First delivery of Sinopharm vaccines approved for distribution

The first lot of Sinopharm doses ordered by the Chulabhorn Royal Academy have passed quality checks and can now be distributed. 1 million doses of the second Chinese vaccine approved for emergency use in Thailand arrived in the Kingdom on June 20, according to a Bangkok Post report.

Supakit Sirilak from the Department of Medical Sciences says his department took vaccine samples to check them for quality and safety. Such checks are required on all vaccines prior to them being distributed for administration. Supakit says checks on the vaccine’s physical and chemical attributes confirmed the doses meet Food and Drug Administration standards.

“A result from our laboratory concluded that this lot of vaccine has passed our test. We have already issued a certificate so that it could be released for distribution.”

Late last month, the Chulabhorn Royal Academy announced its intention to purchase the Sinopharm doses to distribute to the private sector and local administrative organisations. According to a statement on the academy’s Facebook page, the CRA plans to use 6,437 organisations to distribute Sinopharm doses to 779,300 recipients by August.

In other news, Withoon Danwiboon from the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation says it is facilitating negotiations between private hospitals and Zuellig Pharma, supplier of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine in Thailand. Withoon says purchasing agreements are being drawn up between the supplier and the GPO, with hopes they can be signed by early August. Zuellig Pharma will then start the process of delivering 5 million doses to the GPO, who will distribute them from there.

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SOURCE: Bangkok Post