A medical committee in Thailand has agreed to narrow the gap between doses of British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca's (LON:AZN) COVID-19 vaccine to eight weeks from the 10 to 12 weeks previously in places where there has been outbreaks of the Delta COVID-19 virus variant, Reuters news agency reported on Tuesday.
Kiatiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary at the public health ministry of Thailand, said that areas where the more contagious Delta variant, first identified in India, had been detected could "adjust the timing for the second dose."
This move comes after Thailand last week abandoned plans for a 16-week gap between AstraZeneca doses in a bid to stretch vaccine supplies to reach more people.
Thailand had reported the first instance of the Delta COVID-19 virus variant in its capital city Bangkok last month and up to now it has spread to 20 provinces with over 660 cases recorded.
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