UPDATE: In first, Thailand to mix Sinovac, AstraZeneca vaccine doses

In first, Thailand to mix Sinovac, AstraZeneca vaccine doses Thailand will use AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine as a second dose for those who received Sinovac's (SVA.O) shot as their first dose in a bid to increase protection, it said on Monday. Panarat Thepgumpanat,Panu Wongcha-um Reuters

BANGKOK, July 12 (Reuters) - Thailand will use AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine as a second dose for those who received Sinovac's (SVA.O) shot as their first dose in a bid to increase protection, it said on Monday.

The move is the first publicly announced mix-and-match of a Chinese vaccine and a Western-developed shot, as a new preliminary Thai study raised doubts about the longer-term protection of the two-dose course Sinovacvaccine.

"This is to improve protection against the Delta variant and build a high level of immunity against the disease," Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters, adding that the second dose of AstraZeneca would come three or four weeks after the first Sinovac shot.

There have been no studies specifically on mixing Sinovac and AstraZeneca released, but a growing number of countries are looking at mix-and-match of different vaccines or giving a third booster dose amid concerns new and more contagious variants may escape approved vaccines. read more

The announcement came a day after Thailand's health ministry said 618 medical workers out of 677,348 personnel who received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine became infected from April to July. One nurse died. read more  ...