Thai government in talks to vaccinate younger children

Manufacturers are seeking approval from the Thai Food and Drug Administration to vaccinate younger children, the Bangkok Post reports. Similar studies are also taking place in the US. Dr Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says thorough checks are required before proceeding, which means the approval process takes longer. However, the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm, has already been tested on groups of children and the manufacturer expects to conclude the study and meet with the FDA shortly.

According to the Bangkok Post report, Sinovac has already been administered to children in a number of other countries. The manufacturer is compiling the safety information, as well as data on side-effects, and is expected to make a presentation to the FDA.

Currently, children in Thailand over the age of 12 are vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, but officials are now determining if it is safe to vaccinated children younger than this. It’s understood there are sufficient supplies of all 3 vaccines, meaning that if the FDA approves, the rollout could begin immediately.

In related news, the Bangkok Post reports that the government has ordered another 60 million AstraZeneca doses and is considering ordering 30 million doses of Pfizer for next year. The government has also asked Pfizer to secure next-generation vaccines for children.

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SOURCE: Bangkok Post