Thailand: Pilot H1N1 Vaccine Plant Launched in Thailand

Thailand has started its first H1N1 vaccine plant 60 kilometers outside the capital Bangkok.

The World Health Organization (WHO) granted 70 million U.S. dollars of funding to Thailand to increase flue vaccine production.

[Witit Artavatkun, Director, Government Pharmaceutical Organization]:
„The vaccine is expected to be completed after the final examination and certified by the public health ministry, and can be used with people around October to November.“

The semi-commercial vaccine plant is expected to produce more than two million doses per year.

But Witit says that may not be enough for the number of people expected to contract the H1N1 virus.

The Thai Public Health Ministry says the factory is expected to be completed in three to four years.

At that time, the commercial output of flu vaccine should exceed 60 million doses per year.

The total number of H1N1 cases in Thailand has reached 3,555.

Eighteen have died from the deadly virus so far.

Over 79 thousand cases of H1N1 have been confirmed world wide with 337 reported deaths since the disease was first detected in April.

Most of the fatalities occurred in people who had underlying health problems

(NTDTV)