mRNA vaccines
- Thailand News
Thai health expert urges caution on mRNA vaccines due to rising disease rates
With the death toll rising and various diseases increasing from head to toe, the use of mRNA vaccines has been in question. Teerawat Hemajuta, Head of the Health Science Centre for Emerging Diseases at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, called for the Ministry of Public Health to study this data before recommending the frequency of vaccination. Teerawat asserts that the…
- Covid-19 News
Prominent Thai lung specialist dismisses claim that mRNA boosters cause lymphoma
A leading lung specialist at Bangkok’s Vichaiyut Hospital has completely dismissed claims that mRNA boosters against Covid-19 can cause ‘lymphoma’. According to a Nation Thailand report, Dr Manoon Leechawengwongs has rubbished the claims as “fake news”, urging Thais not to believe them, citing a long list of evidence of the vaccines’ efficacy and no credible reports linking the mRNA 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
It’s here: first Moderna delivery finally touches down in Thailand
The long-awaited Moderna mRNA vaccine has finally arrived in Thailand, with the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation receiving 560,200 doses yesterday. The doses, which make up the first batch of orders, arrived on a Lufthansa flight and will now undergo quality checks before being distributed. The Bangkok Post reports that 77% of the doses will go to private hospitals, who’ve already taken…
- 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…
- Covid-19 News
AstraZeneca-Pfizer mixed vaccination to debut in October
In the battle to get access to high-quality vaccines in Thailand, October is set to see an upgrade with the initiation of administering a mix of AstraZeneca and Pfizer doses for patients. The deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department said today Thailand will receive about 10 million Pfizer vaccines arriving each month beginning in October. The government now plans…
- Covid-19 News
Thammasat University approved to import Covid-19 vaccines
The Royal Thai Gazette published the announcement yesterday that Thammasat University has now joined a handful of government entities that can import Covid-19 vaccines. The publication of their regulations on medical services and public health management during the pandemic allows them to import medicine and vaccines as an authorized government entity. Thammasat University has already set its sights on importing…
- 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…
- Covid-19 News
Government says Sinovac works, despite claims of lower efficacy against variants
Amid growing calls for more mRNA doses to combat the spread of the Delta variant, the Thai government continues to defend the Sinovac vaccine. The Bangkok Post reports that the government plans to purchase another 12 million doses of the Chinese vaccine, citing good results from a study of people fully vaccinated with Sinovac. However, the public is calling on…
- 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
Developers of Thai mRNA vaccine call for government financing
The developers of Thailand’s mRNA Covid-19 vaccine say they need the government to finance the project and relax regulations that would prevent a timely rollout. According to a Bangkok Post report, Dr Kiat Ruxrungtham who heads up the team working on the vaccine, says he’d like to see the vaccine administered before Songkran 2022. The Chula-VAC001 is being developed by…
- 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
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
Rollout of Pfizer doses gets underway
The first rollout of the eagerly awaited Pfizer vaccine has kicked off, with doses being distributed first to Bangkok and the surrounding provinces, followed by other high-risk provinces around the country. According to a Bangkok Post report, Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control has confirmed the doses will be given as booster shots to frontline healthcare workers who…
- Covid-19 News
Chulalongkorn University progressing on domestic mRNA vaccine
With Covid-19 battering Thailand and the third wave bringing the Sinovac-resistant Delta variant to the forefront of the pandemic, Thailand’s slow vaccine rollout is further burdened by the ineffectiveness of the Chinese made traditional vaccine that a majority of inoculations are using. AstraZeneca provides more protection, and talk of booster shots have come after mixing vaccine doses has begun. But…
- Covid-19 News
Study confirms mixing AstraZeneca and mRNA vaccines as good as 2 mRNA doses
A recent study of Covid-19 vaccines shows that using AstraZeneca for the first dose, followed by an mRNA vaccine for the second, is as effective as 2 mRNA doses. The AstraZeneca vaccine is a viral vector vaccine, whereas vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA technology. Thai PBS World reports that the study was carried out in Germany, using…
- Covid-19 News
Stop buying Sinovac, medical expert tells government
The head of the intensive care unit at Bangkok’s Vichaiyut Hospital says the government must stop purchasing the Sinovac vaccine until it’s been re-formulated to handle variants. According to a Bangkok Post report, respiratory disease expert Manoon Leechawengwongs says Sinovac may be effective at reducing the chance of serious illness and death, but that effectiveness wears off over time. The…
- Covid-19 News
Government does an about-face, will hold talks to join Covax
In a significant U-turn, the Thai government says it’s prepared to hold talks to join Covax, the global initiative that aims to ensure equal access to vaccines. Thailand famously became the only Southeast Asian nation not to join when it had the opportunity to do so last year. At the time, government spokesman Anucha Buraphachaisri said Thailand preferred to sign…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand in talks with manufacturers of second-generation vaccines
A spokesman for the Thai government says talks are ongoing with manufacturers of second-generation vaccines that can handle virus mutations. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anucha Burapachaisri says such vaccines are vital in order to effectively control the pandemic, as strains such as the Delta variant take over. In addition to holding talks with manufacturers of second-generation vaccines aimed…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand to purchase another 120 million vaccine doses for next year
Thailand’s National Vaccine Committee has approved the purchase of an additional 120 million vaccine doses for 2022. However, it has yet to approve a draft announcement on the export of AstraZeneca doses manufactured in Thailand, due to concerns over insufficient doses for Thai citizens. Thai PBS World reports that Nakorn Premsri from the National Vaccine Institute says the extra 120…
- Covid-19 News
Pressure mounts for effective boosters as fully vaccinated nurse dies of Covid-19
The government is coming under increasing pressure to provide effective vaccine boosters to frontline medical staff, following the death of a nurse who’d received 2 doses of Sinovac. The Bangkok Post reports that the 30 year old nurse died a week after contracting Covid-19, despite being fully inoculated. Her cousin, Siwakorn Rattanakuntee, confirmed the death on Facebook, adding that the…
- Covid-19 News
Over 200,000 sign petition calling for mRNA vaccines
Over 200,000 people, including prominent Thai doctors and medical practitioners, have signed a petition demanding the government purchase more effective vaccines and administer them for free. A petition from the Mor Mai Thon (Doctors Won’t Tolerate It) group has been signed by 215,409 medical practitioners, calling on the government to purchase mRNA vaccines. The Bangkok Post reports that the campaign was run…
- Covid-19 News
Growing calls for healthcare workers to get Pfizer booster
A leaked document, which details the minutes of a meeting in which officials discussed how they would allocate the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, has caused uproar and led to calls for healthcare workers to be prioritised. The Bangkok Post reports that the meeting took place on June 30 and discussed the administration of 2 batches of the Pfizer vaccine. The first…
- Covid-19 News
1.5 million Pfizer doses donated by US to go to senior citizens, pregnant women
The Thai government plans to administer 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to people over the age of 60 and to pregnant women. Priority will be given to those in areas with high rates of infection. The doses have been donated to Thailand by the US government. According to a Nation Thailand report, a leaked memo shows that…
