Initial result of the trial in monkeys is promising. Thailand COVID-19 vaccine program is on track with the planned human trial later this year.

Dr. Suvit Maesincee, Thailand's Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation gave the latest updates on Thailand's COVID-19 Vaccine Program that the initial result on the trial which he witnessed the first doses in Monkey last month is promising. "All monkeys receiving the mRNA vaccine construct remain healthy and free of side effects. Blood test shows that the monkeys produce satisfactory level of antibody against the SARS-CoV -2, the virus that caused COVID-19", Suvit said. He added that "The Government is committed to support and fast-track the vaccine development efforts, both domestically as well as collaboratively with academic and industrial partners around the world."

"Currently, we have 5 COVID-19 candidate vaccines in development" , according to Professor Sirirurg Songsivilai, Secretary-General of National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) and Head of Emergency Operating Center on Medical Innovation, Research and Development of Thailand' s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Some vaccine candidates are in early stage of development, but 2 candidate vaccines are already in animal evaluation. The mRNA vaccine developed by Chulalongkorn University has proceeded through evaluation in mouse and then in monkey. Second dose in Monkey is given on June 22 at the National Primate Center in Saraburi, north of Bangkok. "We are very cautious and conducted the trial under strict regulations. With this encouraging result, we have proceeded with the second dose and expect that the antibody level will get even higher in the next few weeks. If things go according to plan, and this is the big ifs, of course, human trial should start later this year". The inter -ministerial COVID-19 Vaccine Program is jointly supported by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, and the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), Ministry of Public Health. The government has earmarked 3 billion Bahts (around USD 100 million) to support the vaccine effort.

hailand is well on track on the control of the first wave of COVID -19 outbreak. So far, 3,148 individuals are infected, with 58 deaths. There are no domestic cases for 4 consecutive weeks, with all recent cases are returning citizens from overseas who are under the managed state quarantine.