BANGKOK: In Thailand’s fight against the coronavirus and its variants, Chinese vaccines have played a vital role in inoculating its people, with millions having received either a Sinovac or Sinopharm jab.
The Sinovac vaccine, the first COVID-19 vaccine that entered Thailand, has helped the Southeast Asian country kick-start its national inoculation program. It’s also the primary vaccine in the national roll-out.
As of Saturday, China has provided to Thailand 17 batches of vaccines, totaling 17.5 million doses, according to data from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand.
As the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccine supplier, China has provided more than 500 million doses and concentrates to over 100 countries and international organizations, accounting for one sixth of the total global output.
With Chinese vaccines being administered worldwide, they have been found, according to multiple studies, highly effective in preventing infection, hospitalization, severe illness and death from the virus.
In Thailand, a field study by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) among high-risk groups that had received Sinovac jabs in three worst-hit regions, found that two jabs of Sinovac vaccine can offer a strong protection against COVID-19 infection and pneumonia, for cases of either Alpha variant or Delta variant.
The study, conducted during the April-June period, has shown that in April and May, when the Alpha variant was spreading in Thailand, two jabs of Sinovac provided about 90 percent protection against COVID-19 infection and were 85 percent effective against lung infection, while in June, when 20 to 40 percent of COVID-19 cases were caused by the Delta variant, two Sinovac jabs showed 75 perc ent effectiveness. – Agencies
