Thailand has signed a deal to procure 26 million doses of the trial coronavirus vaccine developed by pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca in collaboration with Oxford University. It is expected to be delivered in mid-2021.

The doses would cover 13 million people in a population of about 69 million. Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute signed a non-refundable advance market commitment contract worth 2.38 billion baht (USD 79 million) with AstraZeneca to reserve the supply of the vaccine candidate. Another 3.67 billion-baht (USD 121 million) agreement for the purchase of the trial vaccine, known as AZD1222, was signed by the Health Ministry’s Disease Control Department. “We have followed the vaccine manufacturers globally, but this group has achieved very high progress,” Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said at the signing.

Government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said that officials are still considering how to prioritize vaccine recipients. He said, those who work closely with COVID-19 patients, such as doctors and nurses, should be among the first people. But this needs further discussion.

Oxford and AstraZeneca to have reported that their trial vaccine appeared to be 62 percent effective in people who received two doses, and 90 percent effective when volunteers were given a half dose followed by a full dose.

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