BANGKOK – AstraZeneca is scouring across more than 20 supply chains in its worldwide manufacturing network to find additional Covid-19 vaccines for Southeast Asia, including Thailand.
Managing director James Teague said a global Covid-19 shot supply crunch, and component and material shortages have made it difficult to keep up with demand.
“We are hopeful of importing additional doses in the months ahead,” he said in an open letter to Thailand published on its website today.
AstraZeneca said its Thai partner, Siam Bioscience Co Ltd – the first and only biopharmaceuticals manufacturer in the Southeast Asian nation – will produce 180 million vaccine doses, of which 61 million doses have been reserved for use in Thailand and the remaining supply will be distributed across contracting countries in Southeast Asia.
Earlier this week, Thailand said it is considering imposing a limit on exports of locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine. The move may affect countries in the region that are also battling the virus.
Teague said the vaccines made in Thailand are of critical importance to the neighbouring countries.
“Our brothers and sisters across Asean are also experiencing new lockdowns and fatalities. New data from Canada shows that one dose of our vaccine is 87% effective against hospitalisation or death caused by the Delta variant.
“We share the same goal. To end the pandemic, we need to manage virus levels everywhere. As it ignores borders, the acceleration of Covid-19 in neighbouring countries is a threat to us in Thailand. This fight can be won only if we act together.”
Since its vaccination drive began on February 28, Thailand has inoculated 15.7 million people with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Meanwhile, an 80-year-old homeless man is the latest Covid-19 victim found dead on the streets of Bangkok today.
His fate – like the three other virus-positive men found dead in the capital city – is a concern to Thai authorities.
It is unfortunate that the bodies of the previous three were left lying in the streets for almost 12 hours before they were taken away by authorities and charity group, prompting Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-O-Cha to express his concern on people dying of Covid-19 while awaiting help.
Prayuth has instructed all relevant agencies to come up with ways to bring patients to hospitals for treatment.
Local media reported that initial examination using a rapid test kit found that the octogenarian was Covid-19-positive, and his body was sent to Ramathibodi Hospital for an autopsy. – AFP, July 24, 2021
