Thailand to try alternative COVID-19 vaccination method to stretch supplies

[snoop1130]

FILE PHOTO: People receive the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine as the Thai resort island of Phuket rushes to vaccinate its population amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, and ahead of a July 1 ending of strict quarantine for overseas visitors, to bring back tourism revenue in Phuket, Thailand, April 2, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Doctors in Thailand have been given the go-ahead to start giving COVID-19 booster shots under the skin, rather than injecting them into muscles, officials said on Monday, in an effort to strengthen immunity and stretch vaccine supplies.

 

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the method, which doctors began exploring last month, could be used at the discretion of medical professionals, providing it was supported by evidence.

 

Chalermpong Sukonthaphon, director of the Vachira Hospital in Phuket, said his hospital had been given the green light to use the technique from Friday, as trials had showed it triggered a similar immune response to the regular method.

 

"One vaccine dose can be used for five intradermal injections," Chalermpong told Reuters.

 

Phuket's population was among the first to be inoculated in Thailand, as a pre-requisite for the island to reopen to vaccinated foreign tourists in July.

 

Starting in April they received two doses of the vaccine of Sinovac, for which booster shots of other vaccines have been issued in several countries after concerns about its resistance to the Delta COVID-19 variant.

 

Thailand has turned to unconventional approaches due to problems in supplies, despite manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine locally.

So far, only 21% of the estimated 72 million people living in the country have been fully vaccinated.

 

Authorities have also decided to administer separate shots of Sinovac's vaccine followed by that of AstraZeneca, a technique yet to be adopted elsewhere.

 

Thailand has reported more than 1.4 million infections and 15,000 deaths, the majority since April this year.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-09-20

 

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[ukrules]

I wonder what AstraZeneca have to say about this?

[worgeordie]

Next it will be just giving people a look at a vial .....job done.

I received my Astrazeneca jab a few weeks ago , i was expecting

some kind of reaction ,  nothing at all, I did not even feel the needle

go in, no mark on my arm, I am wondering if it even happened ,????????

 

Authorities have also decided to administer separate shots of Sinovac's vaccine followed by that of AstraZeneca, a technique yet to be adopted elsewhere.  ... trial and error ????

regards worgeordie

Edited September 20, 2021 by worgeordie

[tso310]

Amazing Thailand !

[Soikhaonoiken]

Why are they always trying to cut corners,, just follow the scientific proven results... 

Or will the next faze  be then let's water down the vaccine with saline to save money....   Unbelievable... 

[RichardColeman]

Cannot see why they need to stretch them when government officials  are regularly saying they will be getting about half a billion by end October.

 

Course, if it's not true, and they aint coming, it makes sense

[bkk6060]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I received my Astrazeneca jab a few weeks ago , i was expecting

some kind of reaction ,  nothing at all, I did not even feel the needle

go in, no mark on my arm, I am wondering if it even happened ,

That is interesting.  From what I have read having some feeling, pain and swelling is actually a good thing as it shows your body is responding to the vaccine and starting to create antibodies. 

[Rampant Rabbit]

2 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

Why are they always trying to cut corners,

With everything Im  afraid

[nattaya09]

Why not...what could go wrong.

[Swiss1960]

It is an absolute disaster/craziness/you name it to read how Thai health officials create new ideas every day and endanger the health and lives of their citizens. Just this week
- boosters under the skin instead of in the muscles to save vaccines...

- human trial with 100'000 STUDENTS in BKK, using the Chinese stuff instead of a real vaccine (Pfizer was promised for all students just days before)

- only one mRNA shot for students due to some fear of myocarditis which was never expressed anywhere in the world, leaving the students at risk

- mixture of vaccines that NOBODY ELSE in the world is trying to do/ accepting

- opening the country, when they are definitely not ready for it. The risk for the country is of course coming from within and NOT from the tourists, as those would mostly come fully vaccinated.

 

To me, it looks like everybody wearing a white coat or a khaki uniform is now qualified to utter his opinion as "fact" in order to get his 5 minutes of fame (and later shame), but not a single one of these <deleted myself> ever listens to what the WORLD as a whole has already experienced. 

[Lorry]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I am wondering if it even happened

Same here.

So I checked with a trusted laboratory (not in Thailand). Yes, it did happen. 

 

 

[smedly]

7 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

ANGKOK (Reuters) - Doctors in Thailand have been given the go-ahead to start giving COVID-19 booster shots under the skin, rather than injecting them into muscles, officials said on Monday, in an effort to strengthen immunity and stretch vaccine supplies.

 

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the method, which doctors began exploring last month, could be used at the discretion of medical professionals, providing it was supported by evidence.

is this the approved and tested method to administer this vaccine - it isn't is it - why are you doing it - has AZ approved this ???????????

 

Mr Anutin - do you dilute concrete mix when building  ???????

 

AZ need to get invalved in this now - someone is telling lies

[smedly]

1 hour ago, Swiss1960 said:

It is an absolute disaster/craziness/you name it to read how Thai health officials create new ideas every day and endanger the health and lives of their citizens. Just this week
- boosters under the skin instead of in the muscles to save vaccines...

- human trial with 100'000 STUDENTS in BKK, using the Chinese stuff instead of a real vaccine (Pfizer was promised for all students just days before)

- only one mRNA shot for students due to some fear of myocarditis which was never expressed anywhere in the world, leaving the students at risk

- mixture of vaccines that NOBODY ELSE in the world is trying to do/ accepting

- opening the country, when they are definitely not ready for it. The risk for the country is of course coming from within and NOT from the tourists, as those would mostly come fully vaccinated.

 

To me, it looks like everybody wearing a white coat or a khaki uniform is now qualified to utter his opinion as "fact" in order to get his 5 minutes of fame (and later shame), but not a single one of these <deleted myself> ever listens to what the WORLD as a whole has already experienced. 

pretty good post that 

[vandeventer]

30 minutes ago, smedly said:

is this the approved and tested method to administer this vaccine - it isn't is it - why are you doing it - has AZ approved this ???????????

 

Mr Anutin - do you dilute concrete mix when building  ???????

 

AZ need to get invalved in this now - someone is telling lies

The old way has been used by billions of people. If it is not broke don't fix it!

[Bkk Brian]

8 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the method, which doctors began exploring last month, could be used at the discretion of medical professionals, providing it was supported by evidence.

Talk about wash your hands of it, again, no responsibility being shown here by Anutin, instead passes it onto medical professionals discretion........

[bristolgeoff]

They were talking about  drinking a vaccine too like polio.Or this way.worth a try  if it works.the needle the normal way works we know that.This virus is testing everyone  in the world,but in the end it will work out and back in  thailand before we know it

[Thaifly88]

4 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

That is interesting.  From what I have read having some feeling, pain and swelling is actually a good thing as it shows your body is responding to the vaccine and starting to create antibodies. 

I also felt nothing when I got my 2nd Pfizer shot. The following day I was quite sick, it lasted 2 days, so I was reassured.

[moon47]

Quote

Chalermpong Sukonthaphon, director of the Vachira Hospital in Phuket, said his hospital had been given the green light to use the technique from Friday...

I am not comfortable with the amount of testing done with this or even the mix and match strategy.

 

Why not just start throwing darts and HOPE that the dart board is actually on that wall somewhere.

 

I am afraid for my family here.

 

What a horrifying mess... =[

[zzaa09]

2 hours ago, Swiss1960 said:

It is an absolute disaster/craziness/you name it to read how Thai health officials create new ideas every day and endanger the health and lives of their citizens. Just this week
- boosters under the skin instead of in the muscles to save vaccines...

- human trial with 100'000 STUDENTS in BKK, using the Chinese stuff instead of a real vaccine (Pfizer was promised for all students just days before)

- only one mRNA shot for students due to some fear of myocarditis which was never expressed anywhere in the world, leaving the students at risk

- mixture of vaccines that NOBODY ELSE in the world is trying to do/ accepting

- opening the country, when they are definitely not ready for it. The risk for the country is of course coming from within and NOT from the tourists, as those would mostly come fully vaccinated.

 

To me, it looks like everybody wearing a white coat or a khaki uniform is now qualified to utter his opinion as "fact" in order to get his 5 minutes of fame (and later shame), but not a single one of these <deleted myself> ever listens to what the WORLD as a whole has already experienced. 

Like everywhere, it's political.

In this case, Thailand doubles this trait to be political and ignorant.

[pops1]

I had my second dose of pfizer yesterday. At first I felt fine, a little headache but nothing too bad. Today I feel like I did 10 rounds with Tyson Fury. My body is aching all over.  I feel like I got the mother of all flu. Had the shakes last night and couldn't sleep.

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand has turned to unconventional approaches due to problems in supplies, despite manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine locally.

So far, only 21% of the estimated 72 million people living in the country have been fully vaccinated.

And they're about to embark on another one.

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Chalermpong Sukonthaphon, director of the Vachira Hospital in Phuket, said his hospital had been given the green light to use the technique from Friday, as trials had showed it triggered a similar immune response to the regular method.

Which doctors started exploring last month?

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Next it will be just giving people a look at a vial .....job done.

Stand in an orderly queue and sniff the bottle as the nurse walks by.

Can easily do one million every day.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

is this the approved and tested method to administer this vaccine - it isn't is it - why are you doing it - has AZ approved this ???????????

 

Mr Anutin - do you dilute concrete mix when building  ???????

 

AZ need to get invalved in this now - someone is telling lies

At the airport..

Q] how many vaccinations have you had?

One and a bit officer.

[wensiensheng]

Whenever I read of Thailand buying millions of this or that vaccine, I am somewhat heartened that perhaps the government have finally seen the light and are purchasing various types of vaccine and that there is plenty of supply.
 

But then at every turn I also read of Thailand trying to squeeze out extra doses from vials and now this experimental injection method, trialed just a month ago, afaik without recommendation from the drug manufacturer and afaik not utilized in any other country.

 

maybe this idea they have is a great one? So why aren’t proper trials being done and the manufacturer being approached to get their approval? Or WHO approval sought? That way thailand would be seen as an innovator,  rather than a cowboy operator going off half cocked.

[LivinLOS]

3 hours ago, Lorry said:

Same here.

So I checked with a trusted laboratory (not in Thailand). Yes, it did happen. 

 

 

what did you check ??? Antibody testing ?? 

[Songlaw]

Under the skin isn't necessarily problematic. However, the dispersal-rate of the vaccine would be much quicker - with side effects being even more dramatic, which I suspect is not optimal for a situation where you are, ideally, trying not to overwhelm a population's already taxed, environmentally-compromised immune systems. What further makes no sense is the expectation that a dosage meant for one individual will, somehow, magically and adequately provide coverage for five  people. Expecting to bring this into reality by fiat is utter insanity. Were this even a remotely viable option, I suspect we'd have heard of it, long, long ago. There are many viable vaccines in production, throughout the world, and as far as I know, exactly none of them have ever hinted at the possibility of "watering down" dosages, let alone dividing them by five. Holy Sh*t.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

Talk about wash your hands of it, again, no responsibility being shown here by Anutin, instead passes it onto medical professionals discretion........

Frankly, if it was a choice between someone whose background is in construction and those who are medical professionals, I know who I would trust.

[koratkarlos]

You really begin to wonder if this government cares about the Thai people.  The lack of scientific and medical discipline is concerning.

[0815]

The main goal as always: To do different as anybody else and to feel clever more than the rest of the world.