Thailand to combine Sinovac, AstraZeneca vaccine doses to boost protection - minister

[snoop1130]

FILE PHOTO: A health worker receives the Sinovac coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at the Samut Sakhon hospital in Samut Sakhon province, Thailand, February 28, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand will use AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccine as a second dose for those who received Sinovac's shot as their first dose in a bid to increase protection, it said on Monday.

 

The move is the first publicly announced mix-and-match of a Chinese vaccine and a Western-developed shot, as a new preliminary Thai study raised doubts about the longer-term protection of the two-dose course Sinovac vaccine.

 

"This is to improve protection against the Delta variant and build a high level of immunity against the disease," Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters, adding that the second dose of AstraZeneca would come three or four weeks after the first Sinovac shot.

 

There have been no studies specifically on mixing Sinovac and AstraZeneca released, but a growing number of countries are looking at mix-and-match of different vaccines or giving a third booster dose amid concerns new and more contagious variants may escape approved vaccines.

 

The announcement came a day after Thailand's health ministry said 618 medical workers out of 677,348 personnel who received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine became infected from April to July. One nurse died.

 

Neighbouring Indonesia has also reported breakthrough infections among medical and frontline workers who are fully inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine.

 

Thailand now plans to give booster shots of imported mRNA vaccine to its frontline workers - who were given imported Sinovac before the locally manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine was available in June. Indonesia is considering similar boosters.

 

On Monday, a preliminary Thai study of 700 medical workers indicated that Sinovac's protection rate as measured by antibody level ranged between 60% and 70% for the first 60 days after the second dose, but the rate steadily went down over time and appeared to halve every 40 days.

 

"From our research, if our medical staff received two doses of Sinovac ... they should definitely get a third booster shot," Sira Nanthapisal, a researcher at Thammasat University's Faculty of Medicine, told Reuters. The researchers have yet to release their full study data.

 

"They can do that either between AstraZeneca or Pfizer when it arrives, and we will continue to monitor their antibodies," Sira said.

 

An AstraZeneca representative declined to comment on Thailand's decision, saying only that vaccination policy is a matter for each country to decide.

 

Sinovac did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.

 

Last month, Sinovac spokesman Liu Peicheng told Reuters preliminary results from blood samples of the vaccinated showed a three-fold reduction in neutralizing effect against the Delta variant and suggested a third Sinovac shot could elicit more durable antibody reaction.

 

Thailand on Monday implemented its toughest coronavirus restrictions in more than a year in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, amid a fast-rising wave of the highly transmissible Alpha and Delta variants, with cases rising to nearly 10,000 per day and record deaths.

 

The measures, initially for two weeks, include widespread suspensions by airlines and bus firms, a curfew, mall closures and a five-person limit on gatherings.

 

The vast majority among the total 345,027 cases and 2,791 fatalities have been since April after nearly a year of largely controlling the virus, but there has been a slow start to its mass vaccination rollout that only began last month.

 

(Writing by Kay Johnson. Editing by Martin Petty)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-07-12

 

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[ourmanflint]

So basically wasting all of these AZ vaccines on boosters because the sinovac govt bought turned out to be useless.

[Dmaxdan]

What's the point in doing this?

 

It's time to forget about Sinovac and vaccinate the masses with the alternatives that do offer some sort of protection.

[bkk6060]

Wow very interesting.  So, those that have only one Sinovac will now get a Astrazeneca?

Sounds good but have there been sufficient studies on the safety/efficacy of this mix of vaccines?  

 

[RotBenz8888]

They're virtually still on square one. And I doubt they've come much further in 120 days.... 

[lolalol]

15 minutes ago, ourmanflint said:

So basically wasting all of these AZ vaccines on boosters because the sinovac govt bought turned out to be useless.

Shouldn't they just trash sinovac? Or are they? Just not in the trash can...

[mtls2005]

We're into the 'throw anything against the wall and hope something sticks' phase of the regime's COVID "plan".

 

Sorry, when is the 120 day opening again?

 

 

[greenmonkey]

Now they are really in the s#%t! This is the govt basically admitting that sinovac is useless but thats all we got so tough. Seriously, will the Thai's stand for this!? I hope not.

[Surelynot]

26 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

What's the point in doing this?

 

It's time to forget about Sinovac and vaccinate the masses with the alternatives that do offer some sort of protection.

Guess they are going to continue to use the current stocks of Sinovac for a first jab regardless......... rather than throw it away.

[Crossy]

Has this actually been tested? Results?

 

Having got lucky and had my first shot of Az I hope they don't decide that the other way round is also good to go, and replace my second Az shot with Sinovac.

 

[Surelynot]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

Has this actually been tested? Results?

 

Having got lucky and had my first shot of Az I hope they don't decide that the other way round is also good to go, and replace my second Az shot with Sinovac.

 

Maybe.....it all has to be used up.....555

[jazzdog32095]

On 7/6/2021 at 10:31 AM, Mickeymaus said:

Many people will come if they get something for free even if they are not suffering. Imagine how many would come if there would be free booze. So to say that the beach is full of needy people might perhaps be an attempt by some to change the restrictions of the Covid policy for their own benefit?!

 

Such a photo like the one above with so many "needy" people doesn't look good in the national and international press. 

 

So how many on this photo were needy and how many greedy? 

 

Go ask everyone out sitting on that beach suffering from hunger if they're greedy and then if you survive get back with us.

[mtls2005]

3 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Guess they are going to continue to use the current stocks of Sinovac for a first jab regardless......... rather than throw it away.

And continue to buy more of course.

 

Lost track but there may be another 10.5 MM doses on order, due for delivery.

 

Might as well use up the last of the syringes on a useless vaccine. 

 

 

[sherwood]

"Now they are really in the <deleted>! This is the govt basically admitting that sinovac is useless but thats all we got so tough. Seriously, will the Thai's stand for this!? I hope not."

 

The Thais that I know do not even stand for the national anthem at six PM any more. They have had a gut full.

[grego49]

Will all the brown envelopes have to be returned,

[Pib]

35 minutes ago, lolalol said:

Shouldn't they just trash sinovac? Or are they? Just not in the trash can...

They can't as they don't have enough AstraZeneca to make up the shortfall of completely dumping Sinovac...plus just a few weeks ago they ordered millions more doses of Sinovac.   

 

So, it appears they are going to punt and continue to give Sinovac as the first jab until they run out of current and ordered Sinovac supplies with the 2nd jab being AstraZeneca.    This will make the current shortage of AstraZeneca somewhat worst but Japan has donated 1.05 million AstraZeneca jabs which will be available for use come Wednesday/14 July....and the U.S. has donate 1.5 million Pfizer jabs which will arrive late this month. 

 

So with an extra 2.55 million donated dozes of AstraZeneca/Pfizer the current shortfall in AstraZeneca which is Thailand's planned primary vaccine should  be manageable.   

 

Now if Thailand could just get some other nations to donate some COVID vaccine doses it would help Thailand climb out of the vaccine hole it dug for itself.   But once climbing out they would probably fall back in.

 

 

 

 

[ukrules]

Sounds like a good idea but I would make one small change.

 

Vaccinate them all with 2 shots of AstraZeneca vaccine as if they were completely unvaccinated - because they pretty much are unvaccinated.

 

Erase the Chinese vaccine from all records that are used to prove vaccination, it doesn't work.

[Pib]

1 minute ago, ukrules said:

Erase the Chinese vaccine from all records that are used to prove vaccination, it doesn't work.

Oh, that would upset Big Brother China....Thailand don't want to upset it's big brother

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

This was one of the recent vaccine doses given by brand breakdowns I've seen from the MoPH as of July 2:

 

 

They were posting these kinds of breakdowns pretty regularly in the past, but seem to have stopped lately amid the ruckus over the Sinovac doses.

 

[mtls2005]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

This was one of the recent vaccine doses given by brand breakdowns I've seen from the MoPH as of July 2:

 

They used to show a slide daily which expanded to show the mix. They still update that slide, but never click on the plus sign to expand. Assume there's a reason.

 

And now we have Alpha-Delta.

 

 

[kotsak]

7 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Wow very interesting.  So, those that have only one Sinovac will now get a Astrazeneca?

Sounds good but have there been sufficient studies on the safety/efficacy of this mix of vaccines?  

 

Time to find out ????

 

[onthedarkside]

An off topic post has been removed.

 

[tingtongfarang]

6 minutes ago, kotsak said:

Time to find out ????

 

guinea pig testing on this just started

[Thailand]

Absolute panic has set in with the gov running around like headless chickens.

How is it possible to get something so wrong?

 

The power of money of course!

[DrJack54]

42 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

So with an extra 2.55 million donated dozes of AstraZeneca/Pfizer the current shortfall in AstraZeneca which is Thailand's planned primary vaccine should  be manageable.

How did you work that out.

They are capable (and need to do) 450-500k per day. 

Now they currently need to give front line workers a 'booster shot' of AZ.

2.55million is drop in the bucket.

[gearbox]

1 hour ago, ourmanflint said:

So basically wasting all of these AZ vaccines on boosters because the sinovac govt bought turned out to be useless.

Where is the logic here...if Sinovac is useless why they should have a Sinovac jab at all, one jab of AZ is enough right?

[BangkokReady]

Love the wording.  Casually suggesting that they're choosing to mix the two vaccines because combined they offer more protection.

[gearbox]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

Sounds like a good idea but I would make one small change.

 

Vaccinate them all with 2 shots of AstraZeneca vaccine as if they were completely unvaccinated - because they pretty much are unvaccinated.

 

Erase the Chinese vaccine from all records that are used to prove vaccination, it doesn't work.

Some think that AZ needs booster on its own:

 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/09/world/covid-vaccine-boosters/

 

5 fully vaccinated with AZ people died in the Seychelles, where the majority were vaxxed with Sinopharm.

[gearbox]

36 minutes ago, tingtongfarang said:

guinea pig testing on this just started

World's first...however in EU and Australia people got AZ + different shot when AZ was dumped. Not sure about all the combinations but Pfizer was widely used. So there is already a precedent of mixing vaccines.

[Surelynot]

This mix and match is going to be nightmare when trying to avoid quarantine in another country.