Covid-19 vaccines
- Covid-19 News
Made it! A million Moderna doses donated by the US arrive in Thailand
A million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, donated by the United States, have arrived in Thailand. The Bangkok Post reports that the US donation touched down yesterday afternoon. Michael Heath from the US Embassy in Bangkok says this is the second US donation of mRNA vaccines following a donation of 1.5 million Pfizer doses in July. “This new shipment…
- Covid-19 News
Public Health Ministry considering measures to boost vaccination rate
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is looking at ways to encourage more people to get vaccinated, as the government tries to meet its target by the end of the year. Ministry spokesman Dr Sopon Mekthon says officials have a target to administer 100 million doses by the end of 2021. Currently, they are short around 15 million doses, having administered 85…
- Covid-19 News
Europe the only region in the world where Covid deaths are rising
Covid-19 deaths in Europe rose by 5% last week, making it the only region in the world where Covid fatalities are rising. The World Health Organisation says that, while infection rates have risen across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, Covid-related deaths in all regions have remained stable or dropped – with the exception of Europe. According to an AP report,…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok officials say 100% of residents will be fully vaccinated by end of the year
Bangkok’s entire population will be fully vaccinated by the end of the year, according to Governor Aswin Kwanmuang. He says the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has set a goal of vaccinating 100% of residents by the end of 2021. According to a Thai PBS World report, 8,734,534 people have now received their first dose and 7,512,946 their second. 85% of high-risk…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand to meet vaccination target a month ahead of schedule
Thailand is on course to meet its Covid-19 vaccination target by the end of November – a month ahead of schedule. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says over 80% of people in Bangkok and in several other provinces have now been vaccinated. On Wednesday, the Department of Disease Control distributed another 11 million vaccine doses to the provinces. According to a…
- Covid-19 News
Half a million vaccine doses set aside for return of migrant workers
The Thai government has set aside up to half a million Covid-19 vaccine doses as it prepares for the return of much-needed migrant workers. The move comes following confirmation from Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin that Thailand will sign MoUs with neighbouring countries to allow workers to enter through legal channels. Officials have vowed to crack down on people smugglers and…
- Covid-19 News
Let’s try that again: US to attempt another donation of 1 million vaccine doses
Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Minister says the US government has offered to donate another 1 million vaccine doses to the kingdom. According to a Bangkok Post report, Don Pramudwinai says the doses are likely to be the Moderna mRNA vaccine and the Public Health Ministry is planning to propose the offer to Cabinet. The last US donation of a million Pfizer…
- Covid-19 News
Sinovac to be added to UK’s approved vaccine list for inbound travel
Brits residing in Thailand, and vaccinated with the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, can rejoice as the UK adds it to the list of approved vaccines. According to a Reuters report, the British government has confirmed that from November 22, vaccines on the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Use Listing, which includes Sinovac, Sinopharm, and India’s Covaxin, will be recognised. The move will…
- Covid-19 News
Workers returning from provinces can get second, third vaccine doses in Bangkok
The health minister says jobseekers returning from the provinces to work in Bangkok can get their vaccine doses in the capital. Anutin Charnvirakul says some people may have appointments for a second dose or a third, booster dose, in their home provinces. However, they can opt to have them in Bangkok instead. He was speaking as workers previously employed in…
- Covid-19 News
Government approves budget of over 3.6 billion baht for Thai vaccine development
A budget of 3.62 billion baht has been approved by the Cabinet for continued research and development into 2 Thai Covid-19 vaccines. According to the Bangkok Post, deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek says one of the vaccines is an mRNA vaccine, while the other is a subunit, plant-based vaccine. Around 2.32 billion baht has been earmarked for the mRNA vaccine,…
- Covid-19 News
Thammasat, Foreign Ministry in he said/she said spat over failed Moderna donation
The dispute between Thammasat University Hospital and the Foreign Ministry over 1.5 million donated Moderna doses rolls on. After the university took to Facebook to say government red tape prevented it from receiving Poland’s donation, the Foreign Ministry has hit back. According to a Bangkok Post report, the ministry says it couldn’t allow Thammasat to accept the donation as doing…
- Covid-19 News
Remaining Moderna doses on track for delivery by end of first quarter of 2022
The president of the Private Hospital Association says the remainder of its Moderna vaccine order will be delivered on schedule. Chalerm Harnpanich says all 8.6 million doses will have arrived by the end of the first quarter of 2022. According to a Bangkok Post report, Chalerm says all hospitals and other agencies who are awaiting their allocation will receive doses…
- Covid-19 News
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…
- Covid-19 News
First batch of Moderna doses to arrive Monday
560,000 long-awaited doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine will finally arrive in the kingdom on November 1. According to a Bangkok Post report, their arrival has been confirmed by Dr Chalerm Harnpanich, president of the Private Hospital Association. He says once quality checks have been completed, they will be distributed to the hospitals and other institutions who ordered them. The…
- South Thailand News
Southern Thailand to receive 500,000 vaccine doses to combat Covid-19 surge
The head of the Disease Control Department says half a million vaccine doses are being sent to 4 southern provinces. Opart Karnkawinpong says the allocation is to help the region battle a surge in Covid-19 infections. The southern provinces have already received an earlier allocation of 500,000 vaccines doses. According to a Thai PBS World report, the southern province of…
- South Thailand News
Senior health official says South must move to Pfizer only to tackle Covid-19 outbreak
A senior health official in the southern province of Songkhla says the region must move to Pfizer vaccines only, in order to combat a surge in Covid-19 infections. According to a Nation Thailand report, Dr Papon Deechaisit is proposing a move from mixing Sinovac and AstraZeneca to using Pfizer for both doses. There has been a concerning spike in infections…
- Covid-19 News
Surge in vaccine misinformation on social media following death of Colin Powell
Following the death of former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, from Covid-19, a proliferation of anti-vax messaging has appeared on social media. Powell’s family has confirmed he was fully vaccinated against Covid-19. He was also 84 years of age and had been diagnosed with blood cancer and Parkinson’s disease. He died on October 18, with so-called “anti-vaxxers” seizing on…
- Covid-19 News
Anutin rejects suggestion booster doses should stop until everyone gets first dose
The Public Health Minister has defended the administration of third Covid-19 vaccine doses, despite some people still waiting for their first. Anutin Charnvirakul was responding to some advisers at the Department of Disease Control, who suggested people fully vaccinated with Sinovac should not get a booster while others are still waiting for their first dose. According to a Bangkok Post…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand to stop using Sinovac vaccine once current supply runs out
The head of the Department of Disease Control says Thailand will stop using the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine when the current supply runs out at the end of this month. Dr Opas Karnkawinpong says the government programme will instead switch to using 1 dose of AstraZeneca, followed by 1 of Pfizer. “We expect to have distributed all Sinovac doses this week.”…
- Covid-19 News
Single-dose Russian vaccine 70% effective against Delta variant
A single-dose Covid-19 vaccine developed in Russia has been shown to be 70% effective against the Delta variant. According to a Reuters report, Sputnik Light showed 70% effectiveness against the highly-contagious strain, 3 months after administration. The data was submitted by the Gamaleya Institute, developers of the vaccine, ahead of a peer review. The study was based on 28,000 trial…
- Politics News
Prosecutors to decide Thanathorn’s fate on November 4 following vaccine comments
On November 4, prosecutors will decide whether or not to indict Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit over comments he made about Thailand’s AstraZeneca technology-transfer deal. At the start of the year, the founder of the Progressive Movement criticised the government for being overly-reliant on Siam Bioscience for Covid-19 vaccines. The Bangkok Post reports that Thanathorn faces charges of violating Thailand’s defamation law and…
- Covid-19 News
Thai Red Cross rejects accusation that it profited by reselling Moderna doses
The Thai Red Cross Society has rejected a claim on social media that it profited from the resale of Moderna vaccine doses. According to a Bangkok Post report, the organisation was responding to a claim on Facebook that it had purchased Moderna doses through the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and was attempting to resell them to various organisations at an inflated…
- Covid-19 News
Delivery of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine pushed back to November
A day after the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation said the first doses of the Moderna vaccine would arrive this month – earlier than planned – it turns out they won’t. According to a Bangkok Post report, Zuellig Pharma, authorised distributor of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine says delivery of the first batch has had to be postponed to November, as originally planned.…
- Covid-19 News
Vaccine inequity means inoculation rate is still below 10% in over 55 countries
More than 55 countries have fewer than 10% of their populations vaccinated against Covid-19, the result of vaccine inequity that has yet to be adequately addressed. The Covax programme, created to ensure equity in global vaccine distribution, has been hit by production delays, export bans, and rich countries protecting their own first, according to a Nation Thailand report. Bruce Aylward…
- Covid-19 News
Developers of Thai mRNA vaccine call for it to be fast-tracked for emergency use
The developers of Thailand’s first mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine are urging the Food and Drug Administration to approve it for emergency use during the booster roll-out. The Bangkok Post reports that, in a bid to become self-reliant in vaccine manufacture, the government has allocated a budget of 1 billion baht to developers. The mRNA-based ChulaCov19 vaccine is being developed at Chulalongkorn…
- Covid-19 News
Health Ministry predicts infections will fall to 5,000 a day by end of October
Daily new Covid-19 infections are expected to fall to around 5,000 a day by the end of October, according to a Public Health Ministry spokesman. However, Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit remains concerned that they could rise again, due to a number of factors. The Bangkok Post reports that the emergence of infection clusters and the arrival of new variants are still…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand in talks to procure 120 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for 2022
The government aims to procure 120 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines next year, with a particular focus on booster shots and children between 3 and 11, who are not yet vaccinated. Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says 60 million doses will be the AstraZeneca vaccine, between 30 and 50 million will be from Pfizer, and…
- Covid-19 News
Education ministry to accelerate vaccination of over 200,000 teachers
All vocational and secondary school students should be fully vaccinated by November 15 and the vaccination of 210,000 teachers is being accelerated ahead of schools re-opening. So says Suphat Champatong from the Education Ministry, adding that the government has taken delivery of 3 vaccine types – viral vector, live attenuated, and inactivated. In a Bangkok Post report, Suphat says the…
- Covid-19 News
Thai health minister says all target groups will be fully vaccinated by year end
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says all target groups will have received 2 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of this year. In addition, Anutin Charnvirakul says certain groups will receive a third, or booster, dose this year and boosters will be administered to all in the coming year. He adds that there are currently between 700,000 and 800,000…
- World News
Amnesty says vaccine makers putting profits before lives amid global inequity
Amnesty International has accused the manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines of putting profits before lives and called on wealthy governments to distribute 2 billion doses to poorer nations. According to an AFP report, Amnesty boss Agnes Callamard says that US President Joe Biden is expected to use the UN General Assembly to confirm a pledge to fully vaccinate 70% of the…
