Japan to donate AstraZeneca vaccines to Thailand

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine syringes are prepared as people are vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Central Vaccination Center, inside the Bang Sue Grand Station, Thailand, June 21, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's health minister said on Monday Japan's government would donate some AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, as the Southeast Asian country seeks to shore-up supplies after some early delays in its vaccinations.

An agreement would be signed on Thursday with the vaccines to be delivered around July, Anutin Charnvirakul said in a statement, which did not specify the quantity.

Thailand's mass vaccination drive, which started this month, relies heavily on AstraZeneca shots produced locally by a company owned by its king, which experienced some delays, also impacting Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Thailand has for nearly three months been fighting its most severe coronavirus outbreak so far, which has accounted for 95% of its COVID-19 deaths.

It has planned a phased reopening to foreign tourists over the coming months, starting with the resort island of Phuket in July, but much depends on its progress in vaccinations.

Thailand has also used the Sinovac vaccine, some of which was donated by China, and has fully vaccinated 2.1 million of its more than 66 million people.

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Martin Petty)

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