AstraZeneca Can Supply 5-6 Million Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine Monthly to Thailand

[webfact]

 

By Woraprat Lerpaisal

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - AstraZeneca has assured Thai people that it can supply 5-6 million doses a month of its COVID-19 vaccine to the country as planned, despite the complicated production process.

 

Managing director of AstraZeneca Thailand James Teague explained that the AstraZeneca vaccine is a biological product which starts with the growing of "living" ingredients. The manufacturing process is complicated. The number of doses in each harvested batch is never completely certain, especially in the early stages of a new supply chain.

 

He said, even in that context, the company’s projections show that, in months with uninterrupted manufacturing, it can supply 5-6 million doses in Thailand, adding that the company is also scouring the 20-plus supply chains in its worldwide manufacturing network to find additional vaccine doses for Southeast Asia, including Thailand.

 

According to Mr Teague, by the end of July, AstraZeneca will have delivered 11.3 million doses as part of its overall commitment to deliver 61 million doses to Thailand.

 

So far, the company has delivered nine million doses, with another 2.3 million doses to be supplied to the Ministry of Public Health this week.

 

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[sammieuk1]

Haven't we herd this before and it turned out they cant ????

[smedly]

lets say 5m, that means around 2 years to get everyone vaccinated assuming 2x doses with an emerging requirement for 3x doses - they are going to need double that in half the time and who knows what is round the corner 

 

It is hardly something to feel positive about 

[Thailand]

I think I feel a  De Ja Vu coming on.

[Crossy]

18 minutes ago, Thailand said:

I think I feel a  De Ja Vu coming on.

 

Oi, that's my line! ???? 

 

Do Az Thailand have any plans to increase production capacity in Thailand by expanding the existing facility or possibly opening a second plant?

 

For that matter have any actual production numbers been released for previous months? Showing a ramp-up in output as the process is refined would add credance to these recurring stories.

 

[Hayduke]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

AstraZeneca has assured Thai people that it can supply 5-6 million doses a month of its COVID-19 vaccine to the country as planned,

 

Nearly every day we hear about the astounding number of vaccines the government claims to have ordered, purchased, secured, contracted for, committed to….etc etc. If you believe the government, you'd think the country would be awash in vaccines by now.

 

 

 

 

[sezze]

I hope they find at least a few other companies doing the same thing ( or more ) , in order to get people vaccinated in any timely manner .

[Destiny1990]

Same as these high speed trains they talked it for 7 years with nothing to show for now.

[Karma80]

Meanwhile, back in reality - Let's order more Sinovac!

[Cat Boy]

2 hours ago, Thailand said:

I think I feel a  De Ja Vu coming on.

...its de ja vu all over again

(Yogi Berra)

[theoldgit]

Post in breach of Forum Rules removed

 

26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on ASEANNOW.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum.

[mtls2005]

AZ THL headman Teague's interview was laced with caveats, qualifiers and future excuses.

 

Why say 5 - 6? Just say 5.

 

Without any detail at all, this could be 10 mm or 2 mm.

 

Useless.

[Greenwich Boy]

I would like to know how many doses Astra Zeneca Thailand (SB, not sourced from overseas) have delivered domestically and overseas. Simply saying that they are coming from AZ in general only muddies the water.

[DrJack54]

Today 15376

Die 87

[Muhendis]

3 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

AZ THL headman Teague's interview was laced with caveats, qualifiers and future excuses.

 

Why say 5 - 6? Just say 5.

 

Without any detail at all, this could be 10 mm or 2 mm.

 

Useless.

Agree totally. The guy simply doesn't know because there are way too many variables for him to cope with. Also precision is simple not a Thai thing.

[James105]

First world problems.  "Covid vaccines ‘thrown away as not enough people coming forward"

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-vaccine-dumped-waste-b1890118.html

[mtls2005]

7 minutes ago, Greenwich Boy said:

I would like to know how many doses Astra Zeneca Thailand (SB, not sourced from overseas) have delivered domestically and overseas. Simply saying that they are coming from AZ in general only muddies the water.

This info is closely guarded, there have been some leaks but not enough to do much more than swag your question. My swag 65/SBS 35/offshore, on the 11.3 mm figure. 

 

5 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

The guy simply doesn't know because there are way too many variables for him to cope with. Also precision is simple not a Thai thing.

Well I don't think he's Thai? Way too tall.

 

But if he can't assemble projections then he is unqualified for the position. I'm imagining executives at Airbus saying " we're not sure this plane will fly because there are way too many variables".

 

He knows what will happen, he just doesn't want to share that level of detail. Which is fine, BTW.

[mfd101]

1 hour ago, Hayduke said:

 

Nearly every day we hear about the astounding number of vaccines the government claims to have ordered, purchased, secured, contracted for, committed to….etc etc. If you believe the government, you'd think the country would be awash in vaccines by now.

 

 

 

 

What is most surprising is the tiny numbers the Thai government seems to deal in, whether Sinovac or AZ or any other, compared to what Western countries order.

 

Oz - with a population 1/3 that of Thailand - has just ordered some 90 million Pfizers for delivery next year. And that on top of multiple other diverse orders for the current rounds.

[mtls2005]

An open letter to the people of Thailand

PUBLISHED
24 July 2021

Dear friends in Thailand,

 

As AstraZeneca’s representative here, I see the challenges that all of us across the country face in the battle against COVID-19 and want to explain what we are doing to help.

 

The rising number of confirmed COVID-19 delta cases in Thailand concerns all of us at AstraZeneca. We are in constant contact with the Department for Disease Control on the virus’ evolving impact and on how we can help the national vaccination programme.

 

I want to assure you that for us, there is no higher priority than manufacturing vaccines that can protect you and your loved ones, as fast as possible.

 

We will leave no stone unturned.

Our vaccine is a ‘biologic’ product that starts with growing ‘living’ ingredients. Its manufacturing is complicated. The number of doses in each ‘harvested’ batch is never completely certain, especially in the early stages of a new supply chain. Even with that context, our projections show that in months with uninterrupted manufacturing we can supply five to six million doses in Thailand.

 

By the end of July, we will have delivered 11.3 million doses, as part of our overall commitment to deliver 61 million to Thailand. As of now, we have delivered nine million doses, with 2.3 million to be supplied to the Ministry of Public Health next week.

 

We are delivering in the fastest possible timeframe, however, given the gravity of the delta variant, we are leaving no stone unturned to accelerate supply further still. Together with our manufacturing partner, Siam Bioscience, we have initiated efforts to optimise the manufacturing process and we believe that in months with good ‘harvests’, we will be able to deliver more.

 

We are also scouring the 20+ supply chains in our worldwide manufacturing network to find additional vaccines for Southeast Asia, including Thailand. A global supply crunch for COVID-19 vaccines and shortages of the materials and components required to produce the vaccine, make it difficult to provide certainty today, but we are hopeful of importing additional doses in the months ahead.

 

COVID-19 is the biggest public health crisis of our generation. We at AstraZeneca see it as our duty to help, and thousands of our employees, and those of our partners, have devoted their lives this past year to do so. We do this at no profit during the pandemic because we believe that’s the right thing to do. The immediate needs of the pandemic are too large for us to take on alone, but we will not rest until you are vaccinated.

 

Our battle against COVID-19 is shared.

Since the start of the pandemic, you have shown the true heart and strength of Thailand. Polling suggests that over one third of the people in Thailand have donated money, food or supplies to support one another. We have witnessed remarkable solidarity within the community and across provincial borders. The battle against COVID-19 has been a marathon, but the one thing that will bring us closer to the finish line is running this race together, not just in Thailand but also internationally.

 

We in Thailand face an upsurge in cases today. Our brothers and sisters across ASEAN experience new lockdowns and rising fatalities also. New data from Canada shows that one dose of our vaccine is 87% effective against hospitalisation or death caused by the delta variant. The vaccines made in Thailand are of critical importance to our neighbours as much as they are to us here.

 

We share the same goal. To end the pandemic, we need to manage virus levels everywhere. As the virus ignores borders, the acceleration of COVID-19 in neighbouring countries is a threat to us in Thailand. This fight can only be won if we act together.

Yours sincerely,

James Teague
Managing Director, AstraZeneca Thailand

 

 

 

https://www.astrazeneca.com/country-sites/thailand/press-release/an-open-letter-to-the-people-of-thailand-en.html

[nickmondo]

bla bla bla

 

[vandeventer]

1 hour ago, Hayduke said:

 

Nearly every day we hear about the astounding number of vaccines the government claims to have ordered, purchased, secured, contracted for, committed to….etc etc. If you believe the government, you'd think the country would be awash in vaccines by now.

 

 

 

 

How long do they think this virus will last? Even the black death didn't last very long. We should of had the vaccines 6 months ago. So are they going to make us take the vaccine without giving us a choice of vaccines? I guess we will have to wait and see as change is happening everyday.

[Dionigi]

According to Mr Teague, by the end of July, AstraZeneca will have delivered 11.3 million doses as part of its overall commitment to deliver 61 million doses to Thailand.

 

So far, the company has delivered nine million doses, with another 2.3 million doses to be supplied to the Ministry of Public Health this week.

 

So call it 8 million single dosed and 2.3 million double dosed by the end of July and that's not even counting Sinovac?

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, Dionigi said:

So call it 8 million single dosed and 2.3 million double dosed by the end of July and that's not even counting Sinovac?

Problem being the numbers (doses available Vs people vaccinated) just don't add up.

Now if we assume 1/2 the doses are being sold out the back door to other countries, that would make the numbers look more realistic. Maybe they were 'redirected' before they ever reached Thailand?

[Whale]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

in months with uninterrupted manufacturing

So not a guarantee?

[thailand49]

Have you inform the CCP that you are doing this?????  I guess with the 2.8 Billion donated by the K  things should be really moving now?????

[UTH001]

48 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

What is most surprising is the tiny numbers the Thai government seems to deal in, whether Sinovac or AZ or any other, compared to what Western countries order.

 

Oz - with a population 1/3 that of Thailand - has just ordered some 90 million Pfizers for delivery next year. And that on top of multiple other diverse orders for the current rounds.

What will Australia do with 90 million doses of Pfizer??? The population is 26 Mio people...

[Thailand]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Oi, that's my line! ???? 

 

Do Az Thailand have any plans to increase production capacity in Thailand by expanding the existing facility or possibly opening a second plant?

 

For that matter have any actual production numbers been released for previous months? Showing a ramp-up in output as the process is refined would add credance to these recurring stories.

 

I had a feeling I had seen that before!

[tonray]

2 minutes ago, UTH001 said:

What will Australia do with 90 million doses of Pfizer??? The population is 26 Mio people...

2 does each + factoring in spoilage and waste....also third dose may be warranted as booster

[timkeen08]

37 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

How long do they think this virus will last? Even the black death didn't last very long. We should of had the vaccines 6 months ago. So are they going to make us take the vaccine without giving us a choice of vaccines? I guess we will have to wait and see as change is happening everyday.

from Britanica.com

Black Death, pandemic that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351, taking a proportionately greater toll of life than any other known epidemic or war up to that time.

(4 years)

 

From the week.co.uk

How did it end? The most popular theory of how the plague ended is through the implementation of quarantines. The uninfected would typically remain in their homes and only leave when it was necessary, while those who could afford to do so would leave the more densely populated areas and live in greater isolation.

(quarantine, not vaccine although they do rhyme)

[Muhendis]

53 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

An open letter to the people of Thailand

PUBLISHED
24 July 2021

Dear friends in Thailand,

 

As AstraZeneca’s representative here, I see the challenges that all of us across the country face in the battle against COVID-19 and want to explain what we are doing to help.

 

The rising number of confirmed COVID-19 delta cases in Thailand concerns all of us at AstraZeneca. We are in constant contact with the Department for Disease Control on the virus’ evolving impact and on how we can help the national vaccination programme.

 

I want to assure you that for us, there is no higher priority than manufacturing vaccines that can protect you and your loved ones, as fast as possible.

 

We will leave no stone unturned.

Our vaccine is a ‘biologic’ product that starts with growing ‘living’ ingredients. Its manufacturing is complicated. The number of doses in each ‘harvested’ batch is never completely certain, especially in the early stages of a new supply chain. Even with that context, our projections show that in months with uninterrupted manufacturing we can supply five to six million doses in Thailand.

 

By the end of July, we will have delivered 11.3 million doses, as part of our overall commitment to deliver 61 million to Thailand. As of now, we have delivered nine million doses, with 2.3 million to be supplied to the Ministry of Public Health next week.

 

We are delivering in the fastest possible timeframe, however, given the gravity of the delta variant, we are leaving no stone unturned to accelerate supply further still. Together with our manufacturing partner, Siam Bioscience, we have initiated efforts to optimise the manufacturing process and we believe that in months with good ‘harvests’, we will be able to deliver more.

 

We are also scouring the 20+ supply chains in our worldwide manufacturing network to find additional vaccines for Southeast Asia, including Thailand. A global supply crunch for COVID-19 vaccines and shortages of the materials and components required to produce the vaccine, make it difficult to provide certainty today, but we are hopeful of importing additional doses in the months ahead.

 

COVID-19 is the biggest public health crisis of our generation. We at AstraZeneca see it as our duty to help, and thousands of our employees, and those of our partners, have devoted their lives this past year to do so. We do this at no profit during the pandemic because we believe that’s the right thing to do. The immediate needs of the pandemic are too large for us to take on alone, but we will not rest until you are vaccinated.

 

Our battle against COVID-19 is shared.

Since the start of the pandemic, you have shown the true heart and strength of Thailand. Polling suggests that over one third of the people in Thailand have donated money, food or supplies to support one another. We have witnessed remarkable solidarity within the community and across provincial borders. The battle against COVID-19 has been a marathon, but the one thing that will bring us closer to the finish line is running this race together, not just in Thailand but also internationally.

 

We in Thailand face an upsurge in cases today. Our brothers and sisters across ASEAN experience new lockdowns and rising fatalities also. New data from Canada shows that one dose of our vaccine is 87% effective against hospitalisation or death caused by the delta variant. The vaccines made in Thailand are of critical importance to our neighbours as much as they are to us here.

 

We share the same goal. To end the pandemic, we need to manage virus levels everywhere. As the virus ignores borders, the acceleration of COVID-19 in neighbouring countries is a threat to us in Thailand. This fight can only be won if we act together.

Yours sincerely,

James Teague
Managing Director, AstraZeneca Thailand

 

 

 

https://www.astrazeneca.com/country-sites/thailand/press-release/an-open-letter-to-the-people-of-thailand-en.html

This all looks very plausible until you compare against supplies of vaccine in western countries. It looks to me like there are production issues and supply bottlenecks which only apply to Asia.