Earlier this year, IVI and Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute (NVI) signed a Definitive Agreement to strengthen our longstanding and varied partnership. In addition to pursuing mutual vaccine R&D interests and opportunities, this agreement founded a fellowship program to further encourage collaboration.

Today, we meet Suphasuta Doungraksa (SD) and Dr. Manatsanan Khansai (MK) from NVI who share their expertise in public health, vaccine development, and international affairs, and what they hope to gain from the NVI-IVI Fellowship.

Can you please tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

SD: Hi, my name is Suphasuta Doungraksa or I go by Spice. I’m currently working at NVI as a Vaccine Technical Officer under the Executive Office. I hold a B.A. in Psychology, a Master’s in Public Health, and I’ve been working in the public health/vaccine area for a couple of years—since right in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.

MK: My name is Manatsanan Khansai. I’m a Thai native. I have a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and I am a medical technician.  I am currently working at NVI in Thailand as a vaccine technical officer.

What is NVI’s mission?

SD: NVI is a governmental agency established under the National Vaccine Security Act 2018 as an autonomous authority and functioned as a non-profit organization under the supervision of the Minister of Public Health. The act calls for a committee, the National Vaccine Committee (NVC), which is chaired by the Prime Minister of Thailand and Vice Chaired by the Minister of Public Health. NVI also serves as NVC national secretariat.

The NVC missions are to encourage and support the implementation of proactive policies for domestic vaccine research, manufacturing, and equitable vaccine distribution. They also supervise National Vaccine Policy and Strategy toward vaccine security and self-reliance through recommendations or providing guidance to NVI and other related stakeholders as necessary.

We also collaborate with the Ministry of Public Health as well as academic institutions and vaccine manufacturers.

What does your work at NVI entail?

SD: As a Vaccine Technical Officer at NVI, I’m responsible for International Affairs and Networking among other vaccine organizations in Thailand. I organize Quality Assurance and Quality Control Networks (QAQC), academic conferences among Thai’s vaccine manufacturers, academics, and related governmental organizations. I’m also in charge of international affairs unit as collaboration with numerous international organizations and overseeing international documents.

MK: My present management includes an HPV vaccine technology transfer project, government affairs, vaccine scientific communication to the public and policy makers, as well as supporting local manufacturers to expand their capability.

What excites you most about this fellowship and what do you hope to gain?

SD: The most interesting thing to me is to learn how an international organization operates and to expand association in the vaccine community. As I mentioned, NVI is a governmental agency, and we aid the NVC to supervise the National Vaccine Policy and Strategy towards vaccine security and self-reliance at a national level.

Though, to be submerged in an international working culture and given the opportunity to expand vaccine community is such a great chance for NVI personnel to experience.

Also, I believe that NVI and IVI can fondly grow and strengthen our collaborations together.

MK: From my working experiences, I have acquired much knowledge and experience across vaccine fields such as vaccine development, vaccine manufacturing process, national immunization policy, and others related to vaccine life cycle.  However, I believe there is still so much more for me to learn.

It is important to absorb and understand all through the vaccine cycle.  I have discovered that it’s critical to have a thorough understanding of how each procedure works. Since I closely collaborate with Thailand’s national policy makers as the assistant secretariat, I must provide them with accurate and instructive information to make a decision on proposed policies that will be implemented for the country.  If I do not completely comprehend how each vaccine cycle procedure operates, I will not be able to achieve that properly.

Thus, I would like to broaden my knowledge in a vaccine field where I have less experiences, such as clinical trial research.  I have always been interested in learning about clinical trial research and I hope that I can integrate it in my work in the future.  In my opinion, IVI is a knowledge and experience center for vaccine work.

Is there a particular public health or policy issue that you are passionate about?

SD: Vaccine equity and accessibility would be the public health issue that we are trying to work towards. NVI is a focal point for ASEAN Vaccine Security and Self-Reliance (AVSSR). Our goal is to achieve health security and self-sufficiency through increased access to high-quality, safe, affordable, and effective vaccines.

MK: In my opinion, increasing the capability of vaccine personnel i.e., researchers, vaccine developers, regulators, and healthcare workers, as well as local manufacturers, is desirable regarding vaccine challenges in Thailand.  It is still an issue in Thailand as there are many areas that need to be filled.  If we can improve the capability of vaccine personnel, more people will have access to safe, high-quality vaccines, which will contribute to vaccine security, which is NVI’s purpose.

What kind of future collaborations can we anticipate from NVI and IVI?

SD: We hope to encourage more collaboration in growing connections and engaging more capacity-building programs to achieve towards the goal of vaccine security, and to improve the human workforce, particularly in the vaccine profession, from R&D to production. Ameliorate access to high-quality and timely vaccination.

Ideally, we want to bridge ASEAN countries to connect with IVI to fulfill our ultimate goal in realizing vaccine security and self-reliance for all: ensure healthy ASEAN through timely, equitable access to affordable and quality-assured vaccines. NVI and IVI can collectively work towards our goal in equity and accessibility in vaccines. Likewise, NVI will also receive opportunities from global potential partners to support the ASEAN effort.

MK: From my point of view, IVI and NVI can collectively work together on vaccine technology transfer and clinical trials, as well as on specialized trainings or programs to improve the capability of local vaccine personnel.  It would be great if we can make it better.

I am hoping that IVI and NVI collaboration will be able to strengthen the vaccine work which will allow us to help protect people from vaccine-preventable infectious diseases.