The Thai government has officially received more than 1 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by the government of Japan. These donated doses will help increase Thailand’s vaccine supply, as a national vaccination drive continues.
The government of Thailand today held an official receipt ceremony for 1,053,090 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by the government of Japan to help fight the spread of COVID-19.
At the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul, and the Japanese Ambassador to Thailand Nashida Kazuya represented the two governments, while the Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over the ceremony remotely, via video conferencing.
The Prime Minister said the vaccine donation reflects close relations and mutual determination by Thailand and Japan to tackle the COVID-10 crisis through inoculnation, stressing the donation from the Japanese government will help more people in Thailand have access to the vaccine, in addition to the supplies secured by the Thai government.
He said Thailand is ready to move past this crisis alongside Japan, without deserting one another.
The Japanese ambassador on this occasion delivered a message from the Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga to the Thai Prime Minister, while expressing his respect for the Thai government’s measures to contain COVID-19, and hoping this vaccine donation will help Thailand’s vaccine rollout run more smoothly.
The AstraZeneca vaccine donated by the Japanese government was produced in Japan under contract from AstraZeneca. They were successfully delivered to Thailand on the evening of 9th July, after the signing of the donation agreement on 19th June.
The agreement calls for the Thai government to use the donated doses for the enhancement of the healthcare and medical sectors, while prohibiting the Thai government from using these doses for military reasons, or from delivering the donated vaccines to a third party organization or other governments without consent from the government of Japan.
