Latest news: Anutin (second from left) holding a news conference to give an update on the progress of the ‘ChulaCov19’ vaccine in Bangkok. Reuters
The country’s second domestically developed vaccine will soon undergo human trials, officials said, adding that the plan was to produce up to five million doses by the end of the year.
The vaccine, developed by Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, had success in trials in mice and monkeys and is due to be tested on humans in late April or early May, Kiat Ruxrungtham of the Chula Vaccine Research Center said.
“By year-end we should have a production capacity of one to five million doses annually, ” Kiat told a news conference yesterday, adding this could later rise to about 20 million doses per year.
28 A truck sprays disinfectant at Pornpat market in Thanyaburi district of Pathum Thani. The province logged 22 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, when 130 new infections were reported nationwide. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)
The government on Friday confirmed that a doctor who treated patients infected with Covid-19 had himself caught the disease and died, raising the death toll to 83.
The total number of infections since the pandemic hit the country had risen to 25,241, Covid-19 Situation Administration assistant spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangson said during the daily briefing from Government House.
Dr Panya Hanphanitphan, 66, was the latest death, which was widely reported on Thursday.
He had treated three patients at his clinic in Maha Sarakham province before they were confirmed infected with Covid-19, linked to a banquet in the northeastern province.
19 Dr Panya Hanphanitphan, 66, of Maha Sarakham province, died early on Thursday morning from a Covid-19 infection. He was the first Thai physician killed by the disease. (Photo: from @jangkhao.sarakham Facebook page)
A doctor in Maha Sarakham has died from Covid-19, the first Thai physician killed by the disease.
Dr Panya Hanphanitphan, 66, was pronounced dead at Srinagrind Hospital in Khon Kaen at 1.19 am on Thursday.
His son Natthawarot Hanphanitphan and the Khun Veero Kusolsongkhor foundation posted messages on their Facebook pages announcing his passing. Dr Panya co-founded the charity foundation.
Dr Panya was the 18th Covid-19 patient recorded in the northeastern province since the second wave of the coronvirus started in mid-December.