Local production of AstraZeneca vaccine kicks off, Thailand signs up for 2 million doses from Chinese firm

[webfact]

Local production of AstraZeneca vaccine kicks off, Thailand signs up for 2 million doses from Chinese firm

By The Nation

 

Photo Credit: Public Health Ministry PR

 

The Public Health Ministry said on Sunday the production of Covid-19 vaccines under the technology transfer deal signed with AstraZeneca/Oxford University has kicked off, with the first batch expected to be ready by May.

 

The ministry has also ordered 2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine made by Chinese manufacturer Sinovac, even though it has not yet won the “Phase 3” status. The vaccine will be delivered in three batches – some 200,000 doses arriving in late February, 800,000 in late March and 1 million by late April.

 

Thailand is racing to curb the spread of a new wave of local infections, now that the number of Covid-19 cases in the country has gone beyond 8,000 cases.

 

Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Department of Medical Science, said it is important to ensure all vaccines have undergone quality and safety control measures, adding that vaccines that have not completed the Phase 3 round of testing will not be brought into the country.

 

He also said that private firms selling the vaccine must register with Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration, and most importantly certified by the Department of Medical Sciences.

 

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry expects to have at least 50 per cent of the population vaccinated this year, with the first batch of the 26 million doses bought from AstraZeneca expected to be delivered in May.

 

Under the technology-transfer deal with AstraZeneca, 200 million doses of the vaccine will be produced by Siam BioScience.

 

The government is also negotiating the purchase of vaccines from other manufacturers, including Pfizer, Moderna and Chinese companies, or may sign up for more vaccines from AstraZeneca.

 

Four types of Covid-19 vaccines that have been approved by the US FDA’s emergency use authorisation (EUA) – viral vector, mRNA, inactivated and protein subunit, said Dr Nakhon Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI).

 

So far, only vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca have been approved, while the rest, including the ones being produced in China and Russia, have not reached Phase 3 of testing.

 

“The number of vaccines is limited. Every company is expanding its production capacity to cover the global population. When vaccines are used on large swathes of the population, the chance of side effects increases substantially,” Dr Nakhon said.

 

Separately, Dr Songpon Deechongkit, managing director of Siam Bioscience, said the company received knowledge and technology from AstraZeneca in October last year. Since then Siam Bioscience has been making preparations and should be able to produce some 200 million doses yearly or about 15 million to 20 million doses per month.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30400664

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2021-01-04

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[John Drake]

Before I take a vaccine, I want to know which one it is. No Chinese or Russian vaccines for me. I want the Moderna or the upcoming J&J single shot. But I'll wait to see how its effect on initial recipients first.

[kotsak]

So it seems our generalissimo has signed off the populace to become a guinea pig for the jabs that have not reached Phase 3 yet?

[Dumbastheycome]

3 minutes ago, kotsak said:

So it seems our generalissimo has signed off the populace to become a guinea pig for the jabs that have not reached Phase 3 yet?

As have many other countries  made pre-emptive orders for vaccines prior to phase 3 data .

[Bender Rodriguez]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

The ministry has also ordered 2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine made by Chinese manufacturer Sinovac

 

thai people like to gamble, this time russian roulette but chinese version

[John Drake]

3 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

 

thai people like to gamble, this time russian roulette but chinese version

 

At least they'll have company.  But I wouldn't want to be part of this club.

Quote

Sinovac is also known to have secured other deals with Turkey, Brazil and Chile. 

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55212787

 

[smedly]

14 minutes ago, kotsak said:

So it seems our generalissimo has signed off the populace to become a guinea pig for the jabs that have not reached Phase 3 yet?

I read that drug trials for a Chinese vaccine being carried out in S America were halted 

 

You would think China would be well placed to create a Vaccine for a virus that originated there or that they created in a lab

Edited January 4, 2021 by smedly

[jojothai]

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

The ministry has also ordered 2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine made by Chinese manufacturer Sinovac, even though it has not yet won the “Phase 3” status. The vaccine will be delivered in three batches – some 200,000 doses arriving in late February, 800,000 in late March and 1 million by late April.

 

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry expects to have at least 50 per cent of the population vaccinated this year, with the first batch of the 26 million doses bought from AstraZeneca expected to be delivered in May.

 

Under the technology-transfer deal with AstraZeneca, 200 million doses of the vaccine will be produced by Siam BioScience.

 

Quote 31 December "The first batch of 2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine will arrive in Thailand from February, said Public Health Minister Anutin".
Now we find out its only 200, 000 in late Feb.
Then what amount of astrazeneca are they likely to get in May, maybe another 260,000??
How many years is this going to take.
They have know about this for months . What have they been doing?
Promises of millions of tourists in 2021. At this rate that's absolute nonsense.
Why would tourists come here to get ASQ even after vaccination, and risk catching Covid from the local population when other countries are likely to be well on their way to herd immunity within several months.

Edited January 4, 2021 by jojothai
add info

[worgeordie]

Anybody willing to take the Russian Sputnik vaccine ? ,will Thai people

be told if they are getting the Chinese or Russian versions of the vaccine.

regards worgeordie

[webfact]

Thailand to receive first 200,000 Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines in Feb

 

FILE PHOTO: A man works in a laboratory of Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech, developing an experimental coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, during a government-organized media tour in Beijing, China, Sept. 24, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will receive its first COVID-19 vaccines in February from China's Sinovac Biotech and will have the capacity to produce 200 million doses a year locally of the AstraZeneca vaccine, senior officials said.

 

Thailand, which is aiming to inoculate at least half of its 70 million population, should take delivery of 200,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine by February, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Monday.

 

It has ordered two million doses from Sinovac in total.

 

"I have given the direction on the vaccine and expect that within 1-2 months we will receive the first lot for medical professionals for about 200,000 doses," Prayuth said, according to a Twitter posting by his office.

 

The Southeast Asian country reported its largest single-day increase in infections with 745 cases on Monday, with Prayuth urging people to stay home to limit the spread and avoid the need for a strict nationwide lockdown.

 

Another 800,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine will arrive by March and one million in April, Supakit Sirilak, Director-General of Medical Science Department, said on Sunday.

 

Thailand in November signed an agreement for 26 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be produced by local firm, Siam Bioscience, with its first batch to be ready by May, Supakit said.

 

The vaccines produced locally will be submitted for approval with Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by April, said Siam Bioscience managing director Songpon Deechongkit.

 

The firm will be able to produce 200 million doses per year, for sale domestically and in the region, Songpon said.

 

The private sector is welcome to participate in vaccine production and distribution, if registered with the Thai FDA, Supakit said.

 

 

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Martin Petty)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-04

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Golden Triangle]

I will not be having the Chinese or Russian vaccines thank you very big, even if I have to self isolate at home for nearly 5 months I will wait until the Oxford University/AstraZeneca is available here in Thailand.

[lujanit]

I wonder which vaccine costs $17 as ai Anutin has said.  Maybe all of them if they go through the politicians sticky fingers.

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, kotsak said:

So it seems our generalissimo has signed off the populace to become a guinea pig for the jabs that have not reached Phase 3 yet?

Quite the opposite, they said vaccines that haven't completed phase 3 testing will not be allowed to enter the country.

[Cake Monster]

Why does Anutin still have a Job.

This procurement of a few Doses of a Vaccine is really pathetic.

He should have negotiated for Millions of Doses months ago.

The Money was borrowed from ADB to do this, so why has it not been done is the question the people have to ask.

[Heng]

Gee I wonder which one the masses will get and which one will be available in private hospitals?  

[spiekerjozef]

They have the recipe. Now wait 5 months to find the ingredients.

Jokes aside. That is very good news.

Edited January 4, 2021 by spiekerjozef

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Local is China? Come on.

 

Going through my pill box, I see a number of Thai pharmaceutical companies that have been producing quality generic versions of my meds. They're saying that none of them are up to it?

[Anna Rak]

Astra Zeneca has been produced to be non profit and this is known throughout the world, however the Thai Generals wont want that. Brown envelopes and sticky fingers.

 

????????????

[John Drake]

1 minute ago, Anna Rak said:

Astra Zeneca has been produced to be non profit and this is known throughout the world, however the Thai Generals wont want that. Brown envelopes and sticky fingers.

 

????????????

 

Have the government and the generals already been vaccinated? I wonder. If so, which vaccine? I wonder?

[Petey11]

So it will be May before they approve AstraZenicah but Sinovac Chinese one will be approved quickly???

[Joinaman]

32 minutes ago, Anna Rak said:

Astra Zeneca has been produced to be non profit and this is known throughout the world, however the Thai Generals wont want that. Brown envelopes and sticky fingers.

 

????????????

is this the same Astra Zeneca that has had numerous court cases and paid out billions in fines and compensation to the courts and the poor sods who took their meds and vaccines, then found themselves with debilitating illness after Astra lied and misinformed them about passing the safety tests, about how safe they were, about how they had had long term testing , when they knew they had not

See how many outstanding cases still remaining against Astra Zeneca, even after their almost annual outing to the courts 

sound familiar  to this vaccine by any chance ?

[Davo369]

[DLock]

It takes 5 months to manufacture just 26million doses of the vaccine locally?

 

Thailand gloat they can produce 200million doses a year...yeah, but what year?

 

...in the meantime, they purchase 2million doses of a vaccine that has barely passed the Macaque testing stage?

 

I didn't think it was right that the Hiso and Government self-important people would go first...now I am ok about it. Jab away Macaques.

[Joinaman]

is this the same Astra Zeneca vaccine with an effective rate of possibly 70% ?

so even if we manage to vaccinate the whole population of 68 miilion, ? then that means there will be a round 20 million people still able to infect others and potentially die from this : deadly: virus 

And this is not counting the other 15_20 million people who cannot, for any reason, have the vaccine 

So maybe slow it down, maybe ? 

Eradicate it ? in your dreams 

 

[HOAX]

Considering all the vaccine scandals in China, no way I'm taking any vaccine coming from that country. Not even the Chinese trust Chinese vaccines.

[Bangyai]

15 hours ago, HOAX said:

Considering all the vaccine scandals in China, no way I'm taking any vaccine coming from that country. Not even the Chinese trust Chinese vaccines.

 

Dead right. If you can't trust them with baby milk I wouldn't trust them with any vaccine.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Chinese_milk_scandal

[Somtamnication]

AstraZ for me. I would not touch the Chinese one with a ten foot pole!

[ChipButty]

I've just asked the wife and without any hesitation no Chinese they might inject us with another virus

[AgentSmith]

It's very disappointing that Thailand has waited this long to start the vaccine program. We need these shots ASAP to prevent unmanageable outbreaks, and of course to reopen the borders and start the economic recovery.

 

2 hours ago, Anna Rak said:

Astra Zeneca has been produced to be non profit and this is known throughout the world, however the Thai Generals wont want that. Brown envelopes and sticky fingers.

 

????????????

Same for the Janssen vaccine (under the J&J brand). Not sure about Pfizer.

[connda]

Now the scramble by the rich and connected to be the first lab rats in line.  ????