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Coronavirus live news: AstraZeneca jab safe and effective, US trial finds; Europe herd immunity ‘possible by July’ | World news


Thailand’s vaccination drive is targeting the inoculation of half of its adult population by the end of the year using 61 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which will be locally produced from June.

The home-grown vaccine candidate is being developed by state drug maker, the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO), with Mahidol University’s Tropical Medicine Department and an American non-profit and uses an inactivated virus to trigger immunity.

“The vaccine, produced by Thais for Thais, is expected to be used next year,” Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, chairman of the Mahidol University Council, told a news conference.

Thailand’s progress comes as countries including Japan and Taiwan speed up domestic vaccine development programmes amid tight global supply and concerns about new Covid-19 variants.

Vietnam last week said its locally developed vaccine would be available by the fourth quarter of this year.
Mahidol University’s dean, Bangjong Mahaisavariya, said 460 volunteers would be accepted for the human trials, 210 of whom would be used in the first phase. Phase two is expected to begin in July, with results by year-end.

The Thai vaccine candidate modifies the avian Newcastle Disease virus with a Covid-19 spike protein and is replicated using egg-based technology, the GPO said.

Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the vaccine would give Thailand more options with less constraints.



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