Thailand Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation has declared on Monday that Thailands’s COVID-19 vaccine trial has made advancement after macaque monkeys which were given the first doses of the candidate vaccine exhibited a satisfactory immune response.
“The doses of the mRNA candidate vaccine were administered to the monkeys on May 23 by researchers at the National Primate Research Center in Thailand’s central province of Saraburi,” stated Suvit Maesincee, Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovations Minister. “All the monkeys remained in good health and have developed satisfactory immune responses to the virus.”
The minister said the second dose was injected repeatedly on Monday into the same monkeys.
“So if the second doses produce good results, the next step would be human trials, in either October or November, to prove safety and efficacy,” he told.
The minister announced he has appointed Dr. Sirirurg Songsivilai, secretary-general of the National Research Council and Dr. Nakorn Premsri, director of National Vaccine Institute to monitor, review and guide the research team at the National Primate Research Center.
The minister stated that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has emphasized the importance of producing Thailand’s own coronavirus vaccines by collaborating with partner countries such as China and the United States to fight COVID-19 situation.
