The Thai Ministry of Public Health took delivery of the first batch of 1.8 million doses of locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine from the company today (Friday), to inoculate people in Thailand under a mass vaccination campaign which will begin on Monday (June 7^th).

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and senior health officials were present at a ceremony to receive the vaccine from AstraZeneca (Thailand) President James Teague.

Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Kiatiphum Wongrachit said today that a total of 6 million doses of both AstraZeneca and Sinovac’s CoronaVac will be delivered to the ministry in June and the vaccine will be distributed continuously across the country.

He added that provinces far from Bangkok may receive the vaccine later than those which are closer, but all of them will definitely receive the vaccine on schedule.

While assuring fair vaccine distribution, he said that there might be some adjustments, depending on the pandemic situation in each area and its economic and tourism importance.

AstraZeneca Thailand’s President James Teague, meanwhile, said that samples of the vaccine, produced by Siam Bioscience, a Thai pharmaceutical company founded by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, have been sent to labs in the United States and the United Kingdom for tests and had passed a 60-item test regimen.

He said that AstraZeneca has 25 plants worldwide and, so far, 500 million doses have been administered.

Regarding the AstraZeneca vaccines produced in Thailand for export to the Philippines, which are reported to be delayed, Mr. Teague maintained that everything is on track and the vaccine will be delivered to the Philippines in July, as well as to other Asian countries.