TallGuyJohninBKK

Show me any credible scientific studies that have been done showing the Sinovac vaccine is what any reasonable person would consider "highly effective" specifically against the Delta variant -- especially compared to better performing Delta effectiveness results for the mRNA and AZ vaccines.

But the vaccine trials that the WHO based its original Sinovac approval on from several different countries were done months before that... So your comment above is pretty meaningless. Delta wasn't the dominant virus in those vaccine trial countries at the time those studies were being conducted that formed the basis for the WHO's original EUA.

Correct. They don't. But that doesn't change the facts of the matter, and the reality of what their findings were based on -- the original virus, not Delta. If they were to go back and do some kind of comprehensive assessment of Sinovac vs Delta, they MIGHT find a vaccine not meeting their own requirements for approval. And that vaccine, Sinovac, is currently the most given COVID vaccine in the world. So for that reason among others, WHO doesn't seem to be rushing to re-consider their original findings in regards to the current Delta world: "As of July, Sinovac and Sinopharm were the No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, most used vaccines in the world, according to Airfinity. The two manufacturers have also delivered 693 million shots to foreign countries while supplying the bulk of the 2 billion doses China has delivered domestically. And the shots are providing some level of protection to billions worldwide in places that might not otherwise have access to vaccines." https://fortune.com/2021/08/31/china-covid-vaccine-sinovac-sinopharm-delta-variant-effective/ Another case of "something is better than nothing." But if I lived in someplace where I had ANY choice of different vaccines -- mRNA, AZ, or Sinovac/Sinopharm -- I can't think of any reason that I'd want to choose a Sinovac vaccine over any of the others. It would be pretty much at the bottom of my options list. And that's not based on any kind of anti-China rant. It's purely based on the currently available info re vaccine effectiveness.

That finding about "highly effective" was made months ago when the WHO first issued its EUL for the Sinovac vaccine, which was before the substantial emergence of the Delta variant. When they talk today about Sinovac's effectiveness, they're still pointing back to the prior data which is pretty much irrelevant in a Delta dominated world. And curiously, the WHO has yet to update those effectiveness findings/assessments for Sinovac in relation to the Delta variant. Back when the WHO first approved Sinovac based on trials of its performance against the original version of the coronavirus, its effectiveness was significantly less than the same WHO assessments for the mRNA and AZ vaccines, but just barely enough to get approved. Clearly, Sinovac's performance hasn't gotten better -- and instead likely has deteriorated -- with the advent of the Delta variant.

There's been some recent reporting on the effectiveness of the Sinovac vaccine against the Delta variant, with the results showing it to be generally less effective than the AZ vaccine, but still offering some protection: "A Brazilian preprint study published last week tracked 61 million people in Brazil from January to June, comparing infection, hospitalization, and death rates between unvaccinated individuals and those who received Sinovac or AstraZeneca jabs. The study found that people fully inoculated with Sinovac reduced their risk of infection by 54% and risk of death by 74% compared with unvaccinated populations. Still, the AstraZeneca vaccine appeared to offer more protection, reducing the risk of infection by 70% and the risk of death by 90%. Sinovac’s efficacy also waned in older populations, reducing the risk of death by only 35% in populations over 80." https://fortune.com/2021/08/31/china-covid-vaccine-sinovac-sinopharm-delta-variant-effective/ The new Brazil study apparently didn't compare the same results for the mRNA Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but presumably, their effectiveness rates would be even higher than those of the AZ vaccine, as that's what studies have generally shown thus far.

WHO on Sinovac: "Does it prevent infection and transmission? "There is currently no substantive data available related to the impact of COVID-19 vaccine Sinovac-CoronaVac on transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. In the meantime, WHO reminds of the need to stay the course and continue practising public health and social measures that should be used as a comprehensive approach to prevent infection and transmission. These measures include wearing a mask, physical distancing, handwashing, respiratory and cough hygiene, avoiding crowds and ensuring adequate ventilation according to local national advice." https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-sinovac-covid-19-vaccine-what-you-need-to-know

Smelling the open vaccine vial coming next?

I'm so glad Thailand arranged to host its own AstraZeneca vaccine production facility.... So the country could then turn around and pay to import millions and millions of less effective Sinovac doses from China. And meanwhile in the rest of the world, people are getting and using the MORE effective mRNA vaccines that remain RARE here in Thailand. Good job guys! ????

There has been some scientific research outside Thailand into what they're proposing, but it involved the Moderna vaccine, and the one I'm reading hasn't been peer reviewed as yet and involved a very small number of subjects: Intradermal administration of low-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccine induces strong immune response, study finds Scientists in the Netherlands recently conducted an open-level, randomized-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of fractional intradermal doses of the mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine mRNA-1273 (Moderna). The trial findings reveal that the fractional dose regimen of the Moderna vaccine is well tolerated and safe and is capable of inducing robust antibody responses in vaccine recipients. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server. ... In the first part of the study, two doses of 10 µg mRNA-1273 vaccine were administered intradermally to 10 individuals at an interval of 28 days. Similarly, in the second part, two doses of 20 µg mRNA-1273 were intradermally administered to 30 individuals at the same interval. The vaccine recipients were healthy adults aged 18 to 30 years who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 in both serological and PCR-based testing. (more) https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210802/Intradermal-administration-of-low-dose-mRNA-COVID-19-vaccine-induces-strong-immune-response-study-finds.aspx But at least for now, the prevailing and approved method of administration is intramuscular, not intradermal. And there's some thinking that intradermal may make the vaccine less effective: "The manufacturers advise that the vaccine should not be injected intravascularly, subcutaneously or intradermally.3 Injecting a vaccine into the layer of subcutaneous fat with poor vascularity resulting in slow mobilisation and processing of antigen leading to vaccine failure.4 The antigen may take longer to reach the circulation after being deposited in fat, delaying presentation to T and B cells that are essential for immune response. In addition, there is a risk that the antigens may be denatured by enzymes if they remain subcutaneously for prolonged period. Subcutaneous injections can lead to localised cellulitis, granuloma formation and abscess." https://pmj.bmj.com/content/97/1148/400#ref-3

So you're basically saying there's a hidden epidemic raging, and your solution is to add more fuel to the fire.... ????

That's not it at all... The truth is...the emergence of the Delta variant was a game changer. With that variant, it became clear that fully vaccinated people could still become infected, and once infected, could have high, infectious levels of viral stuff in their throats. Meaning they could pose an infection risk to those, vaccinated or not, who come into contact with them while infected. The transmissibility element of things changed from earlier in the pandemic. What didn't change was the continuing fact that especially the mRNA vaccines provide a high level of protection for those infected against serious illness, hospitalization and death. But when you've got places like Thailand where only a relatively small portion of the total population has been fully vaccinated thus far, having fully vaccinated visitors who aren't quarantined and thus have the potential to spread the virus becomes a real risk factor, especially to the unvaccinated majority.

Ever since TBT dropped the pork choice from their menu, I've basically stopped going. For me, their ground beef is tasteless and has no beef flavor or texture that I can discern. And I don't much care for ground chicken tacos or burritos, especially from TBT. And of course, still no frijoles... No, hardly any resemblance at all!! ????

Here's something more useful and informative than anything you're likely to hear from the average Thai doctor during a paid consult regarding vaccines. Hot off the presses.... Among three COVID-19 vaccines, Moderna’s shows highest efficacy against hospitalizations Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization among U.S. adults without immunocompromising conditions was highest for the Moderna vaccine compared with the other two available COVID-19 vaccines, researchers reported in MMWR. “Three COVID-19 vaccines are authorized or approved for use among adults in the United States,” Wesley H. Self, MD, associate professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote. “Current guidelines from FDA and CDC recommend vaccination of eligible persons with one of these three products, without preference for a specific vaccine.” ... (more) https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20210917/among-three-covid19-vaccines-modernas-shows-higher-efficacy-against-hospitalizations

Bangkok, as of Sept 15, was at less than 40% of its total "official" population fully vaccinated, and that 7.7 million population count those percentages are based on is a considerable undercount to the actual 10 million or so current population here. https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/photos/408045277480469

And weekly Saturday night screenings of "Deliverance" at the local drive-in, followed by Trump "they stole the election" rallies on Sunday at the local park.... ???? Living there, you'll never lack for entertainment....

One of the things I always fretted about back during my working days was the prospect of a job change / advancement potentially forcing me to sell my home, potentially at a time when the market conditions were adverse. At least once you're retired, and hopefully you've found a decent area/neighborhood to live in, once you're there as an owner, there shouldn't be many reasons that would force you to move -- unless you yourself decide you want to.

The buy vs rent dilemma in the U.S. is a difficult one.... and it's one I've been mulling over in recent years from my perch here. One difference though, from an older expat's standpoint, is the stability factor for housing costs.... If you're renting in a commercial apartment complex, I'm guessing you can probably expect an annual rent inrease of 5% or more each and every year for however long you're going to be living there. So that needs to be planned and budgeted for. If you take the risk of buying and lock things in with a fixed rate mortgage, at least you know those monthly payments are going to be mostly stable in future years, except for the property tax element, which may or may not increase much over the years depending on the state. But it also means taking a risk on your investment. Example: I had a house in California that I sold around 2005 for about double what I had paid for it some seven years prior. Shortly after I sold, the market crashed in 2007 and the market price over a two-year period fell by about half, meaning back down to what I had paid years before, which must have been sickening at the time for my buyers. It took a full 10 years until about 2015 before the market value of the house returned to the 2005 price they had paid and I had received in selling. But since then, from 2015 to now, the price has increased by about one-third, and is now one-third above the 2005 price I sold for. Timing is everything. If my buyers hadn't been able to hold on and continue living there, which they did, they would have gotten crushed. But they were able to stay in the house, and now have about a 33% gain on their purchase some 15+ years later.

Bangkok, by its own count, has only fully vaccinated about 40% of its population thus far. They're nowwhere close to the government's self-stated 70% goal or the more likely 85% target many think is required to deal with the Delta variant. Pretty much no one gets a free pass from COVID, regardless of their demographic. Yes, the hospitalization and death numbers are higher for older folks and those with various medical conditions, especially among the unvaccinated. But there also are unvacccinated infants and children dying of COVID around the world, including here in Thailand. https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/photos/a.106455480972785/408045277480469/?type=3

Dunno about the answer to your second question above. But as to your first question, yes, after I made the request to her and she agreed, the same officer handling my extension renewal then took my completed TM47 right there at her desk, and then printed out and handed me the future reporting date receipt within about 2 minutes as I sat there. No going to some other cubicle or dealing with anyone else. All quick, neat and clean! PS - the one thing I dont know about going that seemingly new route is whether BKK CW has any timeframe limits on their willingness to do the 90 day reporting along with the extension renewal. In my case, my future 90 reporting date was 3+ weeks into the future, and obviously they were fine with that. Would they have been OK if it was 4 or 5 weeks into the future, that I don't know. Thus far, I personally have never been locked out of the online system for 90-day reporting. So for me, handling the upcoming 90-day report there at BKK CW while doing my extension was just a matter of convenience, and hopefully avoiding any potential problem with my new extension not getting reflected in the 90 days system.

Ohh! That's interesting. When I was at BKK CW on Thursday, they were enforcing the COVID protocols, meaning they wouldn't let anyone into the L Desk waiting area until they were very close to calling your queue number. So I was stuck waiting outside the front entrance in the social distance seating area they set up there. Thus, as a result, I didn't really have any "sitting around" time inside near the L Desk area before I was called in to handle my extension stuff. But once inside with the officer, after she had finished doing my extension stuff, I pulled out a fully completed TM47 90-day report doc that I had brought along, and she quickly and readily took it and gave me the future reporting date receipt. So obviously, there's been some kind of re-think there at BKK CW reversing their former unwillingness to have anything to do with 90-day reporting in the wake of them shifting the main bulk of 90-day reporting activity to MTT. At this point, it would seem that anyone doing an extension at BKK CW who has a 90-day reporting coming due anytime soon ought to consider bringing along and asking them to process the 90-day report there at BKK CW -- certainly at least until and unless they actually remedy the various problems they continue to have with the online reporting system. And/or you happen to like taking trips out to MTT :-).

fyi, I was at BKK CW Immigration yesterday for my annual extension renewal... And I had an upcoming 90-day report coming due on Oct. 8 -- 3+ weeks into the future. I asked the officer doing my extension, and she readily/easily agreed to reset my 90-day report and give me a new date and slip for mid-December. (So hopefully I also won't have to worry about my extension not being updated in their system the next time I go to do a regular online 90-day report). All she wanted from me was a completed TM47 form -- which I had already brought with me on the expectation of at least asking if they'd take care of the upcoming 90-day report for me while I was there for my other business. It's a nice change of behavior to see on their part -- considering that they've spent most of the past two or so years telling everyone going to BKK CW Immigration that anything having to do with 90-day reporting could ONLY be handled at the other Muang Thong Thani Immigration office.

FWIW, I don't have an UltraMobile/Paygo SIM or service. So can't help with your request. I do have a regular $3 a month original T-Mobile prepaid SIM and service, which I've had for more than 15 years now. And for some reason, in recent months, T-M started blocking incoming calls to my phone, even though incoming SMS messages still arrive fine. When I call my own T-M number from any other phone, I get a T-M recording saying there isn't enough balance to complete the call -- even though I had plenty of funds when I was testing that. When I finally called T-M customer service to ask what the heck was going on, the rep checked and came back finally, and asked me if I was in Thailand. I answered no, then asked why he was asking. And he said, because their system had detected my phone making a data connection from Thailand. And I then told him, yes I'd been traveling in Thailand recently. In the end, the guy said calling to my number probably would remain blocked until the next time my phone reconnects to T-M's U.S. data network. ????

I don't know about the Krungsri branch at BKK CW right now... Last year, it took about 40 minutes for them to hand over a deposit verification letter for Immigration. But instead, this week, I got a deposit letter for Immigration from my home branch / Krungsri branch in downtown BKK. After I finished filling out the application forms and the inevitable signed copies of my passport face page, it took them a bit less than an hour to produce the letter, which is just what they promised ahead of time. The difference was... in this year's case, I was getting the letter PRIOR to my visit to Immigration, and wasn't losing out of time in the daily Immigration queue. Last year at BKK CW, the Krungsri branch almost made me late for the appointment I had that morning with Immigration. And FWIW, yesterday during my Immigration visit, the Immigration officer at BKK CW who handled my retirement extension confirmed that the bank deposit letter can be dated up to SEVEN days prior to your Immigration application, which is what the Immigration website in fact says. She even held up her fingers -- seven of them -- to confirm we weren't having any numeric misunderstanding on the subject. But, it WOULD be nice if at some point in the future that Krungsri could actually make good on their claim of being able to produce Immigration letters for pickup at any branch via a request from their mobile app.

Yes, let's get moving, and stop dithering about the real and effective measures that are capable -- if adopted and meaningfully enforced -- of slowing and stopping the pandemic, everywhere! 1 in every 500 US residents have died of Covid-19 "(CNN)The United States has reached another grim milestone in its fight against the devastating Covid-19 pandemic: 1 in 500 Americans have died from coronavirus since the nation's first reported infection. As of Tuesday night, 663,913 people in the US have died of Covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University data. According to the US Census Bureau, the US population as of April 2020 was 331.4 million. It's a sobering toll that comes as hospitals in the US are struggling to keep up with the volume of patients and more children are grappling with the virus. In hopes of managing the spread and preventing more unnecessary deaths, officials are implementing mandates for vaccinations in workplaces and masking in schools." (more) https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/15/health/us-coronavirus-wednesday/index.html

For all those criticizing the OP, it's worth noting that his OP comment wasn't about closing down or restricting businesses. It was about the absence/reduction in "noisy motorbikes and cars." I've lived in downtown Bangkok for more than a decade now, and it IS much quieter outside at night in recent times, because of the nightly curfew, the shutdown of traffic related to alcohol serving businesses and the general reduction in tourism. Which does make it easier and more pleasant to sleep at night. HOWEVER, you could still have all those night businesses re-open eventually and still have Bangkok be a much quieter place IF the authorities actually enforced some common sense rules like requiring actual working mufflers on motorcycles and stopped tuk tuk drivers from blasting stereos while driving. It constantly makes me shake my head in disgust when I'm walking along Sukhumvit Road for this or that and some puny motorcycle comes tooling down the road that's making almost as much engine noise as an Indianapolis 500 race car. There's simply no reason or justification for allowing that. Bangkok would be a much more pleasant place for everyone if the authorities got serious about reducing needless/blaring noise pollution from vehicles. And they could easily do that without impacting the operation of businesses and night business, and local people's jobs, even the slightest bit.