BANGKOK – The Prime Minister has confirmed the first 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be arriving in Thailand, with first jabs performed 3 days after arrival.
The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has confirmed the first 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from China’s Sinovac will be arrival in Thailand in late-February.
After the arrival in the country, health officials will take 3 more days to make preparations for the first administration of this vaccine to the Thai people. The vaccines will be distributed to different population based on a set priority, with instructions from manufactures suggesting appropriate age group for different types of vaccine.
Following the first lot, 800,000 more doses of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine will be arriving in the second lot, followed by 1 million doses in the third lot.
These doses will be administrated as the second shot for the first groups of people who have received the first shot, and the next groups of people carrying infection risks. Other factors such as occupation as manual workers and residency in tourism areas.
The Prime Minister said the first 26 million doses of Astra Zeneca’s vaccine will be arriving in Thailand in approximately May or June, followed by another 35 million doses on a later date. Once they are arrived, health officials can start making the vaccination plan to promote continuity and conformity.
On the registration of COVID-19 vaccines, the Food and Drugs Administration has officially registered AstraZeneca’s vaccine for emergency use in Thailand, with the registration for Sinovac’s vaccine to be completed before the arrival of the first doses. Currently, Johnson & Johnson is now processing the registration with the FDA, while talks are being made for the Moderna and Pfizer without any documents sent yet to the FDA.
The Prime Minister said the vaccination campaign is a part of the State of Emergency imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Private firms who wish to import the vaccine by themselves will need to seek approval from the FDA, and must give the vaccine to the right population group according to the government’s strategy, to ensure the safety of all people. (NNT)
