People wait to have COVID-19 testing in Samut Sakhon province of Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA)Bangkok (VNA) – Thai Prime Minister PrayutChan-o-cha has recently reiterated that half of the country's population will get free COVID-19vaccinations this year.
Local media reportedthat as Thailand prepares to launch the first COVID-19 vaccinations next month,the PM announced on his Facebook page a long-term plan to ensure Thais willhave access to affordable and locally made vaccines.
He said the country willreceive the first 200,000 doses of vaccine, made by Chinese pharmaceuticalcompany Sinovac, in February, and they have been reserved for frontline medicalstaff and elderly people at high risk.
The first lot is a partof two million doses which the government ordered from Sinovac. Another 800,000and one million doses will arrive later in March and April.
Previously, the Thai Governmentpre-ordered 26 million doses from AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish company, andrecently sought another 35 million doses.
Prayut assured theauthority and public health sector has prepared for local COVID-19 vaccineresearch and production.
He said localpharmaceutical manufacturer, Siam Bioscience, received a concession from OxfordUniversity/AstraZeneca to produce the vaccines. It plans to produce 200 milliondoses annually.
Medical institutes atthe Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ChulalongkornUniversity, also planned to produce their own vaccine formula, the PM added.
On January 7, Thailandrecorded 305 new COVID-19 cases and one related death, raising the infectiontally to 9,636 with 67 fatalities./.
VNA
