Sinovac & AstraZeneca vaccine concerns raised by doctor
Experts have stated that Thailand’s most recent Covid-19 outbreak is caused by a UK strain and it is spreading quickly.
A higher risk of death has also been associated with the variant – with 15 more deaths reported just today, bringing the total up to 318 cases, according to workpointTODAY.
There are, however, two more virus variants to take note of – those from South Africa and Brazil – the latter of which may have entered Thailand in April 2021.
Dr. Wayo Assawaungruang has expressed concerns about the effectiveness of Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines against these new variants.
We summarise the salient points from his interview below.
Recent Covid-19 updates:
- New restrictions include Thai organisations to implement “WFH”
- How to get Covid-19 vaccination and international vaccine passport
- Department stores to become vaccination clinics in Thailand
Sinovac and AstraZeneca aren’t as effective against new strains?
Dr. Wayo Assawarungruang – a.k.a “Mor Keng” – expressed his concerns on 4th May about Covid-19 variants from South Africa and Brazil entering Thailand, in a Youtube interview by Progressive Movement.
He claims the virus variant from Brazil could have entered the country in April 2021, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) via Khaosod.
Screenshot: Progressive Movement
Mor Keng also mentioned that current vaccines in use – viral vector-focused Sinovac and AstraZeneca – may not be strong enough to protect citizens from both new variants.
New variants require mRNA-specific vaccines like “Pfizer” and “Moderna”, said to be more effective at dealing with mutations, explained Dr. Assawarungruang.
Due to the gravity of the situation, the doctor hopes that the government will be able to import more vaccines with similar efficacy soon.
Though we appreciate Dr. Assawarungruang’s courage in raising his concerns, we should still await official confirmation from alternate sources with regard to his claims.
Hold on a little longer
As the number of COVID-19 cases are still on the rise, safety restrictions have extended out to areas like Khlong Toei and Huai Khwang.
In the meantime, we can take heart in the efforts of our frontliners to combat the pandemic, and that the light at the end of the tunnel will be visible soon.
If not tomorrow, then perhaps the day after.
More Covid-19 related news:
- Thai hospital offers free taxi service for Covid-19 patients
- PM Prayut fined for not wearing face mask in meeting
- Russia supports Thailand with “Sputnik V” plus 10M doses of “Pfizer”
Cover images adapted from: Progressive Movement (Left), Getty Images via WBBM NEWSRADIO 780 AM & 105.9 FM (Right)
Enjoying The Smart Local Thailand? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this.