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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003311

Thailand in talks for subunit vaccine to fight Delta

The National Vaccine Institute is in talks to purchase second-generation vaccines as booster shots against Covid-19 variants.

Institute director Dr Nakorn Premsri negotiations were underway with Novavax, whose second-gen protein subunit vaccine achieved 90 per cent efficacy against Covid infection in trials. Nakorn said the plan is part of the National Vaccine Committee’s framework for procuring 120 million vaccine doses next year, with deliveries expected in the first quarter. Cooperation with other countries for transfer of technology to produce inactivated and mRNA vaccines in Thailand was also being accelerated, he added. “The Vaccine Institute is in talks with companies that produce subunit protein vaccines, such as Novavax and others,” said Nakorn. Phase 3 trials of the Novavax vaccine in Cuba showed it was 90 per cent effective, he added.

Published : July 16, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003307

Thundershowers forecast for all regions, isolated heavy rains in Central and East

The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Friday that the southwest monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand, while a low-pressure cell covers the middle South China Sea.

Thundershowers are forecast for all regions with isolated heavy rains in the Central and the East. People in these areas should beware of the severe conditions, the department said.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees Celsius, highs of 32-35°C.

Northeast: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 32-33°C.

Central: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 32-35°C.

East: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-26°C, highs of 30-34°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 31-34°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 21-25°C, highs of 30-33°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 25-26°C, highs of 31-33°C.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : July 16, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003306

Daily Covid-19 infections reach new high on Friday at 9,692 people with 67 new deaths

Ministry of Public Health reported on Friday (July 16) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 9,692 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 615 of whom have been found in prisons.

Death toll increased by 67, while 5,730 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country are at 381,907 with 3,099 total deaths.
 

Published : July 16, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003293

Covid self-testing kits go on sale in pharmacies, hospitals

Rapid antigen self-testing kits are available to buy at clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies from today (Thursday), the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced.

Five companies have registered their rapid test kits with the FDA, said its deputy secretary-general Surachoke Tangwiwat. He also warned that antigen kits being sold online are not registered and thus considered illegal.

The legal rapid test kits come with instructions on how to use, read, store and dispose of them, he added.

“If you have any doubts about how to use the tests or whether your result is positive or negative, you can consult medical staff or a pharmacist,” said Surachok.

The Public Health Ministry said 80 per cent of people who take the antigen self-test will have mild symptoms that can be treated at home. Those who test positive should call the 1330 hotline, it added.

Published : July 15, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003291

AstraZeneca admits it can supply only half of monthly target to Thailand

AstraZeneca has said it can only supply about half of its monthly target of vaccine doses to Thailand, according to the National Vaccine Institute.

The company said it currently has local capacity to produce only 15-16 million doses per month, 5-6 million of which are reserved for Thailand, said the institute’s director Dr Nakorn Premsri. The original target was 10 million doses per month.

AstraZeneca has therefore asked the Public Health Ministry to extend the timeline for delivery of 61 million doses to Thailand from the end of this year to May 2022.

The delay would be another blow to the country’s mass vaccination programme, which ran short of vaccine soon after launching last month. Barely 5 per cent of the Thai population has been vaccinated, while the daily Covid-19 caseload is soaring above 9,000 and placing severe pressure on the health system. AstraZeneca doses for Thailand and the region are being produced at Siam Bioscience plant in Nonthaburi, but deliveries have already been delayed.

Nakorn said the institute has approved a framework to speed up procurement of another 120 million doses next year, including second-generation vaccines to fight new variants like Delta. The target for delivery is the first quarter of 2022.

Negotiations were underway with producers of mRNA, viral vector, and subunit protein vaccines, said Nakorn.

Phase 3 trials of the Novavax subunit vaccine in Cuba showed it was 90 per cent effective against Covid-19 infection, he added.

The Vaccine Institute is also accelerating moves to cooperate with other countries for transfer of technology to produce inactivated and mRNA vaccines, said Nakorn.

Published : July 15, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003290

Thai Red Cross to offer 1 million free Moderna jabs

The Thai Red Cross will import one million doses of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine and offer it for free to the public.

The plan was revealed to a parliamentary panel by the secretary-general of the Thai Red Cross chief on Wednesday.

Dr Tej Bunnag told the Extraordinary Committee on Budget Expenditures that his organisation – one of five government agencies authorised to procure Covid-19 vaccine – had already negotiated the deal with US-based Moderna.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) would take responsibility for importing the vaccine, he added.

Moderna is the fourth Covid-19 vaccine registered with the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA), after Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

Published : July 15, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003289

AstraZeneca extends delivery period for 61 million doses to May 2022

AstraZeneca has extended the delivery timeline for 61 million doses of vaccine from December this year to May 2022, Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha said on Thursday.

Satit said AstraZeneca was currently capable of producing 15 million doses per month at the Nonthaburi factory of its local partner, Siam Bioscience. The company has promised to deliver 40 per cent of those doses to Thailand. That pledge falls short of the original target of 10 million doses per month.

The contract with AstraZeneca did not specify the delivery period, Satit revealed.

The government has now expanded its procurement target to 120 million doses of mRNA, viral vector and other types of vaccine.

“Therefore, we must combine the AstraZeneca received with other vaccine brands such as Sinovac,” said Satit.

Data showed that a Sinovac jab followed by an AstraZeneca jab offers 60 to 70 per cent protection against infection by the Delta variant, he said.

Delta is driving the current outbreak in Thailand, which logged 9,186 new infections and a record 98 deaths on Thursday.

The Vaccine Institute and the Department of Disease Control would negotiate with AstraZeneca before deciding whether to restrict exports of doses produced by the Siam Bioscience factory, said Satit. The factory is AstraZeneca’s regional production hub for Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

Published : July 15, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003288

THG confirms deal for 20m BioNTech doses, 1st batch expected this month

Thonburi Healthcare Group (THG) chairman Boon Vanasin on Thursday confirmed that THG will sign a deal with Germany BioNTech to import 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Thailand.

The move came after Reuters reported on Thursday that both BioNTech and Pfizer denied they were in talks with THG.

“We are not in negotiations with the company,” BioNTech said in an e-mail responding to a Reuters query about the deal. It also denied it was in negotiations with any Thai entity.

Meanwhile, Pfizer said it was only in talks with the Thai government.

“We are in ongoing discussions with Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health only,” Pfizer said in a statement.

Boon said BioNTech may have issued the denial because the company could not disclose details about talks until the deal is signed.

He added he would take responsibility for the disclosure, but he didn’t mind because the deal was in the national interest.

If there are no problems, the deal will be signed and the first batch of vaccines will arrive this month, he said.

Published : July 15, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003287

Workers who can benefit from govt’s latest cash handout

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved relief measures for those affected by the curfew and Covid-19 restrictions imposed in Greater Bangkok and the deep South.

The relief measures cover the dark red zone provinces of Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla.

The measures include up to THB10,000 in compensation for employees and two months of discounted utility bills (for July and August).

To claim compensation, self-employed people and employers must also register with the social security system by the end of this month.

Workers who can benefit from govt’s latest cash handout

Published : July 15, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003284

Koh Samui receives first foreign travellers in more than a year

The first batch of foreigner travellers under the Samui Plus model touched down at Koh Samui International Airport at 11.35am on Thursday.

However, all foreign nationals on board the flight from Bangkok were journalists rather than tourists, as the reopening of Surat Thani’s resort island got off to a slow start.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will preside over the Samui Plus opening ceremony in a videoconference at 6pm. Also expected at the conference are Phiphat, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, Surat Thani Governor Witchawut Jinto and Koh Samui Tourism Promotion Association chairman Ratchaporn Poolsawas.

Samui is the second tourist island to reopen after Phuket invited back foreign travellers on July 1, kickstarting Thailand’s tourism industry after more than a year of Covid travel restrictions.

Bangkok Airways will operate three flights per day from Bangkok to Samui – though so far only 80 foreigners have booked seats up until October, say officials.

Under the Samui Plus model, foreigners will stay in an Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) hotel on the island for seven days, after which they can stay in ALQ or SHA+ hotels on Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan or Koh Tao.

Published : July 15, 2021

By : The Nation