AstraZeneca vaccines set to arrive this afternoon, subcommittee confirms
The first lot of AstraZeneca vaccines will arrive on Wednesday afternoon, Dr Sopon Mekthon, chairman of the government’s subcommittee on Covid-19 vaccine management, confirmed.
Around 100,000 doses of the vaccine will be used to inject 50,000 people.
The Public Health Ministry revealed the AstraZeneca vaccine would also be used to inject people aged 60 and over as China’s Sinovac isn’t recommended for this group of elders.
Thailand will receive AstraZeneca from the company’s plant in Italy, where the European Commission is strictly monitoring exports.
Thai authorities will take at least three days to check the quality of both Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines. As soon as the vaccines are considered safe, vaccinations will commence, even if the day is a Sunday.
The first vaccinations will be conducted at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute.
The subcommittee hopes both Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will take different vaccines to boost public confidence, with Prayut reportedly set to receive AstraZeneca since he aged over 60 while Anutin will reportedly take Sinovac.
Dr Sophon said there was no big difference between the two vaccines. Both need to be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius.
After being injected, both ministers will be observed for symptoms, if any, at the hospital for 30 minutes.
For Sinovac vaccines, two doses are required – injected 2-4 weeks apart, but the subcommittee plans to carry out injections 3 weeks apart. On the other hand, the AstraZeneca vaccines need to be injected 10-12 weeks apart.