WHO not opposed to Thailand’s decision to “mix and match” types of COVID-19 vaccines

[webfact]

 

A World Health Organization representative says the WHO is not against Thailand’s decision to use a “mix and match” vaccination approach, whereby a shot of AstraZeneca vaccine is administered after one or two shots of Sinovac vaccine.

 

Speaking at a meeting of an academic committee, held yesterday (Wednesday) to discuss the National Communicable Disease Committee’s (NCDC) approval of the practice, acting WHO Representative to Thailand, Dr. Renu Madanlal Garg, stated that the choice of vaccines depends on the government’s policy and the COVID-19 situation, if public health sectors in each country are supporting research.

 

Referring to WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan’s remark on Monday that the practice is dangerous, when individuals decide for themselves without sufficient data available, Dr. Renu said it was only a general suggestion. She also recommended close monitoring for possible side effects and urged accelerated vaccination of people aged 60 and over and those with any of the seven specified diseases.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/who-not-opposed-to-thailands-decision-to-mix-and-match-types-of-covid-19-vaccines/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-07-15

 

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[Surelynot]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

if public health sectors in each country are supporting research.

What does that mean?........If there is evidence to support mix and match???

[BangkokReady]

So just two days ago they were saying not to do it, but now they say it's ok?

 

What changed?  Thailand told the Chinese it was mix and match or nothing so the Chinese instructed the WHO to change their stance?

[jacko45k]

Hardly a surprise... they approved the crxp despite its low efficacy, which now proves to be 'temporary'.... I would feel more for them if they just said get rid of the rubbish and use good stuff!

[fondue zoo]

 

Initial findings look promising. But considering that studies of this nature can run for years and that they are basing their statements on a few studies that have been running for months the jury is still out regarding long term effects. The vaccine companies themselves appear to have remained silent about mixing and matching different vaccines. Does anyone have links to press releases from the manufacturers about this topic?

 

Also who is conducting the Sinovac + "other" vaccine studies?

Edited July 15, 2021 by fondue zoo

[Bluespunk]

17 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

So just two days ago they were saying not to do it, but now they say it's ok?

 

What changed?  Thailand told the Chinese it was mix and match or nothing so the Chinese instructed the WHO to change their stance?

No one has changed their mind. One rep says that people shouldn’t just decide to mix and match without sufficient data and another is saying if a country decides that is policy then that is that countries decision as long as it is based upon research. 

 

Studies suggest a Pfizer jab and an az might be a good mix but no ones made it policy as such.
 

I know that it is happening in Saudi Arabia but hard to find information on why they are doing this. 
 

Probably ran out of az and are now using Pfizer for second jab. 
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/608803/SAUDI-ARABIA/MoH-reaffirms-safety-of-mixing-vaccines-in-Saudi-Arabia

 

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

Referring to WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan’s remark on Monday that the practice is dangerous, when individuals decide for themselves without sufficient data available,

Edited July 15, 2021 by Bluespunk
Wording and found link on Saudi Arabia vaccine policy

[BangkokReady]

4 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

people shouldn’t just decide to mix and match without sufficient data

How would it be up to individuals to decide?

[Bluespunk]

Just now, BangkokReady said:

How would it be up to individuals to decide?

No idea but that was what the WHO rep said. 

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

How would it be up to individuals to decide?

They put both hands behind their back, then present two clamped hands to you... you point to one, and they open it to reveal to you what you are getting. (Hopefully one isn't empty.) Easy.

[Aussieroaming]

It must have been dreadfully difficult to build the WHO Headquarters with a design that allowed the representatives of the WHO to all sit on the fence during any discussion so that they can flip and then flop on any and all statements that they release. 

[rbkk]

2 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

No one has changed their mind. One rep says that people shouldn’t just decide to mix and match without sufficient data and another is saying if a country decides that is policy then that is that countries decision as long as it is based upon research. 

 

Studies suggest a Pfizer jab and an az might be a good mix but no ones made it policy as such.
 

I know that it is happening in Saudi Arabia but hard to find information on why they are doing this. 
 

Probably ran out of az and are now using Pfizer for second jab. 
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/608803/SAUDI-ARABIA/MoH-reaffirms-safety-of-mixing-vaccines-in-Saudi-Arabia

 

AZ first, Pfizer 2nd...(12 week study due this month)

Quote...

The Com-Cov study, which looked at giving the doses four weeks apart in 850 volunteers aged 50 and above, found:

• AZ followed by Pfizer induced higher antibodies and T cell responses than Pfizer followed by AZ
• Both of these mixes induced higher antibodies than two doses of AZ
• The highest antibody response was seen after two doses of Pfizer, and the highest T cell response from AZ followed by Pfizer

• https://www.bbc.com/news/health-57636356

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Referring to WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan’s remark on Monday that the practice is dangerous, when individuals decide for themselves without sufficient data available, Dr. Renu said it was only a general suggestion. She also recommended close monitoring for possible side effects and urged accelerated vaccination of people aged 60 and over and those with any of the seven specified diseases.

So basically do it if you have to, but don't if you have a choice.

 

[JupiterRising]

Well. Only supporting research !!

that means that Thailand must monitor those that have had a mix and match vaccination. 
thailand must submit the data of side effects, efficacy, and any other abnormally that happens after this mix and match.

basically, guinea pigs for the WHO data teams on whether it can be done worldwide in other countries if successful.

I wouldn’t want to be in Thailand now given the choice that the government is so low on vaccines that they are contemplating mixing vaccines which could in turn mutate the virus again. Alpha and Delta combined strain is pointing to Thailand as the original source.

[placeholder]

5 minutes ago, JupiterRising said:

Well. Only supporting research !!

that means that Thailand must monitor those that have had a mix and match vaccination. 
thailand must submit the data of side effects, efficacy, and any other abnormally that happens after this mix and match.

basically, guinea pigs for the WHO data teams on whether it can be done worldwide in other countries if successful.

I wouldn’t want to be in Thailand now given the choice that the government is so low on vaccines that they are contemplating mixing vaccines which could in turn mutate the virus again. Alpha and Delta combined strain is pointing to Thailand as the original source.

I don't see the connection between using a combination set of vaccines and somehow creating a situation where Alpha and Delta. If Delta follows the track it did in the UK, it's soon going to put a stop to the continuance of the Alpha variant in Thailand.

[connda]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

A World Health Organization representative says the WHO is not against Thailand’s decision to use a “mix and match” vaccination approach, whereby a shot of AstraZeneca vaccine is administered after one or two shots of Sinovac vaccine.

There are zero long-term studies but what they hay!  "Experts say" has now supplanted scientific studies. 
Those pesky things take time and money.  If "experts say" jump off a cliff, hell, we all should jump.  There must be a good reason.  We don't need to know why.  Just jump!  It's good for you and you'll "do the right thing!"

[misterjames]

9 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

So just two days ago they were saying not to do it, but now they say it's ok?

 

What changed?  Thailand told the Chinese it was mix and match or nothing so the Chinese instructed the WHO to change their stance?

It's well known WHO like a bit of that Chinese cash, nothing new.

 

Quote:

"Beijing succeeded from the start in steering the World Health Organization (WHO), which both receives funding from China and is dependent on the regime of the Communist Party on many levels."

 

Source:

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/02/china-coronavirus-who-health-soft-power/

[placeholder]

10 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

So just two days ago they were saying not to do it, but now they say it's ok?

 

What changed?  Thailand told the Chinese it was mix and match or nothing so the Chinese instructed the WHO to change their stance?

 

1 hour ago, misterjames said:

It's well known WHO like a bit of that Chinese cash, nothing new.

 

Quote:

"Beijing succeeded from the start in steering the World Health Organization (WHO), which both receives funding from China and is dependent on the regime of the Communist Party on many levels."

 

Source:

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/02/china-coronavirus-who-health-soft-power/

I get it. The Chinese have a time machine and went back and gave WHO's chief scientist orders to change what she originally said. So the second time around instead of declaring absolutely that mixing and matching is bad, here is the altered version of reality in which Dr. Swaminathan takes dictation from the CCP:

 

 WHO Warns Individuals Against Mixing and Matching COVID Vaccines

The World Health Organization's chief scientist has advised individuals against mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines from different manufacturers, saying such decisions should be left to public health authorities.

"It's a little bit of a dangerous trend here," Soumya Swaminathan told an online briefing on Monday after a question about booster shots. "It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding when and who will be taking a second, a third and a fourth dose."

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-07-12/who-warns-against-mixing-and-matching-covid-vaccines

[Jingthing]

Cliche alert:

Necessity is the mother of invention.

[englishoak]

If you are in a risk category maybe its worth it,but if your healthy probably not the best idea to mix and match any  emergency allowed  "vaccine" without any proper or long term risk data at all.

 

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by englishoak

[placeholder]

On 7/15/2021 at 11:07 PM, placeholder said:

 

I get it. The Chinese have a time machine and went back and gave WHO's chief scientist orders to change what she originally said. So the second time around instead of declaring absolutely that mixing and matching is bad, here is the altered version of reality in which Dr. Swaminathan takes dictation from the CCP:

 

 WHO Warns Individuals Against Mixing and Matching COVID Vaccines

The World Health Organization's chief scientist has advised individuals against mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines from different manufacturers, saying such decisions should be left to public health authorities.

"It's a little bit of a dangerous trend here," Soumya Swaminathan told an online briefing on Monday after a question about booster shots. "It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding when and who will be taking a second, a third and a fourth dose."

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-07-12/who-warns-against-mixing-and-matching-covid-vaccines

I noted that Bangkok Ready put the puzzled emoji on my comment. I don't see what's so puzzling about it. Some posters claimed that the Chief Scientist of WHO had issued a broad condemnation of mixing vaccines and then reneged on that condemnation. A few posters blamed the Chinese for the "fact" that she reneged. But, as it turns out, said Chief Scientist of WHO never reneged. She never issued a blanket condemnation of mixing vaccines. She explicitly directed her comments at private individual who choose to follow one vaccine with a different one on their own. She said nothing at all about the advisability of  government health organizations doing such a thing. Is that clear now?

Edited July 17, 2021 by placeholder

[Damrongsak]

On 7/15/2021 at 3:34 AM, Aussieroaming said:

It must have been dreadfully difficult to build the WHO Headquarters with a design that allowed the representatives of the WHO to all sit on the fence during any discussion so that they can flip and then flop on any and all statements that they release. 

It's called flexible space. Thais say "snake, snake, fish, fish".  They flop around.

[metisdead]

A post with a "link" to the Bangkok Post has been removed.