Thailand will begin clinical trials of a locally developed Covid-19 vaccine in March, making it the nation’s first inoculation programme to enter human trials.
The programme, led by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, Mahidol University and the Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health, started its research mid-2020 and its animal testings showed good results, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday.
“Thailand isn’t just relying on one source for vaccines. We’re actively looking for ways to procure the shots, including producing them ourselves,” Mr Anutin said, adding that if the human trials are successful, the state drug manufacturer will be able to produce 25 to 30 million doses of the vaccines per year.
“We’re not placing our bets on one horse, what we’re doing now is owning a whole stable,” Mr Anutin said.
Video explainer: Europe's fight for Covid shots