A COVID-19 vaccine being developed in a laboratory in Saraburi province of Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA)Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Cabinet on November 17 gave permission to the Ministry of Public Health to pay 6 billion baht (200 million USD) andreserve 26 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Britishpharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.
Thegovernment’s spokesman AnuchaBurapachaisri said the money would come from its emergency budget reserved forthe procurement of the vaccine now being tested by the pharmaceutical company.
The budget will go to two agencies – the National Vaccine Institute for vaccine development and the DiseaseControl Department for vaccine procurement and management.
Anucha said the government would buy the vaccine fromAstraZeneca since the Ministry of Public Health hadsigned an MoU with the company and it had agreed to produce the vaccine incollaboration with Thai company Siam Bioscience.
The government has instructed the National VaccineInstitute to procure COVID-19 vaccine for 20 percent of the population or about13 million people.
Minister of Public HealthAnutin Charnvirakul said that the made-to order reservation ensured thatThailand would have access to the vaccine as soon as it received safetyapproval in the UK.
In addition, the contract with AstraZeneca allowsThailand to produce more vaccine at its own plant in Pathum Thani.
The government believes the arrangement will guaranteethat the vaccine will be available to everyone needing it in Thailand andneighbouring countries as well.
Experts predict many countries to have supplies of aCOVID-19 vaccine by the end of next year. The ministry expects to be able tosupply half the Thai population within two years./.
VNA
