TallGuyJohninBKK

The Pfizer CEO said just the other day he hoped they'll be able to develop a newer COVID vaccine that will be durable for a year, including better protecting against Omicron. So essentially, comparable to the annual flu vaccines. But obviously we're not there yet. Separately, Pfizer today announced the start of clinical trials on their new vaccine version specifically tailored to protect against Omicron. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220124005896/en/ Pfizer and BioNTech Initiate Study to Evaluate Omicron-Based COVID-19 Vaccine in Adults 18 to 55 Years of Age First participants enrolled in clinical trial received Omicron-based vaccine candidate as a two-dose primary series and as a booster dose

Excellent post above. Everything you've recounted matches with everything I've read in medical and science circles on that subject. Extremely rare in connection with vaccinations, usually short-term symptoms and usually resolves without long-term effects, and far far less of a risk than the risks of catching COVID and the ensuing health risks that can entail.

Have a look at this documentary. The first part goes off a diversion to pangasius farming in Vietnam. But then it returned to Norwegian farmed salmon at about the 18 minute mark. Calling farmed salmon the most polluted food in the world. And within the report, there's a French scientist who measured industrial/chemical pollution found in various food products and is showing those levels on the screen cap image chart shown below, with the farmed salmon levels in the far right column (23:20 point in the video).

I've pretty much given up on eating it here over the years for several reasons. 1. The difficulty of telling what's really decent vs what's not. 2. The inability to fully trust the product labeling and food handling practices here, especially for something as sensitive as fresh seafood. 3. And if I did find something that was legitimately good, it probably would be priced here beyond what I'd reasonably be willing to pay.

This U.S. PBS segment on wild vs farmed salmon, despite its series title "Serving Up Science", doesn't strike me as a shining example of science based reporting. But it does seem to support -- in general (see the screenshot below) -- the coloration issue mentioned above about farmed vs wild, though the host notes that can vary by salmon species. The odd part is, in viewing the whole piece, while they talk about the issue of industrial contamination in seawater fish, there's zero mention in the whole piece about the whole antibiotics, chemicals, artificial coloring issues related to farmed salmon.

Another one of those? Like the TV actress before... What a scam / sham / etc...

The paler, white lined salmon in your photo above (i.e. farmed) looks like every piece of salmon I can ever recall seeing in Thailand. ????

Absolutely. I posted on that conflict of interests earlier.... the dilemma over limited vaccine supplies for the totally unvaccinated vs vaccines for the already fully vaccinated whose original doses are waning or weren't of very good effectiveness to begin with. The U.S. AFAIK these days has a pretty good supply of available mRNA vaccines, certainly enough to cover those that need and want them including for boosters (leaving aside the roughly one-third of the U.S. population that's still refusing to get fully vaccinated). Many other places in the world, not so much.

My relatively small soi in central BKK has a public elementary school there, with lines and signs on the soi at the point where the students come pouring out of the school gate and into the soi... Apparently that wasn't enough, because at some point, the authorities came along and installed several pavement speed bumps in the roadway on either side of the school gate... Those seem to help slow drivers down some... if for no other reason than self interest in protecting their vehicles.

I haven't really caught all the news reports on this topic.... So, what if anything has been reported about what's become of the cop who (allegedly?) hit and killed this lady doctor? Suspended, arrested, given another medal for his uniform??? ???? Seems a bit odd that there's zero mention of what's become of the cop in the OP report.

Where are those kinds of things installed?

You can't name them here, because the people you would name probably have histories of proven COVID misinformation, conspiracy theories and otherwise being discredited. So, it's probably best that you don't!

It seems there's a bit of a tiff breaking out between the U.S. CDC and the WHO on the subject of third-dose booster shots (not regular COVID vaccinations) for ages 17 and under, with CDC in favor, and WHO apparently opposed: https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20220119/who-finds-no-evidence-that-healthy-children-adolescents-need-boosters WHO finds 'no evidence' that healthy children, adolescents need boosters "WHO recently announced that there is not enough evidence to conclude that healthy children and adolescents require a COVID-19 booster. Instead, the world health agency said that boosters should be reserved for more vulnerable populations. “The aim is to protect the most vulnerable, to protect those at highest risk of severe disease and dying; those are our elderly populations, the immunocompromised, people with underlying conditions and also health care workers,” Soumya Swaminathan, MBBS, MD, WHO chief scientist, said during a recent press briefing. ... Meanwhile, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently recommended that adolescents aged 12 to 17 years receive a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at least 5 months after their primary vaccine series." A bit oddly, in reading thru the entire report, there was back and forth discussion on the level of COVID health risk to healthy adolescents. But zero mention of whether booster shots would help prevent them from becoming COVID spreaders to others months after their original vaccine doses.

Pfizer and BioNTech Initiate Study to Evaluate Omicron-Based COVID-19 Vaccine in Adults 18 to 55 Years of Age First participants enrolled in clinical trial received Omicron-based vaccine candidate as a two-dose primary series and as a booster dose NEW YORK & MAINZ, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) today announced the initiation of a clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of an Omicron-based vaccine candidate in healthy adults 18 through 55 years of age. The study will have three cohorts examining different regimens of the current Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or an Omicron-based vaccine. The study will draw upon some participants from the companies’ Phase 3 COVID-19 booster study and is part of their ongoing efforts to address Omicron and determine the potential need for variant-based vaccines. “While current research and real-world data show that boosters continue to provide a high level of protection against severe disease and hospitalization with Omicron, we recognize the need to be prepared in the event this protection wanes over time and to potentially help address Omicron and new variants in the future,” said Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research & Development at Pfizer. “Staying vigilant against the virus requires us to identify new approaches for people to maintain a high level of protection, and we believe developing and investigating variant-based vaccines, like this one, are essential in our efforts to towards this goal.” (more) https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220124005896/en/

I think there's a debate going on in countries around the world, and in their health agencies, on how to balance competing interests at a time when available doses of mRNA vaccines remain limited. On one hand, there's populations of people who need and want booster doses, especially with Omicron posing increased dangers as first and second dose protections wane over time. Versus on the other hand, large portions (one third in the U.S. and Thailand, for example) haven't even received their first two doses yet. And where should the priorities be for the doses that are available. In the U.S., I think, there's a substantial population of anti-vax nutters who probably won't voluntarily get vaccinated no matter how many doses are available. And the U.S. recently shortened their waiting period for Pfizer and Moderna boosters to only 5 months, instead of 6. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html In Thailand, my guess is, there's a larger population of people upcountry who either haven't readily been offered vaccines or haven't readily been offered mRNA vaccines as opposed to the Chinese ones. And Thailand almost certainly has a tighter vaccine supply line than the U.S. does. I'd be happier if Thailand could shorten their general waiting period for Pfizer and Moderna booster shots. But I also recognize they've got huge populations of folks with prior Sinovac / Sinopharm and AZ vaccines that haven't proven as durable as mRNA vaccines in resisting Omicron.

This Jan. 14 report from German media outlet DW seems to have a pretty good overview on the various findings related to so-called natural immunity vs vaccines as relates to Omicron. In short, there are mixed and sometimes conflicting findings for now. Omicron: Is 'natural immunity' better than a vaccine? As omicron outbreaks take over, many people are asking: Could the immunity you get from a COVID infection be the best protection against the virus, especially as it continues to mutate? We looked at the latest science. ... "The omicron wave is so new there is no conclusive data available yet on the quality of immunity provided via infection, but it's likely to be similar to other variants, said Schulze zur Wiesch. That means that if you've been infected with omicron over the past few weeks, you're probably safe from reinfection for the next few months. But because omicron has a higher transmissibility rate than previous strains, higher levels of antibodies are needed to prevent infection. Immunity gained via only two vaccines or infection to earlier COVID variants (like delta or alpha) won't necessarily prevent omicron infection, he said, adding that regardless of whether you've been previously infected or double-vaccinated, a booster is your best defense against reinfection." https://www.dw.com/en/omicron-is-natural-immunity-better-than-a-vaccine/a-60425426

Recent data from the U.S. CDC says otherwise, but it does highlight the importance of people getting a third booster dose of an mRNA vaccine in order to better protect against Omicron, and that two doses alone simply aren't enough, especially beyond 6 months after second vaccine doses. The CDC studied the effectiveness of vaccines in the U.S. during late 2021 and early 2022 in preventing COVID related emergency department visits and COVID related hospitalizations with various vaccination statuses, both during Delta and Omicron periods. They found as follows during the Omicron wave: Estimates of VE (vaccine effectiveness in preventing COVID related emergency room and urgent care clinic visits) after vaccination during Omicron variant predominance period was: --52% 14–179 days after dose 2 --38% ≥180 days after dose 2, and --82% ≥14 days after dose 3. Estimates of VE (vaccine effectiveness in preventing COVID related hospitalizations) after vaccination during Omicron variant predominance period was: --81% 14–179 days after dose 2 --57% ≥180 days after dose 2, and --90% ≥14 days after dose 3. "The highest estimates of VE against COVID-19–associated ED and UC encounters or hospitalizations during both Delta- and Omicron-predominant periods were among adults who received a third dose of mRNA vaccine. All unvaccinated persons should get vaccinated as soon as possible. All adults who have received mRNA vaccines during their primary COVID-19 vaccination series should receive a third dose when eligible, and eligible persons should stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations." Effectiveness of a Third Dose of mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19–Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults During Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Predominance — VISION Network, 10 States, August 2021–January 2022 Early Release / January 21, 2022 / 71 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7104e3.htm?s_cid=mm7104e3_e&ACSTrackingID=USCDC_921-DM73911&ACSTrackingLabel=MMWR Early Release - Vol. 71%2C January 21%2C 2022&deliveryName=USCDC_921-DM73911 All in all, pretty compelling evidence of the importance of getting a third mRNA vaccine booster dose when it comes to protecting against Omicron. And why people who've had just two vaccine doses (previously considered fully vaccinated) are still getting sick and sometimes ending up in the hospital. Omicron has been a game changer in that regard. Two doses alone aren't cutting it, especially months after the original doses.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/11/health/deliberate-omicron-infection-wellness/index.html 5 reasons you should not deliberately catch Omicron to 'get it over with' "You'd be crazy to try to get infected with this. It's like playing with dynamite." --Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of the Havey Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "People are talking about Omicron like it's a bad cold. It is not a bad cold," Murphy said. "It's a life-threatening disease." ... However, even people without any underlying health conditions can get severely ill, Murphy said. "I have a vaccinated, boosted patient right now -- over 65 with no underlying risk factors — who is in the hospital and doing poorly."

I get real tired of people trotting out those kinds of anti-science / anti-medicine / anti-facts cliches... The fact is, the virus has changed, from the original one to Delta and now to Omicron. Each with very different characteristics as it turned out. And there was NO WAY anyone could have predicted ahead of time exactly how the virus would mutate and change through the months and years. Science and medicine can only deal with what's before them, and make the best predictions, responses and treatments to what's actually occurring. And then if things and the virus changes, they have to change their predictions, responses and treatments. It really shouldn't be so hard to understand all that. But instead, you're railing against COVID vaccines that literally have saved probably millions of lives around the world during the past year.

The health authorities have consistently reported that historically, any adverse impacts from vaccines at large arrive soon after vaccination, and there is no history of vaccines at large producing delayed, long into the future surprise side effects among children or anyone else. And then, in addition, there's this kind of news from the U.S.: "For the week ending January 6th, over 580,000 child COVID-19 cases were reported," according to numbers released Monday by the AAP. "This number is a 78% increase over the 325,000 added cases reported the week ending December 30th and an almost tripling of case counts from the two weeks prior," the AAP stated. "Covid-19 Infections in children have typically been mild so far in the pandemic, but the sheer magnitude of cases caused by the very contagious Omicron variant is sending children under age 18 to hospitals in record numbers, according to data from the CDC. "I would say the best way to keep those children protected is to vaccinate them as they're eligible and surround them by siblings and parents who are vaccinated themselves," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a Friday news conference." https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/11/health/deliberate-omicron-infection-wellness/index.html https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#new-hospital-admissions

There are risks, and then there are RISKS... From Johns Hopkins latest COVID situation report from last Thursday: "Global weekly mortality increased for the second week, up 10.88% from the previous week with 48,911 total deaths. Cumulative global mortality passed 5.5 million the week ending January 10, up from 5 million on November 1, 2021. The true global death toll of the pandemic is estimated to be much higher, with models from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and The Economist suggesting COVID-19-related deaths to be between 2 and 4 times higher." "The US is averaging 755,095 new cases and 1,669 deaths per day.* Some models estimate that the cumulative number of deaths could rise above 1 million by mid-March, when the Omicron wave is expected to subside. COVID-19 hospitalizations in the US set another record high this week, with a 7-day average of 21,086 new hospitalizations per day. The CDC is also reporting a surge in the number of current hospitalizations, up from an average of 125,106 hospitalized COVID-19 patients on January 10 to 142,595 on January 17, an increase of 14% over that period. The current average is the highest since the beginning of the pandemic." https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/resources/COVID-19/COVID-19-SituationReports.html

FWIW... not stopping with ages 5 to 11... Fauci says he hopes FDA will authorize Pfizer’s Covid vaccine for kids under 5 in the next month --White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said younger children will likely need three vaccine doses. --Two shots did not induce an adequate immune response in children 2 to 4 years old in Pfizer’s clinical trials. --Pfizer plans to submit data to the Food and Drug Administration in the first half of 2022 if the three-dose study proves successful. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/19/fauci-says-fda-could-authorize-pfizers-covid-vaccine-for-kids-under-5-in-the-next-month.html "Pfizer said it did not identify any safety concerns with the 3-microgram vaccine doses in children 6 months to 4 years old."

My alternate version of @Jeffr2's wording would not have said "fastest"... But perhaps instead.... Our currently best available way through this mess is via vaccines. It's hard to make time judgments, when fully one-third of Thailand, the U.S. and many other places haven't even been fully vaccinated now, two years into COVID and more than one year since the arrival of the vaccines. And many other places with vax rates less than those. It may be that, as things stand now, the best we can hope for given the current crop of vaccines and persistent resistance by some to vaccination is to limit and lessen the health, economic and other impacts of the pandemic -- which itself would still be a significant result -- until better vaccines or treatments come along, and/or, until the pandemic at some point burns out/mutates out via nature.

These are relative terms, that I try to be careful about using. The current vaccines will HELP prevent the spread of Omicron infections by reducing the rate of infection. But they aren't a 100% prevention against infection, especially with Omicron. In my book, though, every little (or not so little) bit helps! And from watching the WHO video Q and A that another member earlier posted in this thread, it sounds like the pharma companies are working now on new vaccine versions designed to better protect against Omicron infections.

Interesting content in the Jan. 11 CNN report you linked above relating to COVID and children, as per the topic of this thread: "Data from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows an upward trend of infections in children, which far exceeds "the peak of past waves of the pandemic." ... Covid-19 Infections in children have typically been mild so far in the pandemic, but the sheer magnitude of cases caused by the very contagious Omicron variant is sending children under age 18 to hospitals in record numbers, according to data from the CDC. "I would say the best way to keep those children protected is to vaccinate them as they're eligible and surround them by siblings and parents who are vaccinated themselves," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a Friday news conference." The CNN report above has specific stats from American Academy of Pediatrics on the extent of spiraling child COVID cases in the U.S., resulting in increased hospitalizations. But the forum's fair use quoting rules limit my ability to quote all those in the above excerpt. But they're there for the reading in the CNN report.