Thailand imports second vaccinations and produces three locally

First procurement of the second generation of Covid-19 vaccines should begin next month. The National Vaccine Institute (NVI) will study the idea in October, according to the Deputy Director-General of the CDC.

Which brands and how many vaccines are needed are controversial. Pfizer’s new vaccine targets the pandemic strains BA.4 and BA.5. That doesn’t mean Thailand will depend on it most.

The NVI will research every presently available and soon-to-be-available vaccine before choosing one for Thailand. The deputy director-general believes all future vaccine purchases will be second-generation items as manufacturers phase out first-generation vaccines and replace them with more advanced ones.

Chulalongkorn University created the ChulaCov19 vaccination.

Government Pharmacy Organisation is creating HXP-GPOVac with 434.5 million baht. 250 18-75-year-olds are currently in phase two trials. HXP-GPOVac is safe and effective.

The NVI director expects all three in-house vaccines to be available by 2023. Thai-developed and -produced immunizations will be provided as booster doses and should be as effective as imported vaccines.

The DDC will vaccinate infants as young as six months and as old as five. Thailand will also buy 3 million Pfizer vaccination injections for young children. Children will receive the first shot, the second three weeks later, and the third five months later.

The DDC anticipates that 40 to 50% of Thai children between those ages will get the Pfizer vaccine.

Thailand is aiming to make Covid vaccines domestically, with two vaccines nearing completion of clinical trials and another entering the second phase last month.