Vaccines not lockdowns helping to reduce COVID-19 cases in Thailand

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

Statements from the Ministry of Public Health yesterday reported by Daily News indicated that Thailand's vaccine rollout was continuing to gather pace.

 

Dr Kiatphoom said that the country was on the way to having perhaps 5,000 daily infections by the New Year though he cautioned that four main measures were needed as the country reopened its activities or this could spike again to 30,000.

 

He said that lockdown measures were now losing their effectiveness. 

 

He cited the UK with a roughly similar population as an example of having a large number of daily infections though the daily death toll there was a manageable 143.

 

This was because of their advanced vaccination program.

 

Thailand ranked 26th for Covid severity at the moment, he said, announcing 11,200 infections and 113 deaths.

 

57 million does of vaccine had been administered that was 33.7 million first doses, 22 million second and 1.6 million third.

 

59.3% of the elderly had been vaccinated with a first jab and 62% of those with seven underlying health conditions.

 

There is a target of 4 million 12 - 17 year old high school students to get jabbed to allow schools to open - so far just 74,000 have been vaccinated or 1.7%.

 

By the end of October it is expected that 61% of the Thai population will have got a first jab, 37% a second.

 

With vaccinations picking up pace this would be 75% first and 55% second at the end of November and by the end of the year 85% of the population would have got a first dose and 70% a second. 

 

He noted that Bangkok and surrounding areas were seeing a good drop in infections and this was generally being seen in the provinces except in four far southern provinces where greater measures were needed.

 

He described Thailand as being at a crossroads now with four main areas needed - the progress of the vaccine rollout, universal protection measures, testing and strict protocols in places like movie theaters and restaurants and other settings where many people would gather.

 

The gist of the Daily News report was that Thailand was finally on track with its vaccine rollout and there were positive signs but experience in other countries should drive the country's next phase of responses. 

 

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[Dmaxdan]

26 minutes ago, webfact said:

He cited the UK with a roughly similar population as an example of having a large number of daily infections though the daily death toll there was a manageable 143.

Somebody actually talking sense at last and willing admire and emulate what other countries have done. 

Learning to live with this virus is the only way forward. In the long term, lockdowns just create more problems than they solve.

[placeholder]

39 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Somebody actually talking sense at last and willing admire and emulate what other countries have done. 

Learning to live with this virus is the only way forward. In the long term, lockdowns just create more problems than they solve.

Thailand should emulate what France has done. At least once everyone who wants to be vaccinated has been.

Macron gambled on coronavirus immunity passport — and won

https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-france-covid-immunity-passport-vaccine-pass/

[James105]

3 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Thailand should emulate what France has done. At least once everyone who wants to be vaccinated has been.

Macron gambled on coronavirus immunity passport — and won

https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-france-covid-immunity-passport-vaccine-pass/

Why?  To achieve what?   Is there any indication the people here are as hesitant as the French to get vaccinated?    Did the PM here publicly trash one of the vaccines available which of course put people off taking it and other vaccines for political reasons? 

 

I can't help but feel the vaccines I received are not effective as they didn't give me a desire to control what other people choose to put into their bodies and demand proof that they have done so in the same way that it has to others.     

[placeholder]

4 minutes ago, James105 said:

Why?  To achieve what?   Is there any indication the people here are as hesitant as the French to get vaccinated?    Did the PM here publicly trash one of the vaccines available which of course put people off taking it and other vaccines for political reasons? 

 

I can't help but feel the vaccines I received are not effective as they didn't give me a desire to control what other people choose to put into their bodies and demand proof that they have done so in the same way that it has to others.     

There have been plenty of Thai citizens put off by what they read on Social media. Better to be safe and push the hesitant to vaccinate.

Clearly you don't have a clue about why there is such a thing as the field of public health. Do you have a problem with agencies that mandate vaccinations for children?  Does that mean that they are  power mad? 

 

[James105]

59 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Do you have a problem with agencies that mandate vaccinations for children?  Does that mean that they are  power mad? 

 

Ok. So let's try it this way.   Does the vaccine protect you?

Yes - Then stop worrying about other people taking it. You and others that took it are safe.

No - Then stop forcing people to take something that you don't believe works.

[mommysboy]

Thailand is on track, but unless 90% of the elderly are fully vaccinated there will still be carnage, because once fully reopened the delta variant will spread like wildfire.

[Petey11]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

He described Thailand as being at a crossroads now with four main areas needed - the progress of the vaccine rollout, universal protection measures, testing and strict protocols in places like movie theaters and restaurants and other settings where many people would gather.

Don't think they'll ever achieve the testing bit, haven't really managed it over the past.

[johng]

10 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

because once fully reopened the delta variant will spread like wildfire.

If the Delta is  as transmissible as they say  then surely it has spread all over the country already ?

[RotBenz8888]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that lockdown measures were now losing their effectiveness.

Then open up. Pronto. 

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Then open up. Pronto. 

Losing but not completely lost......

[placeholder]

48 minutes ago, James105 said:

Ok. So let's try it this way.   Does the vaccine protect you?

Yes - Then stop worrying about other people taking it. You and others that took it are safe.

No - Then stop forcing people to take something that you don't believe works.

We may be safe from covid. But if we have other health problems, we will have to contend with the fact that in areas where vaccinations are low, hospitals are under great stress. In some states in the US, care is being rationed due to the unvaccinated. i.e. triage. What's so hard to understand about that?

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, James105 said:

Does the vaccine protect you?

Sure, but you need to ask some other questions:

 

Can everyone take the vaccine and benefit from the protection?

No

 

Is it possible for some people who have been vaccinated to still get seriously ill or die?

Yes

 

Which leads to the following question:

 

Does the vaccine reduce or slow spread protecting everyone?

Yes - So it is in the interest of everyone that as many people get the vaccine as possible.

 

Unfortunately, your logic is faulty.

[ThailandGuy]

What did they expect?  That it would go different in Thailand then in the rest of the world?  In my province in our country 86% is vaccinated and since 2 weeks infection numbers are rising again, and it is goung faster up by the day......  but almost no hospitilizations.    Sinovac and 4 weeks later AstraZeneca is not the right combination. Moreover the interval of 4 weeks is not enough!  Many scientific publications around the world have been published about this. Still Thailand keeps going their own way?  Why do you think these publications are published? Just for the rest of the world because in Thailand it does not apply?  Wake up !

[ThailandGuy]

4 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

I hear some doctors saying these face masks are worsening the situation by lowering the oxygen levels in people and that exactly what this virus likes. People with low oxygen levels.

Fake! So untrue. Many publications contradict this nonsense of oxygen level that drop. I can even run with a ffp2 mask. No issues at all.

[placeholder]

8 minutes ago, ThailandGuy said:

Fake! So untrue. Many publications contradict this nonsense of oxygen level that drop. I can even run with a ffp2 mask. No issues at all.

When someone writes "I hear..." it's just a way to post drivel.

[SymS]

The sad truth is nobody has any idea why COVID cases go up or down. It just come in waves, even in countries with a high percentage of vaccinated people.

[TheFishman1]

England recognize like my first job was that Chinese stuff or is that not good if you want to go to England

[malibukid]

the Thai's have finally figured it out, eureka 

[Swampy999]

2 hours ago, mommysboy said:

Thailand is on track, but unless 90% of the elderly are fully vaccinated there will still be carnage, because once fully reopened the delta variant will spread like wildfire.

Thailand is on track, yes a very winding track with unfinished bridges.

[chilly07]

Lockdowns AND vaccines help to  reduce rates of infection serious illness and deaths. Hygienic housing living wages  and decent work conditions also reduce rates of infection serious illness and deaths

[sawadee1947]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He cited the UK with a roughly similar population

....and a similar irratic PM....????

[dogfish180]

So what's with the curfew? ????????????

[spidermike007]

Absolutely spot on. It is not the lockdowns which are not working. It is Prayuth and Anutin who are not working. Tighter restrictions on business are the last thing in the world the Thai people need.

What about the road blacks that were promised? 88 of them, if I remember the top cop creep bragging. If anything or anyplace should have been locked down, it should have been all highways and roads leading OUT of Bangkok. DUH! You don't impose all these sadistic restrictions on the common man, and then avoid taking the simplest and most sensible precautions. 

I know I should have closed the canning plants, and I know I shouldn't have warned the construction workers that I would be closing the sites a week in advance, allowing them to travel everywhere around the nation, and contributing dramatically to the 3rd wave. Wow. What a stupid thing I did. 

Lockdowns work, if they are done correctly. A Prayuth/Anutin style lockdown never has worked. You know what that is called? Dumb, reckless, callous, and failed policy. 

Prayuth should resign today. I know. I should have taken the vaccine thing more seriously. I know, I should have had a more qualified health minister. I know, my pathological fear of the optics of a lockdown are causing many more cases than need be. And I know, I should have been more diligent with the borders, I should have cracked down on corrupt immigration officials, and kept my promise to fight corruption, and I should have used my army soldiers for something. Anything. I forget there are 550,000 of them. They would have been perfect for controlling the border. And they would have actually been doing something to benefit the people and they would have been protecting the nation, for a change. I also forget that is why we have soldiers. How very dumb of me. It appears I am nowhere near as smart as I think I am. I do realize I should have and could have done better.

Do you want me to resign now? I know that is what you are thinking. I probably should. It sure would be the right thing to do, but since I rarely ever do the right thing, I wouldn't even know how do make that happen. Just call me a failure. I know it is true. 

 

 

[Unify]

2 hours ago, James105 said:

Ok. So let's try it this way.   Does the vaccine protect you?

Yes - Then stop worrying about other people taking it. You and others that took it are safe.

No - Then stop forcing people to take something that you don't believe works. 

People wearing bulletproof vests sometimes still die of gunshot wounds. Who is foolish enough to say "Why do you worry about where I shoot? If your vest works, why do you care? Why limit my freedom?"

 

Vaccines prevent the vast majority of deaths, serious medical complications, and a fair percentage of infections. But they don't prevent all.

 

Therefore, what you put in your body potentially affects the health of those around you. So, your freedom should be balanced with public health interests -- as it is for many other things.things.

 

It's simplistic and naive to say, "It either works, or it doesn't." 

[sirineou]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that lockdown measures were now losing their effectiveness. 

Nowhere in the article did he or anyone say what the Title suggests. 

"Vaccines not lockdowns helping to reduce COVID-19 cases in Thailand "

Losing it's affectedness by no means does it mean that it has lost it;'s effectiveness only that it is becoming less effective. And it is not the lock down that is losing it's effectiveness  but rather compliance due to lockdown fatigue. 

IMO a very irresponsible title. 

Edited October 8, 2021 by sirineou
typo

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He cited the UK with a roughly similar population as an example of having a large number of daily infections though the daily death toll there was a manageable 143.

I spoke with my brother in the UK today.

85% are double vaxxed with vaccines that work.

Yes infection rates are at around 30,000 daily, but only 5% are ending up in hospital.

Vaccinations were always the only answer, but last year and early this year our illustrious leader had other ideas.

[DavisH]

1 hour ago, Destiny1990 said:

I hear some doctors saying these face masks are worsening the situation by lowering the oxygen levels in people and that exactly what this virus likes. People with low oxygen levels.

Some doctors? Got a link to that? I'm pretty sure this has already been tested and shown to be false. Regular surgical masks won't affect o2 saturation. 

[DavisH]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I spoke with my brother in the UK today.

85% are double vaxxed with vaccines that work.

Yes infection rates are at around 30,000 daily, but only 5% are ending up in hospital.

Vaccinations were always the only answer, but last year and early this year our illustrious leader had other ideas.

In the UK, the largest proportion becoming infected now are teenagers. Thanks to schools opening. Not sure on their vaccination rate. 

[sambum]

5 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

Somebody actually talking sense at last and willing admire and emulate what other countries have done. 

Learning to live with this virus is the only way forward. In the long term, lockdowns just create more problems than they solve.

Yup! My friends in the UK tell me that things are almost back to the "old normal", the pubs are all open, football matches are almost sold out, and masks are not mandatory. (Although some people still wear them when shopping, for instance.) I think that the UK (Gov't and people) realise that Covid isn't going to go away, but if everybody is vaccinated, it can be treated almost like infuenza, which is also responsible for many deaths, but not treated with the same "paranoia". (Elderly and at risk people in the UK are given 'flu jabs now as a matter of course every year) 

 

Maybe the smug Minister(s?) who said (a couple of years ago) that "The hot weather and Songkran will blow it away, and anyway, our CHINESE friends will have a vaccine by then" and "dirty unwashed foreigners are to blame for the spread" will be making  public apologies for his/their comments?????

 

And if they really want to get the tourist trade back on track, they might think of allowing open air bars to sell alcohol?

Edited October 8, 2021 by sambum