Leaked memo raises Thai concern about Sinovac vaccine's efficacy

[snoop1130]

FILE PHOTO: A health worker receives the Sinovac coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at the Samut Sakhon hospital in Samut Sakhon province, Thailand, February 28, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A leaked health ministry document has prompted calls in Thailand for medical staff inoculated against COVID-19 to be given a booster of an mRNA vaccine, after it included a comment that such a move could dent public confidence in Sinovac Biotech's vaccine.

 

The internal memo, which included various opinions, was reported by local media and shared widely on social media. It was confirmed by Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul as being authentic.

 

It included a comment from an unnamed official who recommended authorities do not give a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine to frontline health workers, because such a move would be "admitting that the Sinovac vaccine is not effective".

 

Thailand has administered Sinovac's inactivated virus vaccine to most health workers and its real-world study showed two doses were 95% effective in reducing mortality and severe symptoms. The study showed it was 71% to 91% effective in stopping infection with the Alpha variant.

 

Sinovac in China did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the vaccine's efficacy.

 

The comment in the leaked document prompted calls from prominent Thai health experts, including a top medical council official, to give health workers a Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot.

 

The hashtag "Give Pfizer to medical personnel" was trending on Thai Twitter with more than 624,000 tweets on Monday.

 

Senior health official Opas Karnkawinpong told reporters the document was not real, however, contradicting health minister Anutin.

 

Anutin said the comment on the booster shot was "just an opinion" and there was an expert panel to set vaccine policy.

 

He said two doses of Sinovac's vaccine were effective and "deliver results beyond the standard".

 

Thai experts have urged the government to use various types of coronavirus vaccine to better protect the population.

 

It is relying mainly on AstraZeneca's locally manufactured viral vector vaccine, while authorities say Moderna's mRNA vaccine will also be available.

 

Thailand has procured 20 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for future delivery and will this month receive 1.5 million doses donated by the United States.

 

World Health Organization experts found the Sinovac vaccine was efficacious in preventing COVID-19 in adults under 60, but some quality data on the risk of serious adverse effects was lacking.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-07-05

 

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[DLock]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand has procured 20 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for future delivery and will this month receive 1.5 million doses donated by the United States.

 

 

If by "procured" you mean "hasn't even ordered yet"...then this statement is accurate.

[mtls2005]

What efficacy, asked the Thai populace.

 

 

[internationalism]

1.5mln medics, paramedics, health volunteers count for nothing in this government scale of priorities.

Thousands of them might die this years from exposure to covid and from overwork at hospitals doing 24h shifts.

 

but all the government officials had AZ and, very possibly, secretly imported for them all possible vax from all over, so they don't care to wear masks when talking loud and bantering at phuket cafe, how fast they would get their kickbacks from the international tourists.

 

[RotBenz8888]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

such a move would be "admitting that the Sinovac vaccine is not effective".

You just can't make this stuff up. 

[JamieM]

Quote

because such a move would be "admitting that the Sinovac vaccine is not effective".

Coverup?

[riclag]

There's a new villain in country its been gathering strength , its the delta variant  and the sinovacc as reported ,isn't doing to well to combat it.

 

[Lorry]

3 hours ago, internationalism said:

all the government officials had AZ and, very possibly, secretly imported for them all possible vax from all over

Delete "possibly".

Delete "secretly".

[sammieuk1]

Just by coincidence my sister in law a ICU nurse in Bangkok was told she will get a Pfizer shot to top up the the two shots of the Chinese slop she has already had    

[djayz]

4 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

What efficacy, asked the Thai populace.

 

 

More and more are not only asking, but some of them are actually even saying "Sinovac? No thank you". 

Edited July 5, 2021 by djayz

[Albert Zweistein]

7 hours ago, DLock said:

 

If by "procured" you mean "hasn't even ordered yet"...then this statement is accurate.

Right, they have to pay in advance which they didn't so far, means nothing has been procured yet.

[webfact]

Thai netizens push for inoculation of medics with Pfizer following leaked document on vaccine

 

(Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)

 

Thai netizens are pushing for vaccination of medical personnel with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, following the online circulation of a leaked internal government document, stating that Thailand will receive 1.5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine later this month and next month, with expert opinion against using the vaccine for a third “booster” shot for medical personnel, as it would mean that they’re admitting that the Sinovac vaccine, currently used, is not sufficiently efficacious.

 

The Thai hashtag #UsePfizerToVaccinateMedics was shared in over 471,000 tweets as of noon today. Among them is a tweet from Move Forward Party MP, Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, who wrote that there shouldn’t have been a call for the government to give medics quality vaccines such as Pfizer because “it is the government’s duty.”

 

He also called for the resignation of the expert in the meeting expressing the controversial opinion from all committees and that demanded the government stop acquiring Sinovac vaccine, whose efficacy has been questioned.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-netizens-push-for-inoculation-of-medics-with-pfizer-following-leaked-document-on-vaccine/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-07-06

[ukrules]

All front line staff who deal with the public should be vaccinated with the good stuff.

 

They should dump that Chinese rubbish, stop using it and probably vaccinate anyone unfortunate enough to have received it already with Pfizer, AZ or Moderna again.

Edited July 5, 2021 by ukrules

[Harsh Jones]

They seem to have chosen China as their main partner in covid. Russia's Sputnik V seems to be better

[hotchilli]

House of cards is crumbling.

[BestB]

So they know it’s ineffective but to save face and cover up corruption just pretend all is good at the expense of thousands of people ? 
 

and to put a cherry on top. Anunit confirms it.

 

do they actively looking to kill people or just asking for a revolt ?

[internationalism]

11 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Just by coincidence my sister in law a ICU nurse in Bangkok was told she will get a Pfizer shot to top up the the two shots of the Chinese slop she has already had    

yes, some 1.2mln doses will be given to medics from 1.5mln donated by the USA. But it would be the end of year.

Possibly they will get also some from those 20mln ordered, but it's again the end of year.

[malibukid]

5 hours ago, ukrules said:

All front line staff who deal with the public should be vaccinated with the good stuff.

 

They should dump that Chinese rubbish, stop using it and probably vaccinate anyone unfortunate enough to have received it already with Pfizer, AZ or Moderna again.

too late, paid for, loss of face

[unblocktheplanet]

Unbelievable they're still talking. The head of China's CDC said the same thing six months ago.

 

Really, it wouldn't even be fair to donate them to Africa.

[SAFETY FIRST]

On 7/5/2021 at 4:57 PM, snoop1130 said:

Sinovac vaccine is not effective".

The Chinese vaccine should be the most effective considering Covid19 was manufactured by the Chinese. 

Please find below link to Google Scholar, it's the only true source for reliable, correct information.
You Google, Facebook believers and keyboard warriors sadly need to be educated. 

 

 

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,5&q=covid+19+lab+made

 

 

 

[mtls2005]

The leaked memo seems to have presented different options which were considered in some gathering of govt officials.

 

At least two options revealed:

 

1 MM plus medicos already does 2x with sinovac require  booster in the form of a real vaccine

 

Pfizer (1.5 MM donation, 20 MM purchase) used for older folks, preganant women and children/YA 12 - 18

 

 

[jerrymahoney]

Hundreds of vaccinated Indonesian health workers get COVID-19, dozens in hospital  June 17, 2021 Last Updated 20 days ago

 

JAKARTA, June 17 (Reuters) - More than 350 doctors and medical workers have caught COVID-19 in Indonesia despite being vaccinated with Sinovac and dozens have been hospitalised, officials said, as concerns grow about the efficacy of some vaccines against more infectious variants.

 

Most of the workers were asymptomatic and self-isolating at home, said Badai Ismoyo, head of the health office in the district of Kudus in central Java, but dozens were in hospital with high fevers and falling oxygen-saturation levels.

 

Kudus, which has about 5,000 healthcare workers, is battling an outbreak believed to be driven by the more transmissible Delta variant, which has raised its bed occupancy rates above 90%.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hundreds-indonesian-doctors-contract-covid-19-despite-vaccination-dozens-2021-06-17/

______________________

 

Ergo if 350 medical workers, who were 2x Sinovac vaccinated, caught Delta (?) Covid -19, at least as of latest Reuters update, about 4650 did not.

[StayinThailand2much]

On 7/5/2021 at 7:14 PM, riclag said:

There's a new villain in country its been gathering strength , its the delta variant  and the sinovacc as reported ,isn't doing to well to combat it.

 

 

I don't think that a virus or its variant can be s villain. But corrupt, selfish, and incompetent politicians and "leaders" can be.

[internationalism]

4 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

Ergo if 350 medical workers, who were 2x Sinovac vaccinated, caught Delta (?) Covid -19, at least as of latest Reuters update, about 4650 did not.

medics should get the best possible vax and boosters, that's why was suggested thai medics to get pfizer at earliest. It was shoot down for purely political reason, because it would mean, that the current 30.5mln sinovac drive is futile in a long run. Booster will be needed as soon as possible. So those 30bln baht expenditure is just a time bomb, followed by another 30bln for some other vax, possibly sinopharm, sputnik, if not anything else available on the market 

Edited July 7, 2021 by internationalism

[jojothai]

There are more places raising red flags. Indonesia recently, now Singapore. See below.

From this article it seems the WHO should be blamed for its use because they approved its emergency use without enough information.  
Questions should be raised why they approved the Chinese vaccine if without "critical" information, and what have they done to address issues of its efficacy?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/singapore-not-counting-sinovac-shots-035814560.html

[jerrymahoney]

2 hours ago, internationalism said:

medics should get the best possible vax and boosters, that's why was suggested thai medics to get pfizer at earliest. It was shoot down for purely political reason, because it would mean, that the current 30.5mln sinovac drive is futile in a long run. Booster will be needed as soon as possible. So those 30bln baht expenditure is just a time bomb, followed by another 30bln for some other vax, possibly sinopharm, sputnik, if not anything else available on the market 

Where the 'best available' went according to the NY Tomes 6 JUL 2021

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2021 by jerrymahoney

[Bkk Brian]

8 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

Where the 'best available' went according to the NY Tomes 6 JUL 2021

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html

 

 

 

Four decisions Thailand got wrong in its Covid-19 fight so far

 

Approving Pfizer and Moderna in November

It had recently emerged that both Pfizer and Moderna asked the FDA to review their vaccines as early as late 2020. According to local media reports, Pfizer also offered to sell their jabs to the Ministry of Public Health in November of last year.

 

https://www.thaienquirer.com/28599/four-decisions-thailand-got-wrong-in-its-covid-19-fight-so-far/

[jerrymahoney]

Well if so, then they screwed up. That was then, this is now.

 

The Thaiger article is an opinion piece. However:

Pfizer says it will supply Covid vaccine only to central govt, not states 24 MAY 21

 

He said the company, in a communication to the (Punjab) state, said: "Pfizer is working with federal governments across the world to supply its Covid-19 vaccine for use in national immunisation programmes."

"Our supply agreements at this time are with national governments and supra-national organisations with allocation of doses and implementation within the country being a decision for local governments based on relevant health authority guidance. This approach Pfizer has followed across the world," the pharma major said.

 

https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/pfizer-says-it-will-supply-coronavirus-vaccine-only-to-central-govts-121052400950_1.html

 

Edited July 7, 2021 by jerrymahoney

[internationalism]

53 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Four decisions Thailand got wrong in its Covid-19 fight so far

 

Approving Pfizer and Moderna in November

It had recently emerged that both Pfizer and Moderna asked the FDA to review their vaccines as early as late 2020. According to local media reports, Pfizer also offered to sell their jabs to the Ministry of Public Health in November of last year.

 

https://www.thaienquirer.com/28599/four-decisions-thailand-got-wrong-in-its-covid-19-fight-so-far/

according to opposition parliamentarian revealed in February, at the end of last year pfizer offered 3x to thai government vaccination, which would be payed already after being used (no deposit, prepayment, payment on delivery etc). The government refused each time, because as prayuth explained in May, efficacy of this or any other vax was still unknown and thailandf didn't need any vax, that on top of already contracted AZ (as if efficacy of this one was already known - which was not at that time).

I do blame him. If he did give an explanation in May, means that he knew about an issue the last year. 

 

Also in December an indian ambassador offered 1mln free vax doses to thai foreign ministry. It was also refused, on the ground that foreign ministry is not responsible for vax program. Matter was not passed to the ministry of health 

Edited July 7, 2021 by internationalism

[placeholder]

2 hours ago, jojothai said:

There are more places raising red flags. Indonesia recently, now Singapore. See below.

From this article it seems the WHO should be blamed for its use because they approved its emergency use without enough information.  
Questions should be raised why they approved the Chinese vaccine if without "critical" information, and what have they done to address issues of its efficacy?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/singapore-not-counting-sinovac-shots-035814560.html

Well, there have been many phase 3 clinical trials conducted under the auspices of governments or non-governmental organizations not beholden to the Chinese. And they showed a range of effectiveness from 51% to 84%. So, given the circumstances, it wasn't out of line for WHO to approve its emergency use. WHO did note its continued dissatisfaction with the data supplied by the Chinese.