Thai AstraZeneca vaccine production falls short of target

BANGKOK (AP) — Production of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine at a factory in Thailand has fallen short of its target, likely delaying the country's plan to acquire a total of 61 million doses until next May, a government official said Thursday.

The projected supply shortfall will complicate plans to inoculate at least 70% of the country’s 69 million people this year as Thailand battles record-high daily increases in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Cases have risen with the spread of the more contagious delta variant of the virus.

Deputy Health Minister Sathit Pitutacha said in an interview with MCOT Television that AstraZeneca had asked for the extension until next May to complete delivery, and that while the timeframe is flexible, the government will still negotiate for as much monthly supply as possible.

He said that according to AstraZeneca, the current production capacity of the factory operated by Siam Bioscience, a company owned by Thailand's king, is 15 million doses per month, and that AstraZeneca has agreed to provide 40% of that to Thailand. Sathit said production could increase in the future.

The government had previously announced that local production of the AstraZeneca vaccine would supply Thailand with 6 million doses in June, 10 million doses each month from July to November, and 5 million doses in December for a total of 61 million doses this year.

Siam Bioscience was awarded a license by AstraZeneca last year to be a regional production hub supplying eight other countries despite having no experience in manufacturing vaccines.

The government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has been widely criticized for failing to secure timely and adequate vaccine supplies, and has been scrambling to obtain vaccines in addition to Sinovac and Sinopharm from China and the locally produced AstraZeneca. The...