泰国医疗旅游业打上COVID疫苗主意

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★专业/深度/睿见资讯尽在医疗旅游

路透社泰国阿尤塔亚消息：泰国正在推动研发自己的冠状病毒疫苗，随着更多的人力和资源投入到这项工作中，人们希望它能促进医疗旅游业的发展。

泰国上个月开始用猴子试验疫苗，这是全球正在开发的至少100种潜在疫苗之一。政府希望将在明年能研制出具有成本效益的疫苗。

Bionet-Asia是一家政府和一所曼谷顶尖大学合作的本地公司，已暂停了所有其他活动，并派出250名人员及其所有实验室，技术和生产设施来开发COVID-19疫苗。

首席执行长范洪泰（Fham Hong Thai）表示：就COVID而言，全球正在努力加快实验，试验，共享信息，共享诊断的速度，这也是我们也能迅速行动的原因。

他说，迄今为止，对动物的测试显示出令人鼓舞的结果，下一步将是寻求政府批准进行涉及人类的临床试验。

由于感染率低，泰国仅在3,082例病例和57例死亡病例，成功遏制了冠状病毒并减轻了许多限制。

至今已经有7天没有本地感染病例了，上周在从海外归国的隔离国民中发现了所有感染病例。

公共卫生部长Anutin Charnvirakul说，重要的是将所有努力用于疫苗开发，并将泰国纳入医学地图。

他说：“泰国拥有良好的医疗保健系统和良好的医疗习惯。它将吸引游客和投资者的极大兴趣，并推动我们成为一个医疗中心。”＊

Thailand races to create COVID vaccine, eyes possible medical tourism boost

AYUTTHAYA, Thailand (Reuters) - Momentum is building behind Thailand's push to create its own coronavirus vaccine, with more manpower and resources dedicated to the effort amid hopes it could boost medical tourism.

Thai trials of an experimental vaccine using monkeys started last month, one of at least 100 potential vaccines being developed globally. The government is hopeful it will have a cost-effective vaccine ready for next year.

Bionet-Asia, a local firm working with the government and a top Bangkok university, has put all other activities on hold and dedicated 250 personnel and all of its labs, technology and production facilities to developing a COVID-19 vaccine.

"In the case of COVID, there is a global effort to speed up experiment, trials, to share information, share diagnostics and that's why we are in a position too, to move very fast," chief executive officer, Pham Hong Thai, told Reuters.

He said tests on animals had so far shown encouraging results and the next step would be seeking government approval for clinical trials involving humans.

With just over 3,082 cases and 57 deaths, Thailand has had some success in containing the coronavirus and eased many of its restrictions in response to low infection numbers.

It has been seven days without a case of local transmission, with all infections this past week found among quarantined nationals returning from overseas.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said it was important to channel all efforts towards the development of a vaccine and put Thailand on the medical map.

"Thailand has a good healthcare system, good medical practices. It will garner a lot of interest from tourists and investors and boost us as a medical hub," he said.