Ministry moving to purchase updated Covid vaccines 

THE Public Health Ministry is moving to purchase updated Covid vaccines with this expected to take place next year and all those in the high-risk groups would require one jab each, Matichon newspaper said today (Sept. 6).

Dr. Sophon Iamsirithavorn, deputy head of the Disease Control Department, said the ministry has been working with relevant agencies on Covid vaccine management especially importing the new generation of vaccines.

The National Vaccine Committee will be holding a meeting to consider this issue next month. Selection of the vaccines will go through a panel of experts taking into account safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

“Which vaccines will they be and how much considered to be brought, this is what the Vaccine Committee will decide next month. 

“Currently in the news is that Pzifer has developed a new version that targets BA.4 and BA.5 (subvariants) but the committee has to consider several brands and look at the result of a study, it’s not possible at the moment to conclude which ones will be selected,” he said.

Asked if all the vaccines purchased next year would be the updated version, Dr. Sophon said in principle with pending orders companies usually send the new generation because their production line had been switched.

“This year many people have already received four to five jabs of Covid vaccine. I personally think the focus should be on risk groups with it being an option for working-age adults. We shouldn’t force everyone to be similarly vaccinated 100%. If we focus on the high-risk groups it’s possible we reach the target,” he said.

CAPTIONS:

Top: This August 2022 photo provided by Pfizer shows vials of the company’s updated Covid-19 vaccine during production in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Photo: VOA News

Front Page: Moderna has said it will supply Canada with 12 million doses of its Covid-19 shot adapted to target the Omicron variant. Photo: Rogelio V. Solis/ AP and published by CBC

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