed...

[Cake Monster]

6 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Production not even started yet, they're still on the testing stage, end of May for final results. Thats what happens when you give a vaccine development contract to a company thats never produced vaccines before.

This whole AZ / SB thing is not right.

[Wiggy]

It just shows the contempt of the government toward their very own people; they’d rather export the vaccine to make money than protect the locals from a deadly virus.  

[Letseng]

13 hours ago, internationalism said:

used to be "second part of year", changed to "by May" and now "by June" and "in June". All changed within a month.

 

India is already making large quantities and cheap vax, there was no need to buy from italy a very small, and probably, very expensive

Odd they buy from Italy while Italy complains not getting enough vaccine.

[khaowong1]

What could possibly go wrong with a Thai company manufacturing a vaccine?  

[Albert Zweistein]

10 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

India was going to give the vaccine FREE, no envelope needed...

Wrong, the enveloppes were supposed to go the other way around but they didn't. That's why the offer was refused.

[Guderian]

In the meantime, I'm sticking with my daily infusion of ChangVax, lol. 

[internationalism]

just  a world of warning came from germany - they don't to approve to be given to seniors over 65 years.

probably research wasn't done properly, i.e did not include those seniors, so it's biased.

 

But also many deaths of seniors after the the other vaccinations.

The problem is, that hospitals don't want to conduct autopsies, bodies are quickly buried or cremated and no further investigation will take place. In each country there are probably tens such cases, involving also patients in their forties.

There are also many reports of adverse effects. My very close family member just died after less than 48h after moderna, the other (medic herself) fell seriously ill

[Rimmer]

Personal attacks have been removed

[Soikhaonoiken]

Won't happen....