620 baht Covid-19 vaccine could be ready in 2021

The first vaccine against Covid-19 for human use is expected to be available in 2021, and is expected to be available in Thailand for a cost of about 620 baht per dose; this from the secretary-general of the National Vaccines Committee today. Dr Siriroek Songsivilai says the price is based on the 100 million doses, valued at about 2 billion US$ (63.2 billion baht), ordered by the US government from drug makers Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech, who jointly developed the vaccine.

Siriroek says that Thailand is using 3 approaches; developing its own vaccine, developing vaccines through transfer of technology and the purchase of vaccines from abroad.

He revealed that there was good news last week about the results of initial trials on humans in the first and second stages of testing, especially about the early vaccines developed by Oxford University, in cooperation with AstraZeneca, based in Cambridge, and Chinese vaccines.

Siriroek says there was consistency among the volunteers, who showed few serious side effects, adding that the vaccines developed by US-based Moderna are also showing promise, but that before widespread use in humans, candidates must pass third stage trials, involving larger numbers of volunteers, followed by a study of their short-and long term efficacy. It is also not known at this stage if a vaccine would be a once-only injection, annual or some other timing.

Currently, there are 30 vaccines being trialled in humans, and scientists are optimistic that they will have viable vaccines soon.

If a successful vaccine is developed for Covid-19, it will be the first vaccine ever created for a coronavirus

SOURCE: Thai PBS World