rickudon

Cowboy's information indeed shows how trivial the risks of Bell's Palsy from vaccination are, just as i guessed.

Bells palsy is a not uncommon affliction = not fatal and most recover in a few weeks. A sort of mini stroke. What they didn't say is how many would have suffered if not vaccinated. The increased risk may be just a few cases per 100,000.

Just a few points to make. With vaccines, the main issue is the documentation around the vaccination. There is currently no global standard. Fake documents have been used. Even the card you are given in the UK showing your vaccination status is, i am told, not valid for global travel - you have to take your card to a GP and get another document. At the airport in the UK, the average border force person can barely read, let alone decide what is and what isn't a valid vaccination document! next, the PLF form. I wouldn't say it was easy, especially when you do not know the questions. Took me about one hour to do, as i had to keep saving the form and going to check information requested (i was isolating away from 'home'. which complicated it a bit). It is sent to you as a electronic document via email, you could print it, but if you can access it on your phone should be OK. I gave my Thai mobile number although i knew it wouldn't work in the UK. Even after i returned and got a new SIM, still an issue as where i was isolating there was usually no reception, it is a dead zone. Fortunately i also gave the house phone number and they contacted me on that a few days after i arrived. Not sure how many times they tried to call because it was hot and i was in the garden.... Checking - At Bangkok they asked for my 72 hour Covid test and the PLF, but didn't really scrutinise it. At Amsterdam, we were sent to a special document check location and they were examined in some detail. They put a sticker on your passport without which you could be denied boarding. At Heathrow - no checks at all! I received one telephone call and a home visit from a real person at about day 6.

Sinopharm being rolled out to public in Udon thani. F-in-L got jabbed yesterday. He is 80 though.

I went for 30,000, partially because i doubt 'official' testing will ever be sufficient for higher numbers. On the positive side, in Udon Thani 90% of reported cases are from people who were out of province. Local transmission is low, rarely more than 20 people a day. Maybe the local health volunteers are tracking contacts quickly and slowing the spread. Will vaccination make much difference? To deaths, yes, but not to cases. UK has had more than 20,000 cases a day for about 2 months. People have just got used to it, death rate is now below 0.5%, mainly of those who wouldn't vaccinate. I'm there now, and life is incredibly normal. A vaccination rate of 90% locally helps. Would be more careful in London or Northern cities.

So the government claim nearly 20 million vaccinated (more by now i assume) and doing 600,000 vaccinations a day. Believable? Well we all know that for the past 4 months truth has been a rare commodity in any announcement from the government. I can only go by my own families experience (in Isaan),. 14 members, only one vaccinated , a teacher. Most are registered, but none has even been given an appointment date yet. Among expat friends, know 2 who have been vaccinated - one by the French expat rollout. A few others (not known personally) have claimed to be vaccinated in the past week. So i am very sceptical. Claimed that there are numerous younger Thais at vaccination centres claiming they have one of the health conditions giving them priority. Often wearing company uniform ...... Their health condition probably comes in a brown envelope. 0