By Paphamon Arayasukawat

BANGKOK (NNT) - AstraZeneca has approved safety standards at Thailand’s vaccine factory and will send the first batch of raw materials for vaccine production in June.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said an AstraZeneca representative had visited the Thai plant and was satisfied with the manufacturing standards. Siam Bioscience is upgrading its plant in Pathum Thani to produce millions of AstraZeneca doses for Thailand and neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry will launch a project on Covid-19 vaccine efficiency among people who received the Sinovac or AstraZeneca vaccines to learn more about their ability to build up immunity in the body.

Results of the test project are expected to be known within the next two months and will help shape the government’s vaccine policy for the next 12 months.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-03-18

 

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Good news, but how long after delivery of raw materials will the plant be actually producing certified vaccine?

It's possible that by the time they actually start and then ramp-up production everyone will have either been vaccinated via other routes or had covid.

Or are we all expected to wait ...

A potentially "risky" post has been removed.

Please refrain from discussing the ownership of this factory.

those over 600mln baht granted to this private company by the government back in september, sounded more like building factory from the scratch than as upgrading an existing factory.

there were reports, that production has already started in december and some other months were also mentioned.

Now it's revealed production will start in june, and yet they are expecting to make 5mln vials that month.

each statement they make is contradictory to an earlier. 

hence I am very hesitant to trust anymore any press release they make. All smells lie.

Personally, I do take many other vax, to boost my immune system and to prevent co-infection, but will wait for the next year for a not-thai made covid vax. Too risky 

 

 

Interesting. We will have yearly jabs same as with the flu. The RONA is not going away. Good news for us living here.

Just now, internationalism said:

Now is revealed production will start in june and yet they are expecting to make 5mln vials that month.

They changed their production schedule 3 times in the last 90 days. That schedule also took a lot of effort to unearth! The thai press found some of it, published less. It then seems change every time something is reported hmmm. The local english press has reported very little of this ongoing kerfuffle. 

I'll give the benefit of the doubt and say this is just an update ofthat last production schedule. You wonder when the powers that be will give the go ahead for private hospitals to sell other vaccines.  I would like to think June .... BUT.   

33 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Good news, but how long after delivery of raw materials will the plant be actually producing certified vaccine?

It's possible that by the time they actually start and then ramp-up production everyone will have either been vaccinated via other routes or had covid.

Or are we all expected to wait ...

Incorrect as they wont be opening other major routes- a few drip drip imported vaccines for select people, but the masses will wait.

2 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

Incorrect as they wont be opening other major routes- a few drip drip imported vaccines for select people, but the masses will wait.

Not quite "incorrect" but I get your point. We are expected to wait.

Let's wait and see how these lofty plans will translate into actual vaccine available to all, knowing Thailand, good intentions and best laid plans often goes awry...

11 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Not quite "incorrect" but I get your point. We are expected to wait.

I actually expect some of the more pragmatic and sensible people (and their definitely are some in all Ministries) at certain ministries would like to back up and alter the plan, but i suspect no one really wants to be the 1st one to stand up and suggest this!

1 hour ago, internationalism said:

Personally, I do take many other vax, to boost my immune system

Many other Covis vax, or just vax in general?

Curiously the Thai FDA does not seem interested in approving any vaccines other than Astra Zenica and Sinovac.

There are no reports about the other, proven effective vaccines (J&J, Moderna,  Phizer, etc) being processed for approval in the Kingdom. Something seems amiss.

20 minutes ago, d2b2 said:

Curiously the Thai FDA does not seem interested in approving any vaccines other than Astra Zenica and Sinovac.

There are no reports about the other, proven effective vaccines (J&J, Moderna,  Phizer, etc) being processed for approval in the Kingdom. Something seems amiss.

The Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University is working on its own a 'home grown' vaccine which, if all goes well, will be available by the end of the year.

With the low rate of infection in the country and the supplies of AZ and Sinovac coming on stream, I don't see that Thailand needs to go chasing around for any more versions.

Personally, I'm not too concerned about the Covid situation. I'm more worried about Dengue. I had it last year. It's nasty and I think there is more risk of catching that virus rather than Covid.

Home grown vaccine

Batch time for AZ vaccine is around 90 days I thought, so starting batch production now would be ready for June, starting in June would be ready for September

49 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

The Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University is working on its own a 'home grown' vaccine which, if all goes well, will be available by the end of the year.

With the low rate of infection in the country and the supplies of AZ and Sinovac coming on stream, I don't see that Thailand needs to go chasing around for any more versions.

Personally, I'm not too concerned about the Covid situation. I'm more worried about Dengue. I had it last year. It's nasty and I think there is more risk of catching that virus rather than Covid.

Home grown vaccine

Putting all our hopes on a new Thai company producing the Astra Zeneca under license and relying on the relatively ineffective Sinovac seems like a recipe for failure, especially when there are a multitude of reliable, effective and proven vaccines available. 

If The Thai FDA would give approval of the proven vaccines, then private hospitals could then purchase and import these vaccines and offer them for sale to those who need or want them as opposed to waiting for a new and inexperienced Thai manufacturer to ramp up production months from now or accept the relatively ineffective (57%) Chinese Sinovac. Instead of options and reliability, we have to accept delay and/or uncertainty.

It seems there are other issues at work to restrict the importation of any other vaccine into Thailand. 

 

17 minutes ago, d2b2 said:

Putting all our hopes on a new Thai company producing the Astra Zeneca under license and relying on the relatively ineffective Sinovac seems like a recipe for failure, especially when there are a multitude of reliable, effective and proven vaccines available. 

If The Thai FDA would give approval of the proven vaccines, then private hospitals could then purchase and import these vaccines and offer them for sale to those who need or want them as opposed to waiting for a new and inexperienced Thai manufacturer to ramp up production months from now or accept the relatively ineffective (57%) Chinese Sinovac. Instead of options and reliability, we have to accept delay and/or uncertainty.

It seems there are other issues at work to restrict the importation of any other vaccine into Thailand. 

 

I'll leave Reuters to do the talking. Here's a snippet:

''The 12,396-person trial found the CoronaVac vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 sufferers from being hospitalized or dying and 83.7% effective in avoiding cases that required any medical treatment''.

A vaccine that is 100% effective against hospitalization or death will suit me nicely. Bring it on.

Sinovac says COVID-19 vaccine effective in preventing hospitalization, death

52 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

I'll leave Reuters to do the talking. Here's a snippet:

''The 12,396-person trial found the CoronaVac vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 sufferers from being hospitalized or dying and 83.7% effective in avoiding cases that required any medical treatment''.

A vaccine that is 100% effective against hospitalization or death will suit me nicely. Bring it on.

Sinovac says COVID-19 vaccine effective in preventing hospitalization, death

From the same link where you forgot to add the rest of the sentence...............

"The 12,396-person trial found the CoronaVac vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 sufferers from being hospitalized or dying and 83.7% effective in avoiding cases that required any medical treatment, but only 50.65% effective at keeping people from getting infected, according to a statement."

Thats only just over the 50% threshold needed to get approval from WHO, however before that even happens they need to submit full data which currently they still have not done so. Until that happens no western country will even consider this vaccine as a candidate

Not interested anyway. Just hope that some of the real vaccines will be available at Bumrungrad.

3 hours ago, d2b2 said:

Curiously the Thai FDA does not seem interested in approving any vaccines other than Astra Zenica and Sinovac.

There are no reports about the other, proven effective vaccines (J&J, Moderna,  Phizer, etc) being processed for approval in the Kingdom. Something seems amiss.

This is an update on the J&J approval process.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/johnson-johnson-seeks-thai-approval-covid-19-vaccine-14094804

2 minutes ago, dabhand said:

This is an update on the J&J approval process.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/johnson-johnson-seeks-thai-approval-covid-19-vaccine-14094804

The Who is expected to approve the use of the J&J vaccine any day now, I am guessing Thailand is waiting for that before they then go ahead and approve?

5 hours ago, internationalism said:

Personally, I do take many other vax, to boost my immune system and to prevent co-infection, but will wait for the next year for a not-thai made covid vax. Too risky

You're going to be waiting until next year anyway unless you go to Europe, the US or Russia.

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Personally, I'm not too concerned about the Covid situation. I'm more worried about Dengue. I had it last year. It's nasty and I think there is more risk of catching that virus rather than Covid.

A lot of people who've had Dengue feel this way.

However Dengue is such a mild infection for many people that about 85% of those who get it don't even realise it, they're completely asymptomatic.

 

The only way to know if they've had it would be to test for antibodies - a mass test like this would show for more infections in people who've never been ill than many people would ever expect.

 

In fact humans are the primary reservoir for Dengue, mosquitos catch it from people and then pass it on to others.

 

6 hours ago, Crossy said:

Good news, but how long after delivery of raw materials will the plant be actually producing certified vaccine?

It's possible that by the time they actually start and then ramp-up production everyone will have either been vaccinated via other routes or had covid.

Or are we all expected to wait ...

Agree it will be awhile before vaccines start to flow from this facility but the fact Thailand has a pharmaceutical factory meeting AZ's presumably stringent standards is good news in itself.

The shape the government’s vaccine policy will be "£$" for the next 12 months and probably forever ????

for dengue is denvaxia - for those living in tropics for minimum 9 years or those after illness.  Private hospitals have them for 3000b per shot, need 3 within a year.

It's easier to protect from infected mosquito than from sars-2 virus

With all the negative reports coming out of European countries, isn't it unwise to start production?

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I'll leave Reuters to do the talking. Here's a snippet:

''The 12,396-person trial found the CoronaVac vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 sufferers from being hospitalized or dying and 83.7% effective in avoiding cases that required any medical treatment''.

A vaccine that is 100% effective against hospitalization or death will suit me nicely. Bring it on.

Sinovac says COVID-19 vaccine effective in preventing hospitalization, death

but only 50.65% effective at keeping people from getting infected, according to a statement.

6 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I'll leave Reuters to do the talking. Here's a snippet:

''The 12,396-person trial found the CoronaVac vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 sufferers from being hospitalized or dying and 83.7% effective in avoiding cases that required any medical treatment''.

A vaccine that is 100% effective against hospitalization or death will suit me nicely. Bring it on.

 

6 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

but only 50.65% effective at keeping people from getting infected, according to a statement.

Thank you for pointing that out. I did read the article and like I said: ''A vaccine that is 100% effective against hospitalization or death will suit me nicely''.

6 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

 

Thank you for pointing that out. I did read the article and like I said: ''A vaccine that is 100% effective against hospitalization or death will suit me nicely''.

I will be waiting for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine the research suggest its 100% effective against hospitalisation and death, plus...... 

In the J&J trial, the placebo group had 16 hospitalizations and seven deaths from COVID-19, whereas the vaccine group had none, which means the vaccine provided 100 percent efficacy against hospitalizations and deaths.

The vaccine was found to be 74 percent effective against asymptomatic infection, similar to its protection against symptomatic infections.

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2021/03/420071/how-effective-johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine-heres-what-you-should-know

2 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

12 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

 

Thank you for pointing that out. I did read the article and like I said: ''A vaccine that is 100% effective against hospitalization or death will suit me nicely''.

 

2 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I will be waiting for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine the research suggest its 100% effective against hospitalisation and death, plus...... 

In the J&J trial, the placebo group had 16 hospitalizations and seven deaths from COVID-19, whereas the vaccine group had none, which means the vaccine provided 100 percent efficacy against hospitalizations and deaths.

The vaccine was found to be 74 percent effective against asymptomatic infection, similar to its protection against symptomatic infections.

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2021/03/420071/how-effective-johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine-heres-what-you-should-know

Each to his own. I'm quite comfortable with what's on offer.

Stay safe.