The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) yesterday approved a proposal to donate up to 3.55 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, Kenya and Ethiopia.
In response to Thailand's signalling to the World Health Organization (WHO) its readiness to donate vaccines to other nations in need via the initiative known as Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax), the WHO has permitted the country to proceed with donating to the six countries directly, said Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the CCSA.
Following yesterday's approval by the CCSA, around 3.5 million doses of the vaccine will be delivered to these countries, he said.
Covax is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines directed by the GAVI vaccine alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi), and the WHO, alongside key delivery partner Unicef.
In addition to vaccine donation, the CCSA also approved a plan to receive 400,140 doses of the Pfizer vaccine from France in March and a related plan to return 122,400 doses of AstraZeneca to Singapore, Dr Taweesilp said.