Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) plans to expand its Sinopharm vaccination drive to include young children and teenagers.
CRA secretary-general, Nithi Mahanonda, said the academy is preparing to propose to the Food and Drug Administration that it approve the Sinopharm vaccine for use on children and teenagers, aged 3-17.
The move follows approval by the Chinese government to vaccinate younger people.
He said all people should be vaccinated to achieve complete protection as research suggests that vaccinated people can still contract the coronavirus from unvaccinated people. Although children are much more likely to suffer from mild symptoms, they can easily transmit the virus to older and more vulnerable people, so their vaccinations should not be overlooked, he added.
Some vaccines, including Sinopharm, have been looked at for use on infants as young as three months old, up to children aged under 12. Currently, vaccines have only been administered to people aged 18 and over.
The CRA has been authorised to import the Sinopharm vaccine, while Sinovac and the AstraZeneca vaccine are imported by the government.
The CRA has also worked with Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences to develop a liquid form of favipiravir to expand treatment options for Covid-19 patients who have difficulty taking medication orally.