Japan Offers to Donate AstraZeneca Vaccines to Thailand

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Public Health Ministry says Japan has offered to donate AstraZeneca vaccine to Thailand.

 

Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Japan’s government will donate AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, as Thailand seeks to shore-up supplies, after some early delays in inoculations. An agreement will be signed on Thursday (24 June), with the vaccine to be delivered next month.

 

He said Japan’s donation is a token of friendship between the two countries. It will help Thailand with its supplies and provide the vaccine rollout with more flexibility. Japan is a major investor in Thailand and, after the COVID-19 situation is resolved, investment and trade between the two countries will become stronger than ever.

 

Mr Anutin added that the doses from Japan will be distributed as per the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration’s (CCSA) guidelines.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-06-22

 

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[Caldera]

How embarrassing. Thailand has a factory that produces AstraZeneca, but needs donations from a country that doesn't.

 

[Artisi]

Donate, what a bummer, no back-handers in that! 

[smedly]

9 minutes ago, Caldera said:

How embarrassing. Thailand has a factory that produces AstraZeneca, but needs donations from a country that doesn't.

 

my guess would be that is is exclusively for factory workers in Japanese factories in Thailand 

[The Cipher]

Is there a rule here that posters have to be negative about everything?

 

Most of us want the vaccine rollout to go faster. This is a step in the right direction. Good on Japan for helping out.

[Rhacsyn]

As I posted to a similar announcement yesterday, whatever the reasons, it can only help. Very welcome gift and much needed

[DLock]

If I was the Owner of Siam Bioscience, I would be so embarrassed about now.

 

Japan doesn't even have a factory to produce AZ, and Thailand does.

 

It makes zero sense...

 

...unless...

[mtls2005]

31 minutes ago, The Cipher said:

Is there a rule here that posters have to be negative about everything?

 

 

Hmm. Kind of a negative statement there.

 

 

31 minutes ago, The Cipher said:

This is a step in the right direction. Good on Japan for helping out.

 

Without know the details this is a questionable statement.

 

How many doses? Outright gift, or a swap?

 

Let's wait and see what the agreement looks like, on 24 June

 

In the Japanese press they are said to be mulling making a donation.

 

 

 

 

Japan to donate 1m COVID vaccine doses to Vietnam on Wednesday

Jabs for Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia considered in July

 

Tokyo is also mulling donating amounts of COVID-19 vaccine to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand in July, Motegi said in a news conference on Tuesday.

 

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-vaccines/Japan-to-donate-1m-COVID-vaccine-doses-to-Vietnam-on-Wednesday

 

 

 

 

[Rhacsyn]

16 minutes ago, DLock said:

If I was the Owner of Siam Bioscience, I would be so embarrassed about now.

 

Japan doesn't even have a factory to produce AZ, and Thailand does.

 

It makes zero sense...

 

...unless...

Japan government ordered 120million doses of AZ to be produced locally in Japan by Daiichi Sankyo and KM Biologics. However, as per the link below it looks like they may not want them......

 

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-vaccines/120m-AstraZeneca-shots-caught-in-Japan-s-regulatory-limbo

[MasterBaker]

looks like Japanese expats will be inoculated next

[shdmn]

12 hours ago, The Cipher said:

Is there a rule here that posters have to be negative about everything?

 

Most of us want the vaccine rollout to go faster. This is a step in the right direction. Good on Japan for helping out.

It certainly appears that way most of the time.  I wish they would just delete those posts because it contributes nothing and just clogs up threads with useless garbage.

[nkg]

13 hours ago, smedly said:

my guess would be that is is exclusively for factory workers in Japanese factories in Thailand 

 

Perhaps Japan are choosing to exercise some "soft political power" with their neighbours.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_power

[vandeventer]

Now how could I get a Japanese Az vaccine as we know they make everything good there, without hurting the feelings of the Thai AZ factory? Also how long would we have to wait for the second jab with all this kind help?

[nkg]

12 hours ago, DLock said:

If I was the Owner of Siam Bioscience, I would be so embarrassed about now.

 

Japan doesn't even have a factory to produce AZ, and Thailand does.

 

It makes zero sense...

 

...unless...

 

 

Japan are a wealthy country that placed orders totalling $6.3 billion for vaccines, covering 4 times their population.

 

They seem to have decided not to use most of the AZ vaccines that they bought (blood clots etc), since they also have ample supplies of Pfizer and Moderna.

 

https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/news/140133/japan-has-pre-ordered-covid-19-vaccine-doses-for-more-than-four-times-its-population-says-report/

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/28/japan-ruling-party-to-recommend-sending-some-astrazeneca-doses-to-taiwan.html

[mtls2005]

12 hours ago, Rhacsyn said:

Japan government ordered 120million doses of AZ to be produced locally in Japan by Daiichi Sankyo and KM Biologics. However, as per the link below it looks like they may not want them......

 

Thanks.

 

From that article...

 

Given that Japan is already on track to have enough supply to cover its vaccination campaign for seniors, which the government aims to wrap up by the end of July, it would be difficult to use the AstraZeneca shot for older groups as has been tried elsewhere.

 

 

This explains a lot. Japan has secured enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for their population, they can "donate" vaccines that are less "desirable" to needy countries like Thailand.

 

So this does seem like good news, especially for Japan, and for older people in Thailand.

 

Also good news that producers in Japan seem capable of making the AZ vaccine in volumes.

 

 

[kamahele]

Good news for Thailand but as I understand it, Japan has a very low vaccination rate. I wonder why they are donating to Thailand.

[jacko45k]

Ahhh. maybe now I see why the period between AZ is to be reduced in Thailand.... quick before these expire. 

[mtls2005]

9 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Ahhh. maybe now I see why the period between AZ is to be reduced in Thailand.... quick before these expire. 

 

We're told the flip-flap-flop on AZ dose timetable is a reaction to the Delta variant, rather than some unknown amount of AZ potentially coming from Japan, sometime.

 

More like someone made the calculation that 2 -doses for fewer people is "better" than one dose for more people.

 

That said, every little bit helps, so any countries who wish to donate to Thailand, please feel free to do so. Tin cup extended.

 

The U.S. is getting a feel for the complexities of donating vaccines - logisitics and supply (we're also giving away our AZ stocks, ~ 55 MM doses), but the bulk of them are "under FDA review").

 

Obviously donating a vaccine, which the host country doesn't want, and which might be less than ideal, could lead to other issues, down the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by mtls2005

[Scott]

Baiting post reported and removed.

 

[Sydebolle]

Wondering if those jabs will do a little turn-around at Bangkok airport to be exported, against payment, to Taiwan, Philippines and Malaysia, where the Thais had pre-sold promised vaccines. Naaahhhh, cannot think that negative, can we ...

[Osthos]

Thailand should shop around for any countries not using their ordered AZ shots instead of plugging the shortfall with Chinese vaccines with limited testing publications (But don't get me wrong, ANY vaccine right now is worth having).

 

Some good news to come out of the UK yesterday, two shots of the Pfizer/Biontech and AZ vaccines are highly effective in preventing people needing treatment in a hospital when infected with the Delta variant. 

 

The results from the study are:

- the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective against hospitalisation after 2 doses

- the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92% effective against hospitalisation after 2 doses

 

Vaccines highly effective against hospitalisation from Delta variant - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

Good for Thailand if AZ is going to be the main shot of choice for the public.

[Srikcir]

15 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Without know the details this is a questionable statement.

 

How many doses? Outright gift, or a swap?

 

Let's wait and see what the agreement looks like

 

On the plus side, the donation to Thailand might help SB meet its recent sale obligation of 16 million doses of AZ to The Philippines. 

[sandyf]

16 hours ago, smedly said:

my guess would be that is is exclusively for factory workers in Japanese factories in Thailand 

Of course it wouldn't have anything to do with second jabs being brought forward.

My second AZ jab has been moved from 27th Sept(16 weeks) to 16th August(8 weeks).

[sqwakvfr]

Japan donates AZ but keeps all the Pfizer and Moderna?  Olympics are next month and Japan is now in a rush to get as many of it's people vaccinated by the opening ceremony.  So they donate vaccines now?  

[Scouse123]

18 hours ago, The Cipher said:

Is there a rule here that posters have to be negative about everything?

 

Most of us want the vaccine rollout to go faster. This is a step in the right direction. Good on Japan for helping out.

 

Some just can't help themselves!

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

Japan donates AZ but keeps all the Pfizer and Moderna?  Olympics are next month and Japan is now in a rush to get as many of it's people vaccinated by the opening ceremony.  So they donate vaccines now?  

 

 

Maybe, it's short dated?

 

or maybe they have enough of the ' good stuff '  already?

 

It's a great vaccine with high efficacy rating.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by Scouse123

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

So they donate vaccines now?  

 

They are only using AZ on the elderly, and they're said to have vaccinated all of them. Or have withhels enough AZ to complete that segment.

 

Now they're looking to dump donate the AZ, preferrably somewhere depserate enough to take it for free.

 

 

[Scouse123]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Ahhh. maybe now I see why the period between AZ is to be reduced in Thailand.... quick before these expire. 

 

Well, if it is and they are sending it to a country in need as so many on here are ' moaning about ' regards slow rollout then, good on Japan for using the vaccine with neighbours before it becomes useless and fit only for the bin.

[Scouse123]

1 minute ago, mtls2005 said:

 

They are only using AZ on the elderly, and they're said to have vaccinated all of them. Or have withhels enough AZ to complete that segment.

 

Now they're looking to dump donate the AZ, preferrably somewhere depserate enough to take it for free.

 

 

 

I think your comment is a bit unfair when Japan is making a nice gesture.

 

Talk about not being able to do right for doing wrong, eh?

[Scouse123]

I know what would be good!

 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH JAPAN!