Samples of AstraZeneca vaccine licensed to be produced locally by Siam Bioscience have passed the standard set by the Department of Medical Sciences (DMS).

The vaccine passed the full tests for requirements. The results of the analysis of the vaccine's quality will support having the vaccine mass-produced by Siam Bioscience, according to the DMS.

Last Friday, the FDA gave Siam Bioscience approval to increase its production capacity. The company is expected to deliver the first batch of locally produced vaccines to the government next month, with further supplies for export.

In a related development, the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) and the Department of Disease Control (DDC) will place an order for the Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer.

The Pfizer vaccine is expected to be more suited for school-age people, which reportedly pose a higher risk of triggering a major outbreak of Covid-19. The vaccine can now be stored at higher temperatures than before, which makes for easier transportation.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Prayut said the government plans to procure 10-15 million doses a month from several manufacturers and intends to inoculate about 30 million people over the next three months and 50 million by the end of the year.