reader Posted June 23, 2021 Posted June 23, 2021 The possibility of embassies of foreign governments intervening in the distribution of vaccines to their citizens living in Thailand was discussed on the board a few months back. I recall that numerous problems were brought up that made that scheme difficult. But France and China have found ways to muddle through the dilemma. Chinese nationals in Thailand were able to be vaccinated under Beijing’s “Spring Sprout” global immunisation programme. China had donated 500,000 doses of its Sinovac vaccine to Thailand, and then Thailand then agreed to vaccinate Chinese expats. Around 150,000 Chinese nationals live in Thailand. French nationals ages 55 and older will receive their free inoculation of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at one of the 8 Bangkok Hospital locations including Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui. Meanwhile, the US continues to claim that it is unable to do so. The Chargé d’Affaires has sent the following letter to US nationals who have inquired about the possibility with the embassy: "The U.S. Department of State is unable to provide vaccines to the millions of Americans who reside outside of the United States.For those who wish to return to the United States to be vaccinated....Meanwhile, as Thailand pursues its vaccination program, I will continue to advocate for your equitable access, keeping in mind that many Thai citizens are also waiting for their own vaccines." Full article available from The Thaiger https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/us-is-unable-to-provide-covid-19-vaccines-to-americans-who-live-overseas ============================== From the Thai Enquirer Chula professor criticizes government's obsession with Sinovac A leading professor at Chulalongkorn University has come out this week to criticize the government for its continued obsession with acquiring Sinovac vaccines. The professor joined Thai Enquirer to outline her grievances, the same one she shares with millions of other Thais. It might not have been as clear in the beginning, but the inefficiency of this [Sinovac] vaccine has been reported in numerous, real-life cases from many countries, from Indonesia to Brazil, said Professor Siripan Nogsuan, an Associate Professor and the Head of the Department of Government, Faculty of Science at Chulalongkorn University. Professor Siripan said that the main question she has for the government is twofold: why are they still choosing Sinovac over other vaccine alternatives when it’s clear that it is more expensive, and has a much lower efficacy rate? It seems that the Ministry of Public Health, which announced that it was planning to procure at least 28 million more doses of the Sinovac vaccine on Friday, haven’t adequately explained their reasoning, Siripan told Thai Enquirer by phone. “What we, as citizens, need is explanation and answers,” said Professor Siripan. “Why do the government, and the doctors leading the Covid-19 disease control situation, think Sinovac is a better option? What is the basis of their argument and how did they come to this conclusion?” https://www.thaienquirer.com/28886/leading-chula-professor-criticizes-governments-sinovac-obsession/ Quote
Patanawet Posted June 23, 2021 Posted June 23, 2021 7 minutes ago, reader said: "The U.S. Department of State is unable to provide vaccines to the millions of Americans who reside outside of the United States.For those who wish to return to the United States to be vaccinated....Meanwhile, as Thailand pursues its vaccination program, I will continue to advocate for your equitable access, keeping in mind that many Thai citizens are also waiting for their own vaccines." Shameful, just like the UK government. Nearly as disgusting as the criminal, incompetent and corrupt Thai government doing nothing last year to ensure that Thailand had a ready stock of vaccines for the inevitable pandemic, Quote
PeterRS Posted June 23, 2021 Posted June 23, 2021 2 hours ago, reader said: From the Thai Enquirer Chula professor criticizes government's obsession with Sinovac Professor Siripan said that the main question she has for the government is twofold: why are they still choosing Sinovac over other vaccine alternatives when it’s clear that it is more expensive, and has a much lower efficacy rate? Looks like Thais will end up with vaccines which are deemed by some as less efficient. There will still be the local AZ vaccine but Australia has just announced it will stop using the vaccine from October. The country claims to have 2 deaths from severe blood clotting following vaccination. More worrying is that the numbers infected in Thailand are not falling while the number of deaths increase - 3,174 and 51 today, the highest daily totals since the pandemic started. Bangkok's state-run hospitals announced they now have only 20 available intensive care beds. Quote Thailand announced 51 new fatalities, the highest daily death toll since the start of the pandemic, and 3,174 new infections. State-run hospitals in Bangkok are on the brink of running out of space for critically ill patients, according to an official, who said there are just 20 intensive care beds left for emergencies. https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/jun/23/coronavirus-live-news-thailand-record-daily-deaths-tokyo-olympics-alcohol Take care, guys! Quote
spoon Posted June 23, 2021 Posted June 23, 2021 Does private hospital in bangkok taking covid patient? Quote
Guest Posted June 23, 2021 Posted June 23, 2021 50 minutes ago, PeterRS said: Looks like Thais will end up with vaccines which are deemed by some as less efficient. There will still be the local AZ vaccine but Australia has just announced it will stop using the vaccine from October. The country claims to have 2 deaths from severe blood clotting following vaccination. According to reports, both the AZN and J&J adenovirus vaccines have a side effect of blood clotting. Low incidence rate & worse in younger people. There are reports of heart inflammation with the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which seem to get less coverage. I've heard of cases where people requested the J&J vaccine ahead of the mRNA vaccines for this reason ! As far as I can tell, if living in a country with a significant incidence rate of covid, the risk from the vaccine is orders of magnitude lower than the risk from covid. To put it in perspective, the UK reported 126,000 deaths with covid and 41 with blood clots. The blood clot data was from April, but is almost certainly over reported, as they don't know what the underlying death rate is from clotting with no vaccine. What matters is the increase in deaths by blood clotting. If I were living in Thailand, I'd take any of those vaccines. The Aussies might have different expectations, since they have mostly kept covid out of their country, so the alternative to vaccination looks better. So far. Vaccine decisions need to consider the future, not the past. Quote
KhorTose Posted June 23, 2021 Posted June 23, 2021 All of the vaccines are better then no vaccine. The one exception is the Chinese sino-vac is ineffective against the virus. You really think the Chinese would have had the best as they had a headstart on everyone. Quote
reader Posted June 23, 2021 Posted June 23, 2021 From CNBC CDC safety group says there’s a likely link between rare heart inflammation in young people after Covid shot A CDC safety group said there’s a “likely association” between a rare heart inflammatory condition in adolescents and young adults mostly after they’ve received their second Covid-19 vaccine shot, citing the most recent data available. There have been more than 1,200 cases of a myocarditis or pericarditis mostly in people 30 and under who received Pfizer’s or Moderna’s Covid vaccine, according to a series of slide presentations published Wednesday for a meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle, while pericarditis is the inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart. The agency said there have been 267 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis reported after receiving one dose of the mRNA vaccines and 827 reported cases after two doses through June 11. There are 132 additional cases where the number of doses received is unknown, the CDC said. Roughly 300 million of the shots had been administered as of June 11, the agency said. “This is still a rare event,” Dr. Tom Shimabukuro said at the meeting. For both vaccines combined, there were 12.6 heart inflammation cases per million doses. The cases were more frequent among Moderna’s vaccine recipients at 19.8 cases per million versus eight cases per million for Pfizer’s, he said. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/23/cdc-reports-more-than-1200-cases-of-rare-heart-inflammation-after-covid-vaccine-shots.html =============================== From Bangkok Post WHO confirms Sinovac: Thailand proceeds as planned with 100 million doses by end of year The World Health Organization (WHO) on June 1, 2021, validated Coronavac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving its assurance that the vaccine meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing. The Sinovac vaccine has also been approved by the Thai FDA for Emergency Use Authorization in preventing mild to serious illness and death from COVID-19. The vaccine is produced by the Beijing-based pharmaceutical company, Sinovac Biotech. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, WHO, said, “The vaccines that will be used in the national roll out in Thailand – AstraZeneca and Sinovac – are effective. WHO has approved both vaccines for adults aged 18 and above, including elderly people, to prevent patients from getting sick or dying from COVID19. These vaccines have saved tens of thousands of lives around the world already. WHO also recommends that all eligible people living in Thailand get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as it is offered.” Dr. Soumya added, “The risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 is much higher than any serious side effects from the vaccines that have been reported. As for the effectiveness percentage, it is impossible to compare between the two vaccines because the studies were conducted in different test conditions under different circumstances.” Dr. Sopon Iamsirithavorn, Director, Division of Communicable Diseases, Department of Disease Control (DDC), Ministry of Public Health, explained the vaccination plan: “Thailand has a clear policy that everyone, including foreigners residing in Thailand, will receive the vaccine and the budget has been planned. The top concern is to reduce severe illness and death and contain the spreading of disease.” https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2137283 Quote
billyhouston Posted June 25, 2021 Posted June 25, 2021 "As for the effectiveness percentage, it is impossible to compare between the two vaccines because the studies were conducted in different test conditions under different circumstances.” That comment is there due to the (less than 50%) effectiveness of this vaccine. The problems this causes have been seen in both Chile and Indonesia. Quote
anddy Posted June 26, 2021 Posted June 26, 2021 On 6/23/2021 at 5:53 PM, reader said: French nationals ages 55 and older will receive their free inoculation of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at one of the 8 Bangkok Hospital locations including Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui. Meanwhile, the US continues to claim that it is unable to do so. As for the US: it is clearly not unable but unwilling to do so. I happened to see a press conference with the WH press secretary Psaki a month or two ago. When asked she said something like "the State Department has traditionally not provided health support to Americans living abroad. We would like to to stick to that policy." Traditionally that is all well and fine in the past, but then we didn't have a fucking pandemic! So there is no real reason why they don't do it. "Unable" because it has been a "traditional policy" is hardly a valid reason. The German Embassy sent out a letter to their citizens reporting that France is doing this, but "For legal reasons, the German embassy has no way of offering vaccines or vaccinations for all German citizens." That's similar bullshit to the US excuse. Legal reasons? Can't be legal reasons in Thailand, else China and France couldn't do it. Can't be EU legal reasons either, else France couldn't do it. So must be German legal reasons. Who can do something about those legal obstacles? Hmm I wonder who that could be..... Maybe Kim Jong-Un and he is unwilling to do it? What a super lame excuse. They have been changing the law like all the time in this pandemic to set a framework to manage it, most recently to implement Merkel's big "emergency brake" which entailed massive restrictions of fundamental rights and freedoms. And they can't change some minor fine print to allow the embassy to follow the example of France? Laughable! Ok sorry about that, */end of rant lol vinapu and splinter1949 2 Quote
reader Posted July 1, 2021 Posted July 1, 2021 From The Reuters / Thaiger 5 million Moderna doses for private hospitals 5 million doses of the US-made Moderna Covid-19 vaccine will be imported to Thailand at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 to be administered by private hospitals. A set price of 3,400 baht for a package of the 2-dose vaccine, including service fees and insurance, was agreed on by the Private Hospitals Association. The first 3.9 million doses of the vaccine will be delivered by the fourth quarter of the year while the next 1.1 million doses will be delivered in the first quarter of 2022, according to Thailand’s Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, which procured the vaccines for the private hospitals. The Thai government’s nationwide Covid-19 immunisation campaign has heavily relied on the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Sinovac vaccine. The Infectious Disease Association of Thailand recently wrote a letter to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, urging him to procure more mRNA vaccines for Thailand. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are mRNA. Thailand has also ordered 5 million doses of the 1-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine as well as 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which is a mRNA type of vaccine. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-to-import-5-million-moderna-vaccine-doses-for-private-hospitals ==================================== From The Thai Enquirer Senior doctor says home quarantine for asymptomatic patients “necessary” Asymptomatic patients must be allowed to home quarantine to free up space and reduce pressure on the country’s healthcare system, a senior doctor at Siriraj Hospital told Thai Enquirer on Wednesday. Hospital beds, including those at field hospitals, are now in short supply throughout the Greater Bangkok area as Covid infection numbers climb above 4,000 new cases per day. In response, the Department of Medical Services (DMS) said this week that Asymptomatic patients should be allowed to quarantine at home to alleviate pressure on the healthcare system. (Read more here) Now, a senior doctor at Siriraj Hospital says that the policy must be introduced immediately because of the new Delta Variant of the virus. “This new variant has already spread to over 30 provinces and it is more contagious than previous strands that we have seen,” said the doctor who asked not to be named citing hospital policy. https://www.thaienquirer.com/29141/senior-doctor-says-home-quarantine-for-asymptomatic-patients-necessary/ =============================== From The Thaiger 57 deaths; 5,533 new infections 5,533 new Covid-19 cases and a record high of 57 Covid-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 235,971 Covid-19 cases. Out of the new cases, 44 were reported in correctional facilities, showing an improvement in the Covid situation at Thai prisons, where more than 30,000 inmates have tested positive for the virus over the past few months, but a significant increase in the number of local transmissions. Quote
TotallyOz Posted July 1, 2021 Author Posted July 1, 2021 I received the vaccine Astra Z yesterday. I registered through the link above Intervac. It was done in a very organized way and they were taking groups of 60 or so in at a time. First a check of the passport, then a check of documents, then blood pressure and health screening, and then the shot. After that, they held me for 30 min and gave me my next appointment 2.5 months from now. All in all, a very easy experience. I was quite surprised to see so many young foreigners there. I'd say the majority of those in my section were under 35 and from every country imaginable. I was lucky to get the appointment as the site was working back then and friends have tried the same thing but can't log in at all. reader, Ruthrieston, spoon and 1 other 4 Quote
Ruthrieston Posted July 2, 2021 Posted July 2, 2021 Very good for you TotallyOz, if only Pattaya could provide access to any vaccine for expats, particularly for those of us over 60 with underlying conditions, but that appears to be a fading fantasy as the Moderna vaccine most of us have registered for at various hospitals has decreased in number from the projected 10 million doses to 5 million and now 3.9 million maybe arriving at some point in October or thereafter. Sigh. Ryanqqq and TotallyOz 2 Quote
TotallyOz Posted July 2, 2021 Author Posted July 2, 2021 3 hours ago, Ruthrieston said: Very good for you TotallyOz, if only Pattaya could provide access to any vaccine for expats, particularly for those of us over 60 with underlying conditions, but that appears to be a fading fantasy as the Moderna vaccine most of us have registered for at various hospitals has decreased in number from the projected 10 million doses to 5 million and now 3.9 million maybe arriving at some point in October or thereafter. Sigh. What I would say is that you should try to register in Bangkok and come to Bangkok. They did not check addresses, underlying conditions, etc. As long as you can get an appointment through Intervac, you should be good to go. Quote
Patanawet Posted July 2, 2021 Posted July 2, 2021 Today, I received an email invitation to register and pay in advance for a pair of Moderna vaccinations. End of October - March 2022! MedPark Hospital is accepting registration for alternative vaccine MODERNA (mRNA Technology) for 3,300 THB (2 doses), available for anyone aged 18 and above. Details, registration, and payment available here: https://medpark.hospital/Moderna The expected arrival date of the vaccine is approximately at end of October 2021 - 31 March 2022, as allocated by GPO. Quote
Guest Posted July 2, 2021 Posted July 2, 2021 11 minutes ago, Patanawet said: Today, I received an email invitation to register and pay in advance for a pair of Moderna vaccinations. End of October - March 2022! That's a big tolerance on the delivery date & if you have already paid in advance, where's the incentive for the hospital to push for early delivery ? I bet the hospital only has to pay for the vaccines when delivered, so if the accountants have any say in the matter, the later the delivery the better. Meanwhile, Totally Oz already has a vaccine & if he wants a different one in 2022, there's nothing stopping him getting that as well. 10 hours ago, TotallyOz said: I received the vaccine Astra Z yesterday. Well done. Did you notice where it was manufactured ? Quote
TotallyOz Posted July 2, 2021 Author Posted July 2, 2021 38 minutes ago, z909 said: Well done. Did you notice where it was manufactured ? No, I didn't ask. But, it was free. Quote
TotallyOz Posted July 2, 2021 Author Posted July 2, 2021 49 minutes ago, Patanawet said: Today, I received an email invitation to register and pay in advance for a pair of Moderna vaccinations. End of October - March 2022! MedPark Hospital is accepting registration for alternative vaccine MODERNA (mRNA Technology) for 3,300 THB (2 doses), available for anyone aged 18 and above. Details, registration, and payment available here: https://medpark.hospital/Moderna The expected arrival date of the vaccine is approximately at end of October 2021 - 31 March 2022, as allocated by GPO. I got this too. I went to the site and all in Thai. I thought odd as the email was in both Thai and English. Patanawet 1 Quote
Patanawet Posted July 2, 2021 Posted July 2, 2021 2 hours ago, TotallyOz said: What I would say is that you should try to register in Bangkok and come to Bangkok. They did not check addresses, underlying conditions, etc. As long as you can get an appointment through Intervac, you should be good to go. Any idea Oz how to get registered in Bangkok? Thaiintervac not working. I live in Bangkok. Quote
spoon Posted July 2, 2021 Posted July 2, 2021 45 minutes ago, z909 said: That's a big tolerance on the delivery date & if you have already paid in advance, where's the incentive for the hospital to push for early delivery ? I bet the hospital only has to pay for the vaccines when delivered, so if the accountants have any say in the matter, the later the delivery the better. Meanwhile, Totally Oz already has a vaccine & if he wants a different one in 2022, there's nothing stopping him getting that as well. Well done. Did you notice where it was manufactured ? No motivation for the hospital, but if the vaccine supply is limited, and general queue by gov is uncertain, booking as early as u can is the only way to go. TotallyOz and Patanawet 2 Quote
Gaybutton Posted July 2, 2021 Posted July 2, 2021 For some strange reason, why am I thinking of "The best laid plans of mice and men" ? TotallyOz and Patanawet 1 1 Quote
Patanawet Posted July 2, 2021 Posted July 2, 2021 53 minutes ago, TotallyOz said: I got this too. I went to the site and all in Thai. I thought odd as the email was in both Thai and English. Yes all in Thai -- there is a Thai/Eng button that does absolutely nothing. TotallyOz 1 Quote
Guest Posted July 2, 2021 Posted July 2, 2021 14 minutes ago, Patanawet said: Yes all in Thai -- there is a Thai/Eng button that does absolutely nothing. If Chrome does not offer translation, google lens on a phone usually works. Quote
TotallyOz Posted July 2, 2021 Author Posted July 2, 2021 1 hour ago, Patanawet said: Any idea Oz how to get registered in Bangkok? Thaiintervac not working. I live in Bangkok. I would keep trying that site. It had issues with privacy and poor coding but they are supposed to be working on it. I'd keep check back daily. It says 12-3 it is open. But, the day I booked, it was 4:30. I was able to get on back a few weeks ago but no slots available. I just kept checking OFTEN. Patanawet 1 Quote
Guest Posted July 2, 2021 Posted July 2, 2021 5 hours ago, TotallyOz said: I just kept checking OFTEN. Persistence often gets the result it deserves. Quote
TotallyOz Posted July 2, 2021 Author Posted July 2, 2021 10 hours ago, Patanawet said: Yes all in Thai -- there is a Thai/Eng button that does absolutely nothing. It is now also in English. They fixed the translation. Question: I would not mind the Moderna as the second shot. Do you think they will allow this? https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/02/health/germany-covid-vaccines-mixing-intl/index.html Patanawet 1 Quote
