Cabinet approves 500-million-baht budget for Paxlovid antiviral treatment

The Thai government has approved a budget of 500 million baht to purchase supplies of Pfizer’s antiviral treatment, Paxlovid. It’s understood the fund is part of the government’s 8.4-billion-baht pandemic budget. Deputy government spokesperson Traisulee Traisaranakul has confirmed budgetary approval for the procurement of Paxlovid.

The Bangkok Post reports that most of the government’s 8.4-billion-baht Covid-19 budget – 7.7 billion baht – is being allocated to frontline healthcare workers and medical staff attached to the public health secretariat office. Traisulee says the funds allocated to the purchase of Paxlovid will contribute to efforts to overcome the Covid-19 crisis in Thailand.

Thailand has used various medications in its attempts to treat mild Covid-19 symptoms, including favipiravir, molnupiravir, remdesivir, and green chiretta. Last week, a leading medic from the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Centre called for the use of favipiravir to be phased out and replaced with molnupiravir. According to Dr Opass Putcharoen, there is insufficient data to demonstrate the efficacy of favipiravir.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post