Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the Ministry of Public Health to procure Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Merck’s Molnupiravir COVID-19 treatments, so the country will be among those countries having priority access to the drugs.
On Friday, Pfizer announced that its anti-viral medicine Paxlovid reduces the risk of hospitalisation or death by 89 % in clinical trials, in which the drug was tested in adults with the disease and high-risk comorbidities. The drug pending emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Both antiviral medicines attack the coronavirus by interfering with its ability to replicate.
On Thursday, the United Kingdom approved the emergency use of Merck’s Molnupiravir.
In his Facebook post today (Saturday), the prime minister informed the Thai people about the two anti-viral medicines, adding that they are expected to be available for use next year.
Referring to the World Health Organization’s recent assessments of COVID-19 resurgence in several European countries which have eased lockdown restrictions, the prime minister pleaded with the Thai people not to lower their guard, to wear face masks and to maintain social distancing whenever they are in public or among a group of people.
He also instructed officials to keep a closer watch on border crossings, to prevent illegal migrants from sneaking into Thailand.
