Immunocompromised US teacher stuck in Thailand without access to vaccine

[Venom]

6 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

It seems to me reading the article that, given her immuno-compromised condition, she does not want to travel unless she is fully vaccinated with US FDA approved vaccines.

Still awaiting full FDA approval, maybe by the end of the month? 

[gk10012001]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

If I wished to fly back to UK (in the absence of any vaccines for this 78 year old without visiting the BKK Covid epicentre), how would I go about getting a (negative) test result?  Visit a hospital?  At Suvarnabumi?  Can one buy an air ticket without one?

There are plenty of testing places.  Many people have departed Thailand for various reasons

[SmartyMarty]

1 hour ago, rabas said:

Study: Cancer survivors, not just current patients, are at high risk of COVID-19 symptoms. [..], compared to those never diagnosed with cancer, long-term cancer survivors are at higher risk of developing severe symptoms from COVID-19. (emphasis theirs)

 

https://www.cancercenter.com/community/blog/2021/04/covid-cancer-survivors

 

OTH, scientists suggests not winning the lottery helps protect you from COVID.

 

Good for you not winning! Just don't get on a plane without a vax.

 

yes yes yes and I can die riding a scooter here or trying to cross the road......but it all comes down to individual choice. I have no concerns about flying unvaccinated, mask and hand sanitizer are all I need. I will not let potential illness control my freedom to choose what I do. Others may feel differently.

[jerrymahoney]

37 minutes ago, Venom said:

Still awaiting full FDA approval, maybe by the end of the month? 

From the linked OP article:

 "Eighteen months, the restrictions have eased up, but she does not have access to an FDA approved vaccine."

 

The article should have said FDA 'emergency authorized' vaccines.

 

Edited August 9, 2021 by jerrymahoney

[Capella]

As others have said, being stuck for a full 18 months is hard to believe. Australia, for example, is hard to travel to now because of arrival caps, but did warn its people to come home while they had the chance.

[TravelerEastWest]

6 hours ago, Scrotobike said:

Maybe her "duff" and other parts of her body does not reside in Bangkok. Maybe travelling to the center of the Thai universe is somewhat difficult given it is a hot bed of Covid infection and travel there is problematic. As my father told me, if you have nothing good to say, then best say nothing.

Exactly - well said.

 

Amazing how rude and unfeeling some posters are...

[1FinickyOne]

6 hours ago, SmartyMarty said:

I’ve survived cancer and now want to win the lottery but can’t, but I’m not whining about it.

just mentioning it though... 

 

congrats on the survival - and the best way to win the lottery is not to play... 

 

that should keep you sorted for a week or so... 

[khunPer]

Lots of people could leave Thailand after the pandemic began, and she can sign up for the Pfizer-vaccine donated by her home country's government; 150.000 doses are set aside for 75,000 foreigners, only about 41,000 had signed up two days ago.

[jerrymahoney]

4 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Lots of people could leave Thailand after the pandemic began, and she can sign up for the Pfizer-vaccine donated by her home country's government; 150.000 doses are set aside for 75,000 foreigners, only about 41,000 had signed up two days ago.

At best then another month or two in Thailand.  I would suggest she get a business or first class ticket to Atlanta, a good, mask and not wait for any mRNA vaccine to show up in Thailand --  just get vaxed in GA/SC

[cocoonclub]

6 hours ago, AndyFoxy said:

Some people (such as the lady in the article) just aren’t happy unless they have something to complain about. 

I thought the same about the people commenting here. 

[khunPer]

22 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

At best then another month or two in Thailand.  I would suggest she get a business or first class ticket to Atlanta, a good, mask and not wait for any mRNA vaccine to show up in Thailand --  just get vaxed in GA/SC

Pfizer-vaccinations are scheduled for August 11th and 12th, according to the news.

[KarenBravo]

1 hour ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Exactly - well said.

 

Amazing how rude and unfeeling some posters are...

Amazing how many posters like virtue signalling and feeling superior.

[Chris.B]

Why doesn't she sign up to https://expatvac.consular.go.th/  ??

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Very little compassion on this thread so far.
 

Lot of callousness though. 

Real life is hard. Perhaps some are rich enough to live in a bubble of compassion. Most are not.

[Bluespunk]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

Real life is hard. Perhaps some are rich enough to live in a bubble of compassion. Most are not.

Compassion has nothing to do with wealth and to imply it does so is ridiculous. 

[thaibeachlovers]

37 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

At best then another month or two in Thailand.  I would suggest she get a business or first class ticket to Atlanta, a good, mask and not wait for any mRNA vaccine to show up in Thailand --  just get vaxed in GA/SC

Last time I flew, first class was a bit expensive for people that teach in Thailand for a living. Even business is probably out of reach as well, unless she is independently wealthy, and if she was this thread would likely never have happened, IMO.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

Compassion has nothing to do with wealth and to imply it does so is ridiculous. 

Never seen much compassion in the world I live in. Only for friends and family.

However, rich people can usually get hangers on to be sympathetic. Whether it's genuine is another matter.

[Bluespunk]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Never seen much compassion in the world I live in. Only for friends and family.

However, rich people can usually get hangers on to be sympathetic. Whether it's genuine is another matter.

I can only say I am glad I do not live in your world then, a world without compassion is not one I would care for.

[kingstonkid]

The one thing that is interesting that no one has noticed is that this is not the lady in question saying any of this.  This is her whiney Dim we expect the government to pay for all our mistakes and it is their fault family.

The newspaper article was in a NC newspaper.  It is not complaining about the Thai service or Thai availability it is complaining because the FDA will not register and ok drugs and it is crying because as I said before the US Embassy is not rushing out and finding her a flight that she can be safe in (ie she is the only one on the plane or they put her in a bubble suit.

 

Why do I not have empathy is simple there are a lot of Thai people that are in the same boat with pre-existing conditions that can not even get the vaccines without taking their lives into their own hands.  They did not choose to be here they live and work and raised their families here. This is a woman that after surviving cancer and knowing that there are riskes to her health decided on her own free willy to come to Thailand.  This is a woman that has had many opportunities to fly home and get care at a probably higher cost if she wanted it.

 

Obviously she doesnot want to.  That is her choice.  Again why the article rants about the lack of AMERICAN assistance and is put on this page as news is beyond me.

 

Other than the fact that she is here in Thailand it makes no difference really she could be in any other country in the world and it would still be the same.

 

 

 

[Puccini]

Starting April last year, if not earlier, the US government urged people not to travel abroad. US citizens already in Thailand were urged to return home and repatriation flights were arranged by the US embassy in Bangkok.

[KeeTua]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

Pfizer-vaccinations are scheduled for August 11th and 12th, according to the news.

Do you have a link to that news?

[KeeTua]

40 minutes ago, KeeTua said:

2 hours ago, khunPer said:

Pfizer-vaccinations are scheduled for August 11th and 12th, according to the news.

Do you have a link to that news?

Found an article. I find it strange the expatvac site doesn't mention Pfizer though. Maybe after completing the registration process??

 

"Registration opened on Sunday for foreigners living in Thailand to get the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The website https://expatvac.consular.go.th/ was opened by the Department of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004066

 

[khunPer]

50 minutes ago, KeeTua said:

Do you have a link to that news?

There are several articles, one of them is here...

 

[KeeTua]

20 minutes ago, khunPer said:

There are several articles, one of them is here..

That article makes a single reference to Pfizer but it doesn't clearly state that the Pfizer doses are destined for those that register at expatvac. I'm still little skeptical but hope its true they will be using Pfizer for all that register there:

 

"Previously, Thailand's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said that 150,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, donated by the US government, would be allocated for foreigners in Thailand."

[jerrymahoney]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Last time I flew, first class was a bit expensive for people that teach in Thailand for a living. Even business is probably out of reach as well, unless she is independently wealthy, and if she was this thread would likely never have happened, IMO.

She has family and friends in US and, in her circumstances if unvaccinated , the separation on a flight and transfer would be tolerable but certainly she should not fly in crowded economy

 

If an independently wealthy person could secure mRNA vaccines in Thailand, why then would all the independently wealthy Thais fly to the US just to get them?

Edited August 9, 2021 by jerrymahoney

[KeeTua]

57 minutes ago, khunPer said:

1 hour ago, KeeTua said:

Do you have a link to that news?

There are several articles, one of them is here...

As usual it seems impossible here for someone to commit 100% they'll keep you guessing until the moment you sit down for your jab.

 

Aug 2
Replying to
@SangratTanee (Spokesman for MFA)
"Foreign nationals who register for this expatvac will get Pfizer, right? Thank you."

 

Tanee Sangrat (Spokesman for MFA)
@SangratTanee
"Yes, during this time. It may be adjusted according to the situation."

https://twitter.com/SangratTanee/status/1422022367153299456

[nausea]

The covid issue aside, why anyone with an impaired immune system thought it was a good idea to work as a teacher is beyond me; you get exposed to everything going. I'm no medical expert, but I would've thought it would magnify your risk of complications.

[club]

She can fly back anytime she wants, double mask and alcohol gel on the hands and try to stay away from people. I flew back to USA last year , right in the middle of this Virus. Also she is over 60 with a recent history of cancer she more than qualifies for AZ or even Pfizer. Don't expect the US Embassy to help. They are completely useless and to busy kissing the behind of Thai officials.  

Edited August 9, 2021 by club
added more

[Thingamabob]

12 hours ago, smedly said:

she wants an effective vaccine and can't get it in Thailand up to now as a foreigner - nothing new is it

I've not had any difficulty getting the Astra Zeneca vaccine in Thailand, but maybe I've not understood what her problem is.

[placeholder]

11 hours ago, phetphet said:

Is Thai  produced AZ recognised by the FDA? Maybe only Pfizer and Moderna and Maybe Johnson & Johnson  vaccs would be acceptable for someone with her condition.

AZ vaccine is not authorized for use in the USA.