Thailand in talks for subunit vaccine to fight Delta

FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021
|

The National Vaccine Institute is in talks to purchase second-generation vaccines as booster shots against Covid-19 variants.

Institute director Dr Nakorn Premsri negotiations were underway with Novavax, whose second-gen protein subunit vaccine achieved 90 per cent efficacy against Covid infection in trials. Nakorn said the plan is part of the National Vaccine Committee’s framework for procuring 120 million vaccine doses next year, with deliveries expected in the first quarter. Cooperation with other countries for transfer of technology to produce inactivated and mRNA vaccines in Thailand was also being accelerated, he added. “The Vaccine Institute is in talks with companies that produce subunit protein vaccines, such as Novavax and others,” said Nakorn. Phase 3 trials of the Novavax vaccine in Cuba showed it was 90 per cent effective, he added.