Covid-19 vaccines
- Bangkok News
Governor says Bangkok will only re-open when safe to do so
The governor of Bangkok says 3 criteria need to be met before the capital can re-open, in order to protect the health and safety of residents. Aswin Kwanmuang says while Bangkok is anxious to re-open and reboot its economy, it can only do so when it’s safe. This means the re-opening could be pushed out to mid-November, according to a…
- Covid-19 News
Doctors say cardiac arrest caused death of man given AstraZeneca booster shot
Doctors say a 40 year old man who died after receiving a booster shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine died of cardiac arrest. Prasong Boonkhian was a volunteer rescue worker with the Pathon Borom Rachanusorn Foundation in the central province of Ratchaburi. According to a Bangkok Post report, he was vaccinated with his first dose of Sinovac on June 11, followed…
- Covid-19 News
Rollout of AstraZeneca boosters for people fully vaccinated with Sinovac begins September 24
Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the rollout of AstraZeneca booster shots for people fully vaccinated with Sinovac will begin next Friday. Those who received the Sinovac vaccine between March and May will be up first. Anutin says people who’ve been fully vaccinated with Sinorpharm will also receive AstraZeneca boosters at a later stage. Thai PBS World reports that the government…
- Covid-19 News
Chulabhorn Royal Academy to buy 8 million Moderna doses to use as boosters
The Chulabhorn Royal Academy has announced that it will purchase 8 million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, to be administered as boosters during 2022. The CRA is 1 of 5 agencies with the authority to procure alternative Covid-19 vaccines and has already purchased supplies of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine. According to the CRA, the Moderna delivery will happen in…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok health officials to roll out Sinovac/AstraZeneca vaccine cocktail
From next Tuesday, health officials in Bangkok will replace 2 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with 1 dose of Sinovac, followed by a dose of AstraZeneca. According to a Nation Thailand report, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says the policy is in line with guidelines for the dark red provinces, issued by the Public Health Ministry. The reason for the policy…
- Covid-19 News
Foreign Ministry denies it wouldn’t work with other countries to get vaccines
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson has denied claims that officials wouldn’t cooperate with other countries in the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. According to a Nation Thailand report, Tanee Sangrat insists Thailand has worked with a number of countries in accepting donations, swapping vaccines, and other areas of cooperation. “The ministry has used various channels, such as vaccine swaps, accepting donations, and…
- Covid-19 News
Covid patients must receive a vaccine dose within 3 months of infection
The Department of Disease Control says Covid-19 patients who’ve never been vaccinated must receive 1 dose within 3 months of contracting the virus. Nation Thailand reports government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul as saying people who have recovered from Covid-19 remain at risk of contracting the highly-contagious Delta variant. Traisulee says the guidelines from health officials are that recovered patients who’ve never…
- Thailand News
The future of Covid vaccine ‘passports’ in access to services | VIDEO
Tim Newton speaks to Bangkok lawyer Benjamin Hart from Integrity Legal (link below). Ben is concerned at recent mutterings from the Thai government which may have insisted on proof of covid vaccines for any number of services, from simply eating to domestic travel. There is currently an instance on proof of vaccines for any provincial travel in Thailand in and…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s plant-based Covid-19 vaccine ready for phase 1 trials
The Baiya vaccine, a plant-based Covid-19 vaccine being developed in Thailand, is ready to begin phase 1 clinical trials this month. The Bangkok Post reports that the vaccine is being developed by Baiya Phytopharm, at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. The company’s founder, Waranyoo Phoolcharoen, says human trials can begin once Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration has finished reviewing information about the…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand to prioritise vaccination of over 50s, who make up 80% of Covid deaths
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says the vaccination of people over the age of 50 is being given urgent priority. Thai PBS World reports that the decision comes after it was revealed that 80% of Covid-related deaths or in the over 50s. According to Apisamai Srirangsan from the CCSA, the majority of those deaths are in the elderly and…
- Covid-19 News
More Bangkok field hospital beds available as recovered patients outnumber new cases
The Public Health Ministry says the number of Covid-19 patients who’ve recovered has outnumbered new infections in Bangkok for the last 10 days. Dr Kiattibhoom Vongrachit says the reduction in new cases means more field hospital beds have become available in the capital and surrounding provinces. According to a Thai PBS World report, last week there were 3,526 patients undergoing…
- Covid-19 News
Rollout of Covid-19 booster doses expected to begin next month
The rollout of Covid-19 booster shots for around 3 million Thais who’ve already received 2 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine will begin from next month. According to a Bangkok Post report, Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says the administration of booster doses is expected to get underway between late September and October. “Which vaccine type will be…
- Covid-19 News
Pfizer vaccine to be rolled out to 4 million students from next month
Over 4 million Thai students, between the ages of 12 and 18, will be inoculated with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine from September. Kanokwan Vilawan from the Education Ministry says officials will roll out 3 million doses of the vaccine, which arrives next month, and is seeking more doses to cover 4 million young people. According to a Bangkok Post report,…
- Covid-19 News
Thai FDA hopes to grant full approval to Pfizer vaccine imminently
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration is seeking more information from Pfizer about its Covid-19 vaccine, in the hope of granting it full approval shortly. The vaccine, along with the other Covid-19 vaccines in use in the Kingdom, currently only has emergency use authorisation. The US Food and Drug Administration recently granted the Pfizer vaccine fully approved status. The Bangkok Post…
- Covid-19 News
Efficacy of mRNA vaccines drops to 66% against Delta variant – US study
A large study carried out by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the efficacy of mRNA vaccines drops from 91% to 66% against the Delta variant. The study involved thousands of healthcare staff and other frontline workers across 6 states. Participants were tested once a week and tested again if they developed Covid-19 symptoms, thereby allowing…
- Pattaya News
Pfizer vaccine being administered to eligible foreign residents in Pattaya
Qualifying foreign residents in Pattaya are receiving the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine this week, as part of the rollout in the eastern province of Chon Buri. The Pattaya News reports that administration of Pfizer kicked off this week, but that many Pattaya residents have criticised the slow pace of inoculation. Yesterday, health officials continued to administer vaccines at Central Festival Pattaya…
- Phuket News
Phuket tourism operators more hopeful after Sputnik approval
Phuket’s tourism operators are feeling slightly more confident about the last quarter of the year, following the approval of the Sputnik V vaccine. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has added the Russian vaccine to the list of vaccines that will be accepted when granting entry to foreign tourists arriving through the Phuket’s sandbox scheme. Thailand’s tourism sector has taken…
- Covid-19 News
WHO condemns countries administering Covid booster shots during global shortage
The World Health Organisation has slammed the concept of booster shots while millions are yet to receive a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. The WHO adds that there is as yet no scientific evidence that such boosters are necessary and administering them is immoral when so many countries are struggling with vaccine shortages. A number of countries, including the…
- Covid-19 News
Thammasat University seeks to import alternative Covid-19 vaccines
The hospital director of Thammasat University says the institution is seeking a partner to help with importing alternative Covid-19 vaccines. Dr Pharuhat Tor-Udom says the process would be similar to how Chulabhorn Royal Academy procures vaccines through the Thai Red Cross. CRA sources the Sinopharm vaccine through the society, which is authorised to deal directly with vaccine manufacturers. According to…
- Covid-19 News
Cabinet approves 9.3 billion baht for procurement of Pfizer doses
A government spokesman says funding of 9.3 billion baht has been approved for 20 million doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine. Anucha Burapachaisri confirmed the cabinet has approved the funds for the already signed order, while acknowledging a proposal to purchase a further 10 million Pfizer doses. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anucha says the Department of Disease Control plans…
- Covid-19 News
Health Minister says Thailand will have over 32 million Pfizer doses by end of the year
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says there will be 32.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the country by the end of the year. According to a Nation Thailand report, Anutin Charnvirakul says the government has ordered 20 million doses of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine and Pfizer has also offered to send an additional 10 million doses this year. “This,…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok doctor who received 2 doses of Sinovac dies of Covid-19
The death from Covid-19 of another fully vaccinated healthcare worker has led to increased calls for Pfizer booster shots. The Bangkok Post reports that the death of Dr Saranya Lapanich was announced on Facebook by Anutra Chittinandana from the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand. Dr Saranya, who was also known as Dr Am, worked at Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital in…
- Covid-19 News
Second lot of Pfizer vaccines for healthcare workers to arrive tomorrow
The Department of Disease Control says the second batch of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines donated by the US is expected to arrive tomorrow. The doses are earmarked for frontline healthcare workers in all 77 provinces. The Bangkok Post reports that DDC chief Opas Karnkawinpong has confirmed the delivery. The US government has donated the 1.5 million Pfizer doses to help Thailand…
- World News
Anti-vaccine disinformation campaign shut down by Facebook
A disinformation campaign targeting Covid-19 vaccines and orchestrated by a Russian marketing firm has been shut down by Facebook. Ben Nimmo, speaking on behalf of the social media giant, says the campaign, started by Russian firm Fazze, targeted influencers, persuading them to spread hoaxes about Covid-19 vaccines. The Bangkok Post reports that Facebook has described the campaign as a “disinformation…
- Covid-19 News
Only 6.7% of Thai population fully vaccinated, over 23% have received 1 dose
Just 6.7% of Thai residents are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, while over 23% have received their first dose. The figures were released by the Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation Ministry, according to a Nation Thailand report. The southern island of Phuket is the only province where the majority of people have been fully vaccinated. The island launched its quarantine-free…
- Covid-19 News
Thai soldier who bragged about getting Pfizer vaccine says he’s a nurse
A Thai army sergeant who announced he’d received a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine has sparked temporary outrage on social media. Noppadon Maneechan, who is based in the north-eastern province of Loei, has had to defend his reputation and refute claims that Pfizer doses have been secretly administered to the military ahead of healthcare workers and high-risk members of…
- Covid-19 News
Medical expert calls for export of AstraZeneca doses to be suspended
A prominent medical expert has urged the government to stop exporting locally-produced doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine until Thailand has enough for its own people. Dr Prasert Auewarakul from Siriraj Hospital’s Faculty of Medicine says Thailand needs at least 10 million doses a month over the next 3 months. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says this period is…
- Covid-19 News
Chulalongkorn closes vaccine trial applications early as enough people sign up
The Faculty of Medicine at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University has closed volunteer applications for its Covid-19 vaccine trials as enough people have already signed up. Nation Thailand reports that the Chula Vaccine Research Centre closed applications ahead of schedule as it already has enough volunteers. The Thai vaccine candidate, named ChulaCov19, is an mRNA vaccine, which is expected to begin second-phase…
- Covid-19 News
Older volunteers wanted for trials of Chulalongkorn University mRNA vaccine
The Faculty of Medicine at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University has put out a call for healthy volunteers to take part in trials of its Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. Nation Thailand reports that participants need to be between the ages of 56 and 75 with no underlying health conditions. They must also never have contracted Covid-19 or been vaccinated against the virus. Eligible…
- Covid-19 News
WHO calls for booster shots to be suspended while poor countries face vaccine shortages
The World Health Organisation has called for the administration of third, or booster doses, of Covid-19 vaccines to be suspended to deal with the huge inequality in global distribution. The organisation says booster shots should be halted until at least the end of September until the inequity in distribution between rich and poor countries is addressed. WHO boss Tedros Adhanom…
