Thai COVID-19 vaccine acquisitions

[StevieWonders]

Thai PBS has published an overview of current Thai announcements (“policies” is too strong a term) about vaccine acquisition:

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailand-hits-vaccine-accelerator-as-virus-launches-second-surge/

[cdnmatt]

Ok, they got their plans up to 31.5 million people now. Only another 23.5 million to go.

Canada went and put orders in for like 400 million back in March / April, so I'm sure we'll be nice and share.

[Moggy]

Its just been announced the Oxford vaccine is effective against the covid strain detected by the UK and also the South African strain.

[Zebedee]

Its just been announced the Oxford vaccine is effective against the covid strain detected by the UK and also the South African strain.

WOW! Thats fantastic news.
Moggy would you please post a link to that.

[dinagam]

Its just been announced the Oxford vaccine is effective against the covid strain detected by the UK and also the South African strain.

How convenient!
They produced the strain as well as the vaccine for it.

[Nirish guy]

Thank god for that as I’m not sure I could start this shit all over again ! Now let’s hope it works on the next few new strains when they appear too !

[Zebedee]

Its just been announced the Oxford vaccine is effective against the covid strain detected by the UK and also the South African strain.

Thanks Moggy I found a source and it is very encouraging.

"The Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech appears to protect against a mutation in two coronavirus variants that are causing rapid spread across the UK, research suggests.
The pharmaceutical company and researchers from the University of Texas medical branch carried out lab tests on the variants, one of which was found in the UK while the other originated in South Africa."

For balance:

"Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “This is good news, mainly because it is not bad news.
“Had the opposite result been found, that the vaccine did not seem to have efficacy against the variation of the virus studied, that would have been bad and very concerning.
“So, yes this is good news, but it does not yet give us total confidence that the Pfizer (or other) vaccines will definitely give protection."



https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/08/pfizer-vaccine-protects-against-new-covid-variants-study-suggests

[StevieWonders]

The commentary about the current vaccines can be summed up as “If it works (it doesn’t for everyone) at the very least it will reduce severity if you do catch COVID-19 but there’s no guarantee you won’t infect others even if the vaccine protects you”. Based on that, countries such as Australia are warning that international travel may not resume until late 2021 at the earliest.

[StevieWonders]

An addendum to the above - here’s a link to the Australian views influencing government decisions -

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/vaccine-rollout-won-t-open-international-travel-by-july-experts-say-20210106-p56s3t.html

When Qantas announced it was reopening bookings for international travel from July the government was swift to respond with a “not so fast - we make the decisions, not you” comment.

[Moggy]

WOW! Thats fantastic news.
Moggy would you please post a link to that.
It was announced on Sky news
and found this https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/pfizer-vaccine-protects-uk-south-africa-covid-variant-b757501.html

[Patanawet]

How convenient!
They produced the strain as well as the vaccine for it.

I assume that comment is some sort of weak humour.
The strain was not produced in the UK. It was first spotted in the UK because they were using more advanced forms of genetic sequencing than other countries.
In fact it has probably been in US for some time according to Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research in California.
Tell me Dinagam -- do you also believe that The 1918 flu pandemic started on Spain?
Finally let me point out that the Oxford vaccine is being supplied on a non-profit basis.
And a last 'finally' -- 172 countries signed the COVAX treaty to supply vaccines at cost ------ except USA.

[Old git]

Thailand is in a right mess over Covid. If the government had been at the front of the vaccine queue, there's a very good chance that only one tourist season would have been lost, yet now they just keep saying that tourism doesn't really matter to the Thai economy, which everyone knows is BS - there's no obvious plan to get it back up to speed in time for the autumn.

Unless government changes tack pronto, the next season will be almost as bad.

The upside though is that although things are grim in the UK right now, the fact that no-one gets it twice, and vaccinations are being rolled out for those at mortal peril; does mean that we are likely to be effectively post-Covid within a few months now, as will most other nations.

But the LoS will still be agonising over it when others have got back to normal, something that is likely to play out both on the exchange rate and the price of tourist related real estate.

- This autumn might see the great Thai fire sale take place..

[StevieWonders]

Thailand is in a right mess over Covid. If the government had been at the front of the vaccine queue, there's a very good chance that only one tourist season would have been lost ...Perhaps you should have a look at yesterday’s Guardian (not a recommendation you’ll often hear from me). A number of countries with a low incidence of COVID-19 infections during 2020 have deliberately chosen to delay vaccination programmes so as to see if any significant “negative events” occur with those who have been vaccinated. While it’s always difficult to determine Thai government policy on any given day, that may well represent the thinking behind their failure to follow your advice. As I recall Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Australia were mentioned.

[Old git]

"Perhaps you should have a look at yesterday’s Guardian (not a recommendation you’ll often hear from me). A number of countries with a low incidence of COVID-19 infections during 2020 have deliberately chosen to delay vaccination programmes so as to see if any significant “negative events” occur with those who have been vaccinated. While it’s always difficult to determine Thai government policy on any given day, that may well represent the thinking behind their failure to follow your advice. As I recall Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Australia were mentioned."

Some of the vaccine methodology is very novel. Given the short timespan of the trials, vaccinating children and those of child bearing age who are at negligible risk from the bug itself would seem reckless, but using it to protect those who are in mortal danger is a no-brainer.

By vaccinating the very old and older people with health issues, the death risk can be neutralised, and the risk of needing hospital treatment greatly reduced. That much done, a country can say: "OK - let's get this over with.."

[StevieWonders]

Some of the vaccine methodology is very novel. Given the short timespan of the trials, vaccinating children and those of child bearing age who are at negligible risk from the bug itself would seem reckless, but using it to protect those who are in mortal danger is a no-brainer.

By vaccinating the very old and older people with health issues, the death risk can be neutralised, and the risk of needing hospital treatment greatly reduced. That much done, a country can say: "OK - let's get this over with.."I’ll pass your advice on to the governments of those countries.

[Manforallseasons]

Today during a regular visit with my doctor at one of Pattaya’s private hospitals amid a new level of screening I asked him if the hospital is treating Covid patients he say 10 are in a separate wing, I then asked him when he would receive the vaccine he said very unenthusiastically the staff will receive the first shot of the Chinese vaccine next month with the general public to receive a vaccine sometime next year.

[Blueskytoday]

Chinese vaccine???? I would not want it....who even knows does it work???? anyone know

[StevieWonders]

The most pessimistic assessment I've read so far - March 2022 is when things will return to "normal" in Australia (which hasn't done so badly)
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/2021/01/10/australia-coronavirus-rules-likely-until-2022/

[StevieWonders]

Chinese vaccine???? I would not want it....who even knows does it work???? anyone knowThere’s more than one and there are unofficial test results from several countries. There was a BBC report at the end of last year -
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55212787

[Moses]

Chinese vaccine???? I would not want it....who even knows does it work???? anyone know

They vaccinated only in China over 9 000 000 already. It works.

[Old git]

"Chinese vaccine?"

Are there any existing pharma facilities within Thailand that have the capacity to manufacture the Oxford vaccine I wonder?

It's been reported several times that the Oxford project is a pro bono exercise, so licensing should not (in theory..) be an issue..

[Moses]

"Chinese vaccine?"

Are there any existing pharma facilities within Thailand that have the capacity to manufacture the Oxford vaccine I wonder?

It's been reported several times that the Oxford project is a pro bono exercise, so licensing should not (in theory..) be an issue..

For to replicate Chinese vaccine you need just clean room and big tank (simplified, but in general you really need just bioreactor + sterile facility for to pack vaccine into vials). For to replicate Oxford you have to have gene engineering skills and equipment for it. then again bioreactor and clean facility.

Big plus of old fashioned vaccines is in their simplicity. Minus - for mutating viruses they are less effective and may have shorter protection. But fast start will give some gap in time for to deploy staff education and production of more complicated vector vaccines.

[StevieWonders]

"Chinese vaccine?"

Are there any existing pharma facilities within Thailand that have the capacity to manufacture the Oxford vaccine I wonder? .Already covered dear boy, do try to keep up
https://sawatdeenetwork.com/v4/showthread.php?21787-Brits-To-Be-Barred-Entry-To-Thailand/page3

[StevieWonders]

It's reported that Indonesia will be the first country in Asia to use the Chinese Sinovac vaccine on the general population.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Indonesia-COVID-vaccination-to-start-Wednesday-using-Sinovac-drug

However test results from countries involved in Phase 3 testing only give it a passing grade - 62% efficacy
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-brazil-sinovac-idUSKBN29G2MV

[Moses]

However test results from countries involved in Phase 3 testing only give it a passing grade - 62% efficacy
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-brazil-sinovac-idUSKBN29G2MV

Speculations, tests results aren't published yet. Pfizer tries to push them from Brazil. In fact it is around 80%
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/business/china-coronavirus-vaccine-sinovac.html

In UAE, Egypt, Bahrain and Jordan Sinovac shows 86% https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/great-efficacy-claimed-another-covid-19-vaccine-one-china

[arsenal]

"It originates from bats or pangolins, from the demented belief that if you grind up the scales of a pangolin you will somehow become more potent or whatever it is people believe, it originates from this collision between mankind and the natural world and we've got to stop it."
Boris Johnson

Well said that man. An investigation lasting ten years has failed to yield any reason for this desire to consume every living creature.

[StevieWonders]

"It originates from bats or pangolins, from the demented belief that if you grind up the scales of a pangolin you will somehow become more potent or whatever it is people believe, it originates from this collision between mankind and the natural world and we've got to stop it."
Boris Johnson

Well said that man. An investigation lasting ten years has failed to yield any reason for this desire to consume every living creature.I prefer his comment about women who want to dress like a letterbox.

[arsenal]

Completely off topic now so mods do your duty. He's got the trade deal with the EU. One with the US will follow within 6 months as will Australia and New Zealand , Japan's sorted as are deals with another 60+ countries. So he and his government feel emboldened to tell China a few home truths.

Like him or loathe him he gets stuff done does Boris.

[arsenal]

Like this for example.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/dominic-raab-xinjiang-fines-china-forced-labour-b853458.html

[Blueskytoday]

I dont' trust china...go ahead and take their shots....

[StevieWonders]

I dont' trust china...go ahead and take their shots....Do you imagine someone will be able to turn up at their doctor’s office and choose freely from a list of vaccines?

[arsenal]

Who knows. Maybe their shots are made out of bats and pangolin scales although according to Wikipedia they have "significantly decreased immune responses". So that might account for the poor efficacy results of the Chinese vaccine.

[Zebedee]

This is interesting.

"People who recover from coronavirus have a similar level of protection against future infection as those who receive a Covid vaccine – at least for the first five months, research suggests."

"A Public Health England (PHE) study of more than 20,000 healthcare workers found that immunity acquired from an earlier Covid infection provided 83% protection against reinfection for at least 20 weeks."


“The immunity gives you a similar effect to the Pfizer vaccine and a much better effect than the AstraZeneca vaccine and that is reassuring for people. But we still see people who could transmit and so we want to strike a note of caution,” Prof Hopkins said. In clinical trials, two doses of the Pfizer vaccine had an efficacy of 95%, compared with 62% from two doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jan/14/recovering-from-covid-gives-similar-level-of-protection-to-vaccine

[StevieWonders]

I was listening to the Science Weekly podcast which this week went to the UK government laboratories where positive COVID-19 tests are followed up by tests of that infected material against vaccines as well as other activities. It sounds very encouraging as far as the latest strains go when tested against the vaccines being made available in the UK and Europe.

[Up2U]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/13/asia/sinovac-covid-vaccine-efficacy-intl-hnk/index.html

Chinese Covid-19 vaccine far less effective than initially claimed in Brazil, sparking concerns

[StevieWonders]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/13/asia/sinovac-covid-vaccine-efficacy-intl-hnk/index.html

Chinese Covid-19 vaccine far less effective than initially claimed in Brazil, sparking concerns
Well done that man
https://sawatdeenetwork.com/v4/showthread.php?21818-Chinese-vaccine-effectiveness-results