Donated Covavax doses to be offered to the unvaccinated, people with allergies

Donated supplies of the Covavax protein sub-unit vaccine will be offered to the unvaccinated, as well as people who are allergic to other vaccine types. Opart Karnkawinpong from Thailand’s Department of Disease Control says the doses, which were donated by India and partner countries in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, have already been sent to the Medical Sciences Department to be cleared for distribution.

According to a Thai PBS World report, the protein sub-unit vaccine will be offered to those who remain unvaccinated, as well as people who are allergic to other vaccines, provided they are given the go-ahead from their doctor. The vaccine is administered in 2 doses, which are given 3 weeks apart. According to the report, there are currently no plans to offer the vaccine as a booster dose.

Covavax, and other protein sub-unit vaccines, contain harmless, purified fragments of the virus, selected for their ability to trigger immunity. The technology behind the vaccine is considered safe and is already in use in many common vaccines, including those used to inoculate against hepatitis B.

Thailand’s health minister Anutin Charnvirakul says officials are still calling on people to get vaccinated or get their booster doses when offered, in particular young people returning to school when the new term starts mid-May. It’s understood that fewer than 50% of children between the ages of 5 and 11 have received a first vaccine dose and only around 4% have received 2 doses.

Of children between the ages of 12 and 17, 87% have received their first vaccine dose and over 74% have received 2 doses. However, only 1.6% have received a booster dose. The government has reserved 7 million vaccine doses, which will be administered to school students during the month of May.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World