This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on May 16, 2022 - May 22, 2022

Thailand may start rolling out its first locally developed Covid-19 vaccine that deploys the same mRNA technology used by Pfizer Inc by year-end, after successfully concluding human trials.

Africa’s first Covid-19 vaccination plant, touted last year as a trailblazer for an under-vaccinated continent frustrated by sluggish Western handouts, risks shutting down after it did not receive a single order.

Covid-19 vaccine makers, including Pfizer and Moderna Inc, are shifting gears and planning for a smaller, more competitive booster shot market after delivering as many doses as quickly as they could over the last 18 months.

The Russian Federal Medical-Biological Agency plans to start clinical trials of the country’s new anti-coronavirus Convasel vaccine on people aged 60 and older this year.

Fourth-dose Covid-19 booster vaccines increase protection against Covid-19, particularly in people aged 70 and over, according to a UK trial. Countries such as Israel and Germany have already started offering all adults a fourth dose.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said the deadline for the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine for children aged five to under 12 through the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) has been extended to May 31.

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