Vaccines - Covid 19

[Big Boy]

I was in Bluport at about 13.20 and the seating area was completely empty. Later, I saw 3 farangs sat in the chairs waiting to be seen. I wonder if the majority have now registered?

About 50% of the Market Village chairs taken at 11:15.

[hhinner]

There now remain 62 open vaccination slots for July 9. Tomorrow morning may be the last chance to register for a shot in July.

I wouldn't be too surprised if AZ doesn't show up next week anyway, though I read that 500K doses are rumoured to be on the way from S. Korea. Anyone know anything? (I know Prayuth, Prawit, Anutin don't).

[hhinner]

First AstraZeneca vaccine exports from Thailand to Philippines delayed - govt adviser

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-paci ... 021-06-01/

Delivery to the Philippines of the first batches of a promised 17 million doses of AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) coronavirus vaccine made in Thailand has been delayed by several weeks, a Philippine presidential adviser said on Tuesday.

The delay raises questions about AstraZeneca's vaccine distribution plan in Southeast Asia, which depend on 200 million doses made by Siam Bioscience, a company owned by Thailand's king that is making vaccines for the first time.

Maybe we'll get theirs?

[LolaBeltran]

A question;
Can a white devil get tested at Hua Hin hospital or Bangkok hospital, receive the results within 24 hrs. and obtain a certificate, in English, that says they are not infected? If not, where can they get tested?

Looks like this post didnt get any replies. I have the same question . . .anyone?

[sateeb]

Or more likely SB are just not up to the task. Pipe dream promises.

[HHTel]

I've queried before why a company Siam Bioscience was chosen to manufacture the AZ vaccine when they have no experience of manufacturing vaccines. There are vaccine manufacturers in Thailand with years of experience in vaccine production.

I think I know the answer but it'll remain unsaid.

[Dannie Boy]

Your worries are over - Sinovac gets WHO approval
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57322504

[HHTel]

The way I read it is that although you have more chance of contracting Covid than other vaccines, they appear confident (100%) that it will prevent hospitalisation and deaths. That's good.
The other thing that came with their approval is that the second dose should be issued 2 - 4 weeks after the first. I would guess that many, if not most, who have been vaccinated, have already passed the 'sell-buy' date for the second shot! Where does that leave them?

The Thai government have already stated that they've extended the gap between first and second dose to 16 weeks. That's fine for the 'real' vaccines - AZ, Pfizer and the like but doesn't address the WHO guidelines on Sinovac and Sinopharm.

[Big Boy]

Don't panic guys, all is well with AZ - Mr Anutin says so AZ will arrive on time.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ack-anutin

[HHTel]

AstraZeneca must deliver six million doses this month, as written in the contract, he said.

And of course contracts with Thai companies are always honoured!

Delivery to the Philippines of the first batches of a promised 17 million doses of Thai-made AstraZeneca (AZN.L) vaccines has been delayed by several weeks and reduced in size, a Philippine presidential adviser said on Tuesday.

The delay raises questions about AstraZeneca's vaccine distribution plan in Southeast Asia, which depends on 200 million doses made in Thailand by Siam Bioscience, a company owned by the country's king that is making vaccines for the first time.

It was not immediately clear if other countries slated to received Thai vaccine exports would be affected by similar delays.

AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscience did not immediately reply to questions about production at the Thai plant.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-paci ... 021-06-01/

Edit: Removed a sentence as it may be deemed 'sensitive'. Read the report.

[pitsch]

I was at HH 3 this morning at 9 am. Only 2 Thais waiting, finished in 15 minutes. Got a date at July 9th at 3 pm. There will be many farangs on July 9th, I think.

[HHTel]

Only 2 Thais waiting, finished in 15 minutes.

They must be having a busy day today..... lol

[hhinner]

According to mo Phrom only 8 slots left. If you're just about to go and register you're probably too late.

[HHTel]

Siam Bioscience has become an international embarrassment

We knew the delay was coming from Siam Bioscience, Thai Enquirer reported as much three weeks ago. According to our sources, the AstraZeneca production target for June was never going to be met by SBS and right we were.

But even before rumors began to circulate that there was a problem in the production process, observers had raised flags about SBS. As far back as last year, pro-democracy protesters had pointed out discrepancies in SBS securing the AstraZeneca contract with opposition politicians also chiming in.

We knew, even back then, that the government trusting an unproven company with no track record of producing vaccines was risky, we knew that scaling and technology transfers were going to be a problem, we knew that and we continued down the course anyway.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha asked in parliament on Tuesday whether anyone could have come up with a better vaccine plan than the one the government put in place.

As it turns out, a five year old child probably could have.

The rhetorical questions have been asked before, they warrant mention again. Why did the government not seek other vaccines immediately? Why did the government gamble with people’s lives? Why did the government feel it was a good idea to put all their eggs in the collective SBS basket?

Who knows? There are many theories. Special interests, arrogance, idiocy, whatever the reason, people have died and are continuing to die because of government incompetence.

But at least, until yesterday, the problem was localized. It is the tiniest of silver linings but at least our national embarrassment was ours.

Not anymore.

Yesterday, Reuters reported that AstraZeneca shipments to the Philippines being produced by Siam Bioscience was delayed.

According to Reuters:

“Delivery to the Philippines of the first batches of a promised 17 million doses of Thai-made AstraZeneca (AZN.L) vaccines has been delayed by several weeks and reduced in size, a Philippine presidential adviser said on Tuesday.”

It is bad enough that the government’s decision, backed by and lobbied for by state enterprises, has cost lives locally and has contributed to the ravages of the pandemic’s third wave.

But the government’s decision to involve politics and lobbying in a matter of life and death is now affecting our neighbours within the region.

Remember that SBS is suppose to export not only to the Philippines but to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam and other countries too.

Do not be surprised if there are delays there as well.

And if the decision comes down to whether the doses produced by SBS will be used locally for Thais or exported to other countries so the Prayut government can save face, well there is only one winner there and it isn’t the Thai people.

If and when this pandemic ever gets under control, the people responsible for this vaccination crisis must be brought to stand trial because what is happening is criminal.

https://www.thaienquirer.com/28152/opin ... rrassment/

[hhinner]

Slightly more reassuring.

AstraZeneca: First Thai-made vaccines “ready”

The first 1.8 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine made in Thailand are “ready to be gradually rolled out,” AstraZeneca said in a statement Wednesday.