World

AstraZeneca says reports of vaccine’s low efficacy among elderly is “completely incorrect”

Published

1 month ago

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Caitlin Ashworth

AstraZeneca says reports of vaccine’s low efficacy among elderly is “completely incorrect” | The Thaiger

PHOTO: Finnomena

The pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca says reports that its Covid-19 vaccine has an extremely low efficacy among the elderly is “completely incorrect.” German newspapers published articles today reporting that the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed in partnership with Oxford University, has an efficacy less than 10% in those over 65 years old.

The economic daily Handelsblatt reported that Berlin estimated the vaccine’s efficacy for those over 65 years old was just 8%. The vaccine is set to be approved by the European Union this week, but the report adds that Berlin does not expect the vaccine will receive a license allowing use for the elderly.

AstraZeneca released a statement saying the reports of the low efficacy rate for adults over 65 is “completely incorrect.”

“In November, we published data in The Lancet demonstrating that older adults showed strong immune responses to the vaccine, with 100% of older adults generating spike-specific antibodies after the second dose.”

Thailand is lined up to receive 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine next month and the Thai government has approved the vaccine for emergency use. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is now calling on hospitals, both public and private, to prepare for the first phase of vaccinations, starting with health care workers and vulnerable groups in high risk areas. The vaccine requires 2 doses injected 4 to 12 weeks apart.

SOURCES: Reuters | Nation Thailand | AFP

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News Categories:Coronavirus (Covid-19)World

4 Comments

Toby Andrews
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 12:08 am
Well if the Thais do not want it, they can go for other vaccines.
I do not want them to have a vaccine from Britain anyway, after the the way they have treated British visitors to Thailand over the last 9 months.
As for them producing this vaccine in Thailand, I would not trust them to produce any vaccine.
They will just produce phials of tap water.
If it does not work they will just claim the British vaccine does not work.
Reply
EdwardV
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 1:44 am
Astra Zeneca has clearly having a bad week. In addition to the German claim, the EU is also very unhappy. AZ said they were going to deliver 60% less doses than planned to the EU during the first quarter. The EU is threatening to to restrict exports of the vaccine which has a lot of countries worried. They are also having issues in the US. Seems when they had the debacle with the phase III trail in GB, that caused the phase III trail in the US to be delayed. It’s not finished yet. Once the US trail is finished there’s still the question if the efficacy is or isn’t high enough. The reason is the government won’t approve it if it’s too low in comparison to the others that have been approved. Luckily Pfizer just announced they will be able to supply 200M doses by the end of May, two months sooner than previously expected. Hopefully we should hear from the Johnson and Johnson vaccine next week.
Reply
John_2
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 5:32 pm
What a sordid history the vaccine industry is.
*SV40 cancer causing monkey virus in the *Polio vaccine that spread globally and now causes 30-60% of all soft tissue cancers world wide all the way to Bill Gates vaccines being banned in India for containing sterilization additives.
*officially admitted by the US government that 96 million shots of the Polio Vaccine were contaminated with SV40.
Reply
Shane
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 1:23 pm
I just hope Johnson & Johnson are in no way related to Boris.
Reply

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Caitlin Ashworth

Caitlin Ashworth is a writer from the United States who has lived in Thailand since 2018. She graduated from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies in 2016. She was a reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette In Massachusetts. She also interned at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia and Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida.

Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Public Health Minister gets first Covid-19 vaccine shot in Thailand

Published

13 hours ago

Sunday, February 28, 2021

Caitlin Ashworth

Public Health Minister gets first Covid-19 vaccine shot in Thailand | The Thaiger

PHOTO: Facebook/ Anutin Charnvirakul

Thailand’s Covid-19 vaccine campaign started with Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul who was jabbed with China’s Sinovac vaccine. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was initially planned to be the first to kick off Thailand’s immunisation plan with the AstraZeneca vaccine, but due to problems with paperwork, the prime minister’s injection was postponed. Doctors advised Prayut to get the AstraZeneca vaccine due to his age. Prayut is 66 and doctors say the Sinovac vaccine has been declared safe for people ages 18 to 59.

Both shipments of the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines arrived last week, the AstraZeneca vaccine still needs to be endorsed by the Medical Science Department. Anutin says the pharmaceutical company has not submitted documents and samples needed for the endorsement.

Along with Anutin, a number of other government officials and health professionals were vaccinated against the coronavirus. Anutin’s shot was administered by Thailand’s top virologist Yong Poovorawan.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

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Coronavirus (Covid-19)

International travellers allowed to transit Thailand from Monday

Published

2 days ago

Saturday, February 27, 2021

Ann Carter

International travellers allowed to transit Thailand from Monday | The Thaiger

International travellers will now be allowed to transit Thailand from Monday after the Civil Aviation Authority relaxed Covid‐19measures. The lifting of stringent travel regulations comes after Thailand reports a drop in Covid infections to double digits since February 20.

CAAT also says regulations are being relaxed on domestic travel as well. The authority says operators of domestic flights can resume serving in-flight meals and drinks starting from Thursday.

Transport Minister, Sasksayam Chidchob, says the move is part of a resolution by the Centre for Covid‐19 Situation Administration to relax measures. Flight attendants and passengers, however, are still mandated to follow Covid control measures that include wearing face masks during the length of the flight except when eating or drinking.

In-flight meals and drinks were banned on December 30 under the government’s 4th announcement, but was cancelled when CAAT director general made a fifth announcement nullifying the regulation.

International passengers have been under strict regulations for a while, including being unable to transit at Thai airports or to transfer to other flights through Thai airports.

Samut Sakhon province, the epicentre of the second wave of Covidin Thailand, has reportedly been successful at disease control in high‐risk areas, including the Central Shrimp Market, which has been closed for over two months.

But that may change as rumour has it that the market may reopen from Monday, but an official announcement has yet to be made by the CCSA. Deputy governor Teerapat Kutchamath visited the market, assuring that it was, indeed, ready to open by Monday, while plans are already being set to make merit, in light of its expected reopening.

Meanwhile, The CCSA reports 72 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Kingdom today. 63 of those cases were domestically‐transmitted while 9 were imported.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

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Thailand

PM Prayut postponing Covid‐19 vaccination citing paperwork issues

Published

2 days ago

Saturday, February 27, 2021

Ann Carter

PM Prayut postponing Covid‐19 vaccination citing paperwork issues | The Thaiger

Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is postponing his inaugural Covid‐19 vaccination citing paperwork issues with the AstraZeneca vaccine shipment. According to Khaosod English, the vaccine shipment was sent to Thailand last Wednesday from South Korea, but was missing the additional required paperwork.

Prayut was supposed to receive the vaccine tomorrow, but the highly‐publicised event will not be happening. According to Khaosod English, an official at the Secretariat of the Prime Minister has also confirmed the news of the postponement without citing a reason.

Although the Sinovac vaccine is also being administered in Thailand, healthcare officials say Prayut is too old to receive it as its age limit is 60. Prayut is 66 years old, which is well over the oldest age that can receive the vaccine.

The Sinovac vaccine drive is set to commence on Monday, 2 weeks behind schedule. Those frontline health workers, hospitality workers and vulnerable groups will receive the vaccines first.

Meanwhile, Phuket is waiting for the green lightto start administering vaccines and has already held a vaccine administration rehearsal overseen by Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong along with other health officials.

Pichet says the first vaccine round of 4,000 doses should arrive early in March, with the 2nd and 3rd set of doses, 16,000 and 48,000 respectively, to arrive in April and May.

The government pandemic center reported 72 new confirmed infections on Friday, after first only reporting 45 new cases. 37 of those cases were locally-transmitted, and one 6 year old Thai girl returning from the UK was found to have tested positive for the virus. Samut Sakhon, again, reported over half of the new cases yesterday, as it remains the epicentre of Thailand’s second wave of the coronavirus outbreak.

The total virus tally in Thailand sits at 25,764, with 83 fatalities. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has not yet announced the amount of new cases for today.

There is no word yet on when PM Prayut will be rescheduled to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.

SOURCE: Khaosod English

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