Thai-made vaccine distributed around the world
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CERTIFIED by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the attenuated [low intensity] Japanese encephalitis vaccine from its Thailand-based factory will be eligible for distribution worldwide.
“The certification means we will be able to export the vaccine to any country,” Patchara Kootiratrakarn said yesterday in her capacity as senior director of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation - Merieux Biological Products Co (GPO-BMP).
Producing the world-class-standard vaccine, this factory is a joint venture of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), a subsidiary of the Crown Property Bureau and Sanofi Pasteur Co.
Patchara said the WHO had certified the GPO-BMP’s attenuated JE vaccine last September.
“The vaccine has also passed the standards of Thailand’s GPO and Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration,” she said.
She added that her company was now discussing with the National Health Security Office (NHSO) t possibility of using this newly-developed vaccine in Thailand.
She said the demand in the Thai market was for about 100,000 doses.
According to Patchara, Thailand was now pursuing a goal of establishing itself as Asean’s vaccine-production hub.
“We plan to export our vaccines to other Asean nations,” she disclosed.
Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin and senior officials from health agencies visited the GPO-BMP’s factory yesterday.
