The cabinet has approved a 221-million-baht Covid-19 compensation grant to Baiya Phytopharm Co, Ltd to study the safety and effectiveness of vaccines to boost immunity.
Deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said the resolution allows a screening committee to use the grant to research the safety and immunogenicity of subunit vaccines that are nominees.
Ms Traisuree said Baiya Phytopharm can access the grant from the Medicine and Public Health section under the Royal Decree on additional loans.
The resolution will also assign the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) to provide a contingency plan if the subunit vaccines cannot be tested on human subjects by July 2022.
The NVI will be responsible for presenting a project plan to a screening committee for consideration within two weeks after the cabinet approves the resolution.
The resolution is in accordance with the Emergency Decree on the provision of assistance and rehabilitation of business operators hit by Covid-19, under Section 5 (1).
It states the grant will "provide assistance and rehabilitate business operators who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic or from state measures to inhibit, intercept and resolve problems arising from the spread of such disease".
The use of the 221-million-baht grant will leave 74.2 billion baht remaining from the 500-billion-baht budget.