To jab or not to jab? Here’s why the answer should always be yes

[webfact]

A medical staff member prepares a dose of the Covid-19 coronavirus CoronaVac vaccine at a newly-opened vaccine clinic in Central Ladprao shopping mall in Bangkok on May 12, 2021. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

 

By Thai PBS World’s General Desk 

 

To get vaccinated or not to get vaccinated is a question many Thais are still asking themselves, even as the COVID death toll rises each day.

 

Deciding whether to get the jab becomes even more difficult when information is unavailable or confusing.

 

Hence, medical experts from three medical universities have stepped forward to share their knowledge on available COVID-19 vaccines, so Thais can make an informed decision. Below is a summary of their interview on the Rama Channel.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/to-jab-or-not-to-jab-heres-why-the-answer-should-always-be-yes/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-05-14

 

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[timendres]

My question is simple: which vaccine?

[starky]

21 minutes ago, timendres said:

My question is simple: which vaccine?

At this point it doesn't matter. If you have the time, money, inclination and ability to choose good for you. For the rest of the world who has no choice we need to get everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible with what we have. Once we get into yearly boosters some vaccines will end up being clear winners and then we can huff and puff about what's best. 

   Now isn't that time, vaccinating everyone is.

  Im no virologist nor epidemiologist but nor are any of the self proclaimed experts of the last 14 months who want to argue effiacy and other things they have read on Dr. Google. Truth is any vaccine atm is more effective than no vaccine and until the real experts argue otherwise ill run with that.

[Jeffr2]

Well put @starky!!  We have AZ and Sinovac available here.  Maybe in a few months, others will become available.  Nothing wrong with these two jabs.  All vaccines have side effects, all.  Get what ever jab you can as you'll be getting another one in a year anyway.

 

 

[redwood1]

People need free doughnuts or they will lose interest in the vaccine.......I cant see this being a success without free doughnuts...

[clivebaxter]

If you have the Chinese one as that is all that is available, can you later have a better one when that becomes possible?

[Catoni]

2 hours ago, timendres said:

My question is simple: which vaccine?

For me…it’s the Pfizer-BioNTech.  Already got my first shot last month. 
From what I’ve read from various sources, it’s the most effective, not only against the original, but also effective against the new variants like the British, Brazilian and South African variants. 
  Apparently Pfizer-BioNTech also has less side effects.  In my case just a bit of a sore upper arm muscle for a couple days. No big deal. The Tetanus vaccine and Shingrix vaccine gave me more of a sore upper arm muscle. 
Getting my second dose soon I hope. 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

To get vaccinated or not to get vaccinated is a question many Thais are still asking themselves, even as the COVID death toll rises each day.

When and where to get vaccinated is the question many expats are still asking.

[starky]

54 minutes ago, clivebaxter said:

If you have the Chinese one as that is all that is available, can you later have a better one when that becomes possible?

It's not an issue apparently I've already had my AZ but now I've become eligible for Pfizer through work.

 Im not rushing to have it but I want to be back to Thailand again in October and IF they have dropped the quarantine times for vaccinated arrivals and IF they still have the ridiculous rule about being vaccinated less than 90 days before arriving ill go get some Pfizer in me as well ???? ????????????

[MadMuhammad]

3 hours ago, timendres said:

My question is simple: which vaccine?

I’ll take them all if it means my mum can come visit me 

[NCC1701A]

New York Yankees say 8 fully vaccinated team members have tested positive for COVID-19

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/yankees-covid-gleyber-torres-8-positive/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=118682849

[starky]

15 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

New York Yankees say 8 fully vaccinated team members have tested positive for COVID-19

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/yankees-covid-gleyber-torres-8-positive/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=118682849

Yes but they are mostly all asymptomatic and more importantly

 

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky called the positive cases among the Yankees a possible instance of new variants but said that the cases don't negate how effective the vaccine is in large populations. 

[RotBenz8888]

This idea would work like a charm for the Thais. With the current surplus of shoebox condos in Bangkok, I suggest "Get a jab, and you'll get a condo for free." 

 

 

https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/us-state-is-giving-away-1-million-prize-to-5-lucky-people-for-getting-the-covid-vaccine-3734087.html

[BritManToo]

If it's that safe why do all the vaccine manufacturers refuse to accept any liability?

If I were selling a safe product, I'd be advertising a generous compensation scheme in the event anything went wrong.

 

Remember the "100,000bht if you catch COVID while on holiday in Chiang Mai"

That's the sort of thing needed to encourage people to get vaccinations.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, starky said:

Yes but they are mostly all asymptomatic and more importantly

Are you claiming asymptomatic COVID infected can't spread the disease?

I thought the entire 'pro-vaxx' lobby stood on the theory you should have the vaccine to protect other people?

[Eric Loh]

3 hours ago, redwood1 said:

People need free doughnuts or they will lose interest in the vaccine.......I cant see this being a success without free doughnuts...

Free lottery with a chance to win big in the draw will be a better incentive. This is Thailand afterall. 

[Cake Monster]

To get Vaccinated should be the Number One priority on peoples list of things to do.

Why ? . Because if the opportunity is taken now while the Virus is still emerging, then there is a good chance that it can be stopped before it can Mutate into something altogether more Sinister than it is now.

Delaying the Vaccinations give the Virus more time to mutate, and in doing so could possibly render all the existing Vaccines useless, or greatly compromised.

 

[Aomelia]

6 hours ago, starky said:

At this point it doesn't matter. If you have the time, money, inclination and ability to choose good for you. For the rest of the world who has no choice we need to get everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible with what we have. Once we get into yearly boosters some vaccines will end up being clear winners and then we can huff and puff about what's best. 

   Now isn't that time, vaccinating everyone is.

  Im no virologist nor epidemiologist but nor are any of the self proclaimed experts of the last 14 months who want to argue effiacy and other things they have read on Dr. Google. Truth is any vaccine atm is more effective than no vaccine and until the real experts argue otherwise ill run with that.

Nothing Chinese Conprendo

[Aomelia]

3 hours ago, starky said:

It's not an issue apparently I've already had my AZ but now I've become eligible for Pfizer through work.

 Im not rushing to have it but I want to be back to Thailand again in October and IF they have dropped the quarantine times for vaccinated arrivals and IF they still have the ridiculous rule about being vaccinated less than 90 days before arriving ill go get some Pfizer in me as well ???? ????????????

No JJ 

[tifino]

wait another 3 yrs minimum to see the longer term outcomes -  or maybe even for the whole next generation to pass under the bridge... and compare the numbers;  swimmers against the floaters... or the wrigglers for moderna...

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Are you claiming asymptomatic COVID infected can't spread the disease?

I thought the entire 'pro-vaxx' lobby stood on the theory you should have the vaccine to protect other people?

Perhaps we should wait until the science is in on that issue. I think the pro-vaxx lobby is also standing on the proposition if you get a vaccine, your probability of having health effects which disable you for months becomes vanishingly small.

[starky]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Are you claiming asymptomatic COVID infected can't spread the disease?

I thought the entire 'pro-vaxx' lobby stood on the theory you should have the vaccine to protect other people?

Where did I claim that? Asymptomatic as in those that have been vaccinated and potentially get reinfected the worst thing that will probably happen is you will be Asymptomatic.

More importantly as long as the tin foil hat brigade makes up less than 25% of the world's population we should all be sweet. My life family and career revolves around travel I have had injections for yellow fever, typhoid, all the hepatitis, tetanus the list goes on and on and if a covid vaccine getz me back to some sort of normality quicker I'm all for it. I certainly don't believe every epidemiologist in the world all sat in some room and floated some theory to poison the whole planet.

  I do believe that not taking the vaccine will severely limit your mobility and ability to travel and those that choose not to be vaccinated will have to deal with those consequences.

[starky]

37 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Perhaps we should wait until the science is in on that issue. I think the pro-vaxx lobby is also standing on the proposition if you get a vaccine, your probability of having health effects which disable you for months becomes vanishingly small.

Yay someone that understands what the Doctor was trying to say. Dealing with the paranoid anti vaxx gang is tiresome and mostly fruitless but as long as it's only less than 25% of the world who are fruit loops hopefully the rest of us can move on.

[lks7689]

5 hours ago, Catoni said:

For me…it’s the Pfizer-BioNTech.  Already got my first shot last month. 
From what I’ve read from various sources, it’s the most effective, not only against the original, but also effective against the new variants like the British, Brazilian and South African variants. 
  Apparently Pfizer-BioNTech also has less side effects.  In my case just a bit of a sore upper arm muscle for a couple days. No big deal. The Tetanus vaccine and Shingrix vaccine gave me more of a sore upper arm muscle. 
Getting my second dose soon I hope. 

Unfortunately it's looking like Pfizer covid vaccine is less effective against the Indian variant. The recent spike in infection from that variant among inoculated people in Singapore is worrying enough the government just implemented further restrictions for the state city today. 

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

New York Yankees say 8 fully vaccinated team members have tested positive for COVID-19

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/yankees-covid-gleyber-torres-8-positive/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=118682849

 

I can’t believe the media is still so misleading about this. 

 

Covid-19 is the disease, the symptom. 

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus.

 

Vaccines are effective to varying degrees against Covid-19 (the disease).

For example, Sinovac is 50.4% effective against contraction of Covid-19, it is 78% effective against contracting mild symptoms of Covid-19 and is 100% effective against contraction severe symptoms of Covid-19 (and death). 

 

BUT, the virus can still be ‘breathed in’ someone can still carry SARS-CoV-2 and effectively be ‘asymptomatic’

 

Vaccinated individuals are not immune to ‘breathing in’ the virus and having that virus in their system for a few days. These individuals will test positive for SARS-CoV-2 when they take an Covid-19 RT PCR test. 

 

Vaccinated individuals are more likely to pass the the virus (i.e. their body gets rid of it) more readily than unvaccinated individuals such that they are contagious for more brief period of time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[placeholder]

4 minutes ago, lks7689 said:

Unfortunately it's looking like Pfizer covid vaccine is less effective against the Indian variant. The recent spike in infection from that variant among inoculated people in Singapore is worrying enough the government just implemented further restrictions for the state city today. 

Well, it may be less effective in protecting against effection, but the most important issue is how well it protects one from serious symptoms and death.

[placeholder]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I can’t believe the media is still so misleading about this. 

 

Covid-19 is the disease, the symptom. 

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus.

 

Vaccines are effective to varying degrees against Covid-19 (the disease).

For example, Sinovac is 50.4% effective against contraction of Covid-19, it is 78% effective against contracting mild symptoms of Covid-19 and is 100% effective against contraction severe symptoms of Covid-19 (and death). 

 

BUT, the virus can still be ‘breathed in’ someone can still carry SARS-CoV-2 and effectively be ‘asymptomatic’

 

Vaccinated individuals are not immune to ‘breathing in’ the virus and having that virus in their system for a few days. These individuals will test positive for SARS-CoV-2 when they take an Covid-19 RT PCR test. 

 

Vaccinated individuals are more likely to pass the the virus (i.e. their body gets rid of it) more readily than unvaccinated individuals such that they are contagious for more brief period of time. 

Vaccinate individuals carry a lower viral load if reinfected so transmit a lot less viral particles into the air

[khunPer]

Quote

So far, there have been no blood clot-related incidents among Thais who have received a COVID jab.

So far mainly the Chinese Sinovac vaccine has been used, it's a different vaccine from the vector-types that AstraZeneca and John & Johnson is based on, and also Russian Sputnik V(ector).

 

However, the blood clots has mainly be noticed in a relative few cases with mainly younger women, but still both Denmark and Norway has abandoned the vector-vaccines, and a number of European countries only recommend vector-vaccine for elder people.

 

But genetically vector-vaccines might be a safer in Asia...

Quote

“Generally, Thai people’s risk of developing blood clots is about 10 times lower than Westerners, probably due to genetics,” Dr. Pantep said.

 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Are you claiming asymptomatic COVID infected can't spread the disease?

I thought the entire 'pro-vaxx' lobby stood on the theory you should have the vaccine to protect other people?

 

 

Those vaccinated and who test positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, also those ‘asymptomatic’ of Covid-19 and still carrying the SARS-CoV-2 virus can still transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others. 

 

But the risk of transmission is vastly decreased for a number of factors (which have been explained over and over again on numerous threads - explaining again is exhausting).

 

Additionally, no one knows who would normal be ‘asymptomatic’ of Covid-19 without vaccination thus vaccination programs offer greater probability that a vaccinated community is far lest likely to be transmitting anything. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

24 minutes ago, starky said:

More importantly as long as the tin foil hat brigade makes up less than 25% of the world's population we should all be sweet.

Thailand appears to be mainly offering Sinovac, which is supposed to be a tad over 50% effective.

Using logic, an ability something many pro-vaxxers don't appear to have, if 100% of the population are vaccinated with 50% effective vaccine, essentially 50% of the population are still unprotected so your '75% immunity' can never happen.