Covid vaccine

Anything and everything about Thailand
Post Reply
traveller123

Re: Covid vaccine

Post by traveller123 »

Unfortunately in my part of Isaan it is Sinovac for the first jab followed three weeks later by Astra Zeneca with no other choice.
In my own case early June the local hospital told me to go and register at their offsite clinic in the city. I did this and was given a slip of paper with a date of 28th June written on it.
I went, with my partner, to the vaccination hub on the due date to be told that they didn't have my registration on their computer and that all appointments made at the offsite clinic had been cancelled. (of course it was too much trouble to inform people this had happened).
They then gave me an appointment date of 5th August.
I went along on the 5th August and told them I had specified throughout I wanted AZ and not the Chinese vaccines.
The first Doctor we politely spoke to explaining the UK Government would not accept Sinovac as proof of vaccination was full of his own importance and was not interested, saying the Thai Government would only allow a Sinovac first Astra second jab and take it or nothing.
To provide balance a second Doctor overheard the conversation and came over and said she understood my problem and she would talk to her manager at lunch time to try to get me Astra for the first jab. She phoned us early that afternoon to say sorry she couldn't get permission to get Astra for my first jab and said she strongly recommended me to have Sinovac as it was better than nothing.
So we returned to the vaccination centre and I was jabbed and given a date of 26th August for my second hopefully Astra jab.
I did consider travelling to Bangkok to get Astra but we are seven hours away necessitating an overnight stop and with the travel restrictions, our village headman saying if we came back from Bangkok we would have to quarantine for 14 days and Covid spread in Bangkok decided against it.

Like other posters I'm worried about my partner as there is no indication when he will be able to register.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Covid vaccine

Post by Gaybutton »

traveller123 wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 11:27 am Like other posters I'm worried about my partner as there is no indication when he will be able to register.
I don't know if it would be fair to say this whole fiasco qualifies as the biggest fuck-up in Thailand's history, but if it isn't, I'd say it's in the top 10.

Sinovac is better than nothing? I'm not so sure. In my opinion, Sinovac vs latest Covid strains is roughly equivalent to a spaghetti strand vs an elephant herd stampede.
thewayhelooks
Posts: 320
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2015 4:40 pm
Been thanked: 58 times

Re: Covid vaccine

Post by thewayhelooks »

A friend if mine has just got back from MedPark hospital in Bangkok. He has registered and was expecting AZ. He was offered that or Pfizer. Guess which one he took? A happy bunny.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Covid vaccine

Post by Gaybutton »

If anyone still is wondering why I don't trust anything we're being told, maybe this post will answer your question.

Maybe I should say "rely on" instead of "trust", but I prefer "trust".
______________________________________________________
tpnational wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:17 pm Dr. Manoon Leechawengwongs of Vichaiyut Hospital predicted the Covid-19 situation in Thailand via his online statement that the number of domestic infections and deaths from the Covid-19’s Delta mutant will continue to increase regardless of how intense the lockdown measures are.

The status read: People’s homes have become the place where high infections occurred overall, so some lockdown measures should be relaxed immediately before the Thai economy became even worse. The current measures are only hurting the economy and the people and not stopping the spread of Covid-19. Vaccines are the answer here not tighter restrictions, curfews, and lockdowns.”
The Nation wrote:Thailand staring at 70,000 Covid cases a day unless lockdown extended

August 14, 2021

Daily infections could reach 70,000 unless strict lockdown measures are employed in late August, Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the governments Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, warned on Friday.
Full article: https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004647
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Covid vaccine

Post by Gaybutton »

Here's a question: According to the powers-that-be consideration can be given to reopening Pattaya once 70% of the population has been fully vaccinated. How are they going to know if 70% of the population has actually been vaccinated? There is a huge number of Thais living and working in Pattaya, but they don't come from the Chonburi province. Are those numbers going to be part of the 70%? I fail to see how considering most of those people cannot get vaccinated in Pattaya. If they want to be vaccinated, as it stands now they have to go to Bangkok. With little or no money, no job, many with no food, no place to stay, and virtually no inter-provincial public transportation, how are they supposed to do that - and then return to Pattaya or go from Bangkok to their home province?

And I'm still waiting for someone to explain why 70% is the magic number.

If they really want to open Pattaya, they better make sure everybody in Pattaya gets vaccinated, and soon - and not with one of the Chinese vaccines.

I'm not holding my breath.
___________________________________

7 per cent of population fully vaccinated

by The Nation

August 15, 2021

Over 22.50 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Thailand, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation said.

As of Friday, 17,239,593 people, or 26 per cent of total population, had been given their first Covid-19 shot, 4,855,000 people, or 7.3 per cent of total population, had got their second shot and 414,066 people, or 0.6 per cent of total population, had got their third shot, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered to 22,508,659.

In terms of vaccine brands, the total number of vaccine doses administered are as follows:

Sinovac:

▪︎ 7,350,243 people were given their first shot;

▪︎ 3,443,840 people were given their second shot

AstraZeneca:

▪︎ 8,591,197 people were given their first shot;

▪︎ 903,550 people were given their second shot;

▪︎ 190,515 people were given their third shot.

Sinopharm:

▪︎ 1,254,460 people were given their first shot;

▪︎ 488,150 people were given their second shot;

Pfizer:

▪︎ 43,693 people were given their first shot;

▪︎ 19,460 people were given their second shot;

▪︎ 223,551 people were given their third shot.
User avatar
Undaunted
Posts: 2567
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 368 times

Re: Covid vaccine

Post by Undaunted »

Gaybutton wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:58 pm There is a huge number of Thais living and working in Pattaya, but they don't come from the Chonburi province.
This was the case a couple of months ago, those that had the means and desire to leave and return to there families in the northeast etc. have already done so, the streets are virtually deserted except for those unable to leave and trying only to survive.
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
Jun

Re: Covid vaccine

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:58 pmAnd I'm still waiting for someone to explain why 70% is the magic number.
You might be waiting a long time, because as far as I can tell 70% does not give herd immunity.
With delta variant, in the last month I've seen US experts say 80~90% vaccination is needed for herd immunity and an expert in the UK says we won't actually get herd immunity.

I suppose 70% could be taken as protecting the highest risk individuals, but are they actually prioritizing doses according to risk ?
Dodger
Posts: 1926
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:58 am
Has thanked: 133 times
Been thanked: 479 times

Re: Covid vaccine

Post by Dodger »

I think (but I'm probably wrong) that setting a minimum of 70% of a population in a given area is intended to mitigate risk associated with local hospital(s) capacity in treating covid.

The experts are claiming that once a person has received 2 jabs of the vaccine their chances of having to be hospitalized for covid in the future are extremely low. That being the case, the 70% target would probably be sufficient in controlling the number of patients the hospital(s) could expect to care for at any one given time.

It's not so much about - the number of people who can catch the virus, rather, not letting that number exceed hospital capacities.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Covid vaccine

Post by Gaybutton »

Dodger wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 12:11 pm It's not so much about - the number of people who can catch the virus, rather, not letting that number exceed hospital capacities.
From what I've been reading, the hospital capacities are already far exceeded. Isn't that why even field hospitals aren't enough and they are now establishing "hospitels"?

Along with that, it's no longer how many people are vaccinated, but what they are vaccinated with. I wish I could understand why they still want to use Sinovac and Sinopharm to vaccinate anybody.

My primary question still remains unanswered. Why is 70% the magic number? Are we supposed to accept the idea that once 70% of the population has been vaccinated, now we won't have to worry about catching Covid anymore? I'll believe it if, and only if, that is what actually happens.
Jun

Re: Covid vaccine

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 2:09 pm I wish I could understand why they still want to use Sinovac and Sinopharm to vaccinate anybody.

My primary question still remains unanswered. Why is 70% the magic number? Are we supposed to accept the idea that once 70% of the population has been vaccinated, now we won't have to worry about catching Covid anymore? I'll believe it if, and only if, that is what actually happens.
They use the Chinese vaccines as they don't have sufficient supply of the alternatives. These vaccines are probably slightly better than nothing. I imagine they might offer a booster jab of something better, when available.

There's no way 70% vaccinated stops you catching covid. Even 100% might not stop that.
What 100% vaccinated might do is cut the death rate for those infected from (say) 1% to 0.1%. I'm not quite sure what the latest figure is.
Considering not everyone will get infected, this is getting to a post vaccination death rate comparable with flu in the northern hemisphere.

Now had I recommended lockdowns for flu prior to 2020, you would say I'm potty. So there is no reason to maintain covid lockdowns once the majority of the high risk population have received an effective vaccine.
Post Reply