Health Professionals To Get “unstoppable” Swine Flu Vaccine First

[toybits]

So you are saying that Asians keep their fingers in their nostrils at all time? Is that right? Hmmm. That's sounds kind of racist to me - don't you think?

I hope they realize that a nasal spray vacccine will not work here. It will require removing the fingers from the nose! Don't know if that's possible.

[camerata]

I am sure prolific Thaivisa posters would be exempt from the general rule given our massive contribution to Thai society, so no need for us to worry. Right?

Perhaps ThaiVisa could use its influence to see that admins and mods get the vaccine first.

Anyway, I'm sure that if Tammiflu or the vaccine is available in Thailand, any of us scum farang will be able to walk into Bumrungrad and get a shot. Money talks.

[Heng]

Yeah for my family, I think we'll pass and just build our own anti-bodies during a nice hospital stay holiday if necessary. And for light cases, nothing more comfortable than being sick at home It's just the flu.

Yes, a young co-worker of mine here in the US went back to visit his family in Thailand this past month and caught the dreaded swine flu during the visit. He thought the symptoms were fairly ordinary and it kept him housebound for all of two days. So t'is a rare day here in TV land where I am in sync with the sentiments of Heng.

I just spit my Green Label all over the Issanite lovin' Sangsom drinkin' farang on the balcony (surely he's just visiting) beneath mine. Thanks for the chuckle.

Edited July 17, 2009 by Heng

[Jingthing]

Anyway, I'm sure that if Tammiflu or the vaccine is available in Thailand, any of us scum farang will be able to walk into Bumrungrad and get a shot. Money talks.

I am not so sure about that. Lets say it costs 5000 baht to get either (as an example). You don't have to be a hiso Thai to have 5000 baht. I think it would be politically damaging to give foreigners live saving measures that are in limited supply before Thais. I can imagine draconian laws to prosecute doctors who give us any breaks in the event of a dire crisis. Imagine a dire crisis, it will not be civilized.

Edited July 17, 2009 by Jingthing

[camerata]

I can imagine draconian laws to prosecute doctors who give us any breaks in the event of a dire crisis. Imagine a dire crisis, it will not be civilized.

Draconian laws? There has always been different laws for the rich here, farang scum or not. Private hospitals are not going to turn away paying customers who happen to be foreign when Thailand is pushing itself (quite successfully) as the "medical tourism" hub of the region.

[Jingthing]

Private hospitals are not going to turn away paying customers who happen to be foreign when Thailand is pushing itself (quite successfully) as the "medical tourism" hub of the region.

Sorry, but you do NOT know this. Remember there was already a report from a private hospital that in a crisis foreigners are going to be on their own to get tamiflu. Nobody knows how bad this can get or what it will mean for foreigners here if we have a major 1918 style crisis here. Don't kid yourself. In such situations, the veneer of civilization goes away and yes even MONEY sometimes loses its value.

[webfact]

So what is to suggest or to do? Contact our embassies and ask for advise???

maybe we will have to fly "home" to get that vaccine?

I have a private health insurance with a well known Thai insurance company.

Cost me bazillions of Baht per year for the entire family coverage. I am not supposed to get vaccine because I am a Farang?

Edited July 17, 2009 by webfact

[camerata]

Private hospitals are not going to turn away paying customers who happen to be foreign when Thailand is pushing itself (quite successfully) as the "medical tourism" hub of the region.

Sorry, but you do NOT know this. Remember there was already a report from a private hospital that in a crisis foreigners are going to be on their own to get tamiflu.

And how reliable is this report?

Nobody knows how bad this can get or what it will mean for foreigners here if we have a major 1918 style crisis here. Don't kid yourself. In such situations, the veneer of civilization goes away and yes even MONEY sometimes loses its value.

Nobody knows... so let's create the worst possible scenario to maintain our "farang as victim" mindset...

Well, you keep your glass half empty, Jingthing. I'm gonna keep mine half full.

[Jingthing]

Nobody knows... so let's create the worst possible scenario to maintain our "farang as victim" mindset...

Well, you keep your glass half empty, Jingthing. I'm gonna keep mine half full.

Personal insult fully acknowledged. Thank you Sir, may I have another?

BTW, I did not intend to suggest that it would have to get nearly as bad as 1918 for there to be a serious supply and demand problem for vaccine and treatment. Politically, this would be a minefield if foreigners got special breaks. If you read it that way, that there is a problem only if it gets as bad as 1918, my apologies. There is ALREADY a supply and demand problem for vaccine, there is NO vaccine.

BTW, I think my view is REALISTIC, nothing to to do with victim mentality. Push comes to shove, we don't really matter here and it is dangerous to assume differently.

Perhaps we should call this OSTRICH FLU?

Edited July 17, 2009 by Jingthing

[baht&sold]

-Government Pharmaceutical Organisation director Vithit Attavejchakul said the two million doses would be given to three groups - the first, physicians, nurses and other health personnel; the second, people with chronic and congenital diseases; and third, the country's top executives.

Bangkok Post July 16, 2009

-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he knew nothing about the country's executives being listed as priority groups to receive vaccines. He said it was too early to discuss the possibility of giving vaccines to those who were not classified in the high risk groups. "We have a limited amount," he said.

Bangkok Post July 17, 2009

[Chunkton]

If you get the Swine and feel that it could be life threatening, book into a suite in the best hospital in town, I am sure you will then get the best of what ever is available.

[animatic]

Anyway, I'm sure that if Tammiflu or the vaccine is available in Thailand, any of us scum farang will be able to walk into Bumrungrad and get a shot. Money talks.

I am not so sure about that. Lets say it costs 5000 baht to get either (as an example). You don't have to be a hiso Thai to have 5000 baht. I think it would be politically damaging to give foreigners live saving measures that are in limited supply before Thais. I can imagine draconian laws to prosecute doctors who give us any breaks in the event of a dire crisis. Imagine a dire crisis, it will not be civilized.

How about;

First come, First served, while supplies last.

[animatic]

Nobody knows... so let's create the worst possible scenario to maintain our "farang as victim" mindset...

Well, you keep your glass half empty, Jingthing. I'm gonna keep mine half full.

Personal insult fully acknowledged. Thank you Sir, may I have another?

BTW, I did not intend to suggest that it would have to get nearly as bad as 1918 for there to be a serious supply and demand problem for vaccine and treatment. Politically, this would be a minefield if foreigners got special breaks. If you read it that way, that there is a problem only if it gets as bad as 1918, my apologies. There is ALREADY a supply and demand problem for vaccine, there is NO vaccine.

BTW, I think my view is REALISTIC, nothing to to do with victim mentality. Push comes to shove, we don't really matter here and it is dangerous to assume differently.

Perhaps we should call this OSTRICH FLU?

OSTRICH FLU;

clearly unstoppable in the offices of Tourism Of Thailand.

But we won't know for sure till the mis-read the numbers again.

[Jingthing]

How about;

First come, First served, while supplies last.

Some people need the vaccine and treatment more than others, so I think that is a bad idea with a limited supply.

[LaoPo]

Dr Vichai said Thailand will sell 10 percent of the total production of 10 million doses to the WHO at a low price, while about five million people will receive the vaccine for free.

Am I missing something ?

Why did Thailand order just 10 million doses of the vaccine on a population of almost 66 Million people ?

For example: The Netherlands ordered 34 million doses, enough for 2 injections for every citizen (16.7 million people).

LaoPo

[Jingthing]

Why did Thailand order just 10 million doses of the vaccine on a population of almost 66 Million people ?

Money.

[LaoPo]

Why did Thailand order just 10 million doses of the vaccine on a population of almost 66 Million people ?

Money.

Don't think so. Thailand has enormous -US$- reserves.

I think they calculate that the poor(er) might not be so important, after all....

If you take The Netherlands as example, who ordered 2 injections of Tamiflu for every citizen, Thailand would need 132 Million doses (2 doses for 66 million people)....

They ordered 10 million doses; that's 7,5 % of what would be safe for their citizens....and of those 10 Million doses they give away 10% , =1 million doses- to the WHO.....

IF the pandemic would really hit Thailand.....well better stop here.

Poor Thailand.

LaoPo

[imjustagirl]

Why did Thailand order just 10 million doses of the vaccine on a population of almost 66 Million people ?

Money.

Don't think so. Thailand has enormous -US$- reserves.

I think they calculate that the poor(er) might not be so important, after all....

If you take The Netherlands as example, who ordered 2 injections of Tamiflu for every citizen, Thailand would need 132 Million doses (2 doses for 66 million people)....

They ordered 10 million doses; that's 7,5 % of what would be safe for their citizens....and of those 10 Million doses they give away 10% , =1 million doses- to the WHO.....

IF the pandemic would really hit Thailand.....well better stop here.

Poor Thailand.

LaoPo

In this land of copied meds they are likely creating their own version of the vaccine (like the aids meds that thailand defied intellectual property rights and produced anyway - with the begrudging support of WHO in the end) and provide for the poorer individuals?

Besides, isn't it the tamiflu resistant flu (a few cases of the mutation have appear here and there) that everyone is talking about being the real killer??? .....i still ain't takin it.

I'm not being a doomsayer but if the killer strain emerges, which i prey does not, isn't Tamiflu expected to be virtually redundent?

[animatic]

How about;

First come, First served, while supplies last.

Some people need the vaccine and treatment more than others, so I think that is a bad idea with a limited supply.

Sorry Jing, I thought it understood that high risk groups would be coming earliest.

[gpdjohn]

quote]

Why did Thailand order just 10 million doses of the vaccine on a population of almost 66 Million people ? Money.

Don't think so. Thailand has enormous -US$- reserves.

I think they calculate that the poor(er) might not be so important, after all....

You put it so lightly..

I would say that they just don't give a shit about the poor(er), it certainly shows in every aspect of their government on a daily basis now..

[sabaijai]

Thai drug-maker to make flu vaccine

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation (Thailand)

Publication Date: 17-07-2009

Thailand's Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) guarantees that the new typeA (H1N1) vaccine will work and that anybody suffering an adverse reaction to the vaccine will get 200,000 baht in compensation from the National Health Security Office (NHSO).

The French manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur, which is expected to deliver 2 million doses by the end of this year, however, does not make this guarantee.

Sanofi Pasteur has said it will not take any responsibility because not enough research has been done on the vaccine since it had to be produced in too short a time to deal with the pandemic.

Healthcare workers, medical personnel and doctors will be the first to be vaccinated, followed by medical personnel in southernmost provinces, and then security personnel and patients with chronic diseases.

Meanwhile, people who are allergic to eggs, those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, respiratory diseases as well as HIV/Aids will not be given this vaccine as they might develop serious reactions, GPO board chairman Dr Wichai Chokwiwat said.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai insisted that the vaccine was the real thing, and that any adverse reactions to it might be because the vaccine did not go through enough tests due to the speed at which it had to be produced.

Wichai said the vaccine had only undergone two tests: increased dosage and boosting immunity in humans.

According to international standards, a manufacturer does not need to run a clinical trial on 100,000 people to test a vaccine's efficiency in preventing infections if a rapid response is needed.

However, Witthaya said the vaccine would be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) before it is delivered to Thailand.

The fist batch of one million doses is expected to arrive by December and the remainder by January.

Since the vaccine will be given an EMEA stamp of approval, it does not need to go through the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Wichai said.

In a bid to increase the country's stockpile of vaccines to fight against the swineflu pandemic, GPO on Thursday imported the live seed of the virus from the Institute for Experimental Medicine in St Petersburg, Russia, to develop a vaccine for domestic use.

GPO will use the same technology as the Russian institute because it has been producing seasonal flu vaccine for 30 years now.

To ensure the safety and efficacy of the locally made vaccine, Wichai said GPO will hire World Health Organisation experts at 48,200 baht each to monitor and verify the production.

The locally made vaccine also has to be certified by the Department of Medical Science and registered by the FDA. Tests will initially be conducted on ferrets and then on humans in two phases next month. So far 30 people have signed up for the first phase and another 400 volunteers will take part in the second phase. The clinical trial will run for 120 days and GPO expects to produce 2.8 million doses by the end of this year.

The vaccine will be produced at a pilot plant at Silpakorn University's faculty of pharmaceutical sciences in Nakhon Pathom.

-- The Nation 2009-07-18

[baht&sold]

Please indicate where: "Hi-so Thais To Get “unstoppable” Swine Flu Vaccine First" originates from and what was TV's purpose in 'shaping' news?

[LaoPo]

Please indicate where: "Hi-so Thais To Get “unstoppable” Swine Flu Vaccine First" originates from and what was TV's purpose in 'shaping' news?

The way I read the OP article, it was written by John le Fevre (maybe exclusively) for ThaiVisa? I can't answer your other question.

LaoPo

[hughben]

I'll take my chances and not take this drug.

They admitted that 'swine flu' was created in a lab months ago.

“This strain of swine influenza that’s been cultured in a laboratory is something that’s not been seen anywhere actually in the United States and the world, so this is actually a new strain of influenza that’s been identified,” said Dr. John Carlo, Dallas Co. Medical Director

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...0424.wswine0424

Some profits will be made from this untested drug.

Side effects and you'll get 200,000 bht? Can anyone imagine the red tape for that? And how do you go about it if you're in a coma?

And these companies that produce the drugs aren't angels.

For example, Baxter whose product contained the live bird flu virus.

And vaccine companies have been caught distributing vaccines contaminated with deadly viruses such as Bayer in 2006. Their injection drug, which was used by hemophiliacs, was contaminated with the HIV virus.

Anyway, regular flu kills around 300 every week in the US.

How many die of TB daily in Thailand?

It's around 300/day in Mexico City (where the outbreak started).

[Jingthing]

in Mexico City (where the outbreak started).

Or maybe it actually started in Asia:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/health/24flu.html

[animatic]

I'll take my chances and not take this drug.

They admitted that 'swine flu' was created in a lab months ago.

“This strain of swine influenza that’s been cultured in a laboratory is something that’s not been seen anywhere actually in the United States and the world, so this is actually a new strain of influenza that’s been identified,” said Dr. John Carlo, Dallas Co. Medical Director

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...0424.wswine0424

Some profits will be made from this untested drug.

Side effects and you'll get 200,000 bht? Can anyone imagine the red tape for that? And how do you go about it if you're in a coma?

And these companies that produce the drugs aren't angels.

For example, Baxter whose product contained the live bird flu virus.

And vaccine companies have been caught distributing vaccines contaminated with deadly viruses such as Bayer in 2006. Their injection drug, which was used by hemophiliacs, was contaminated with the HIV virus.

Anyway, regular flu kills around 300 every week in the US.

How many die of TB daily in Thailand?

It's around 300/day in Mexico City (where the outbreak started).

They are not saying this was "created in a laboratory" they said "cultured".

This means isolated and raised to large numbers so it can be analyzed and a vacine created.

This in now way says it was a genetically modified organism.

Yes I agree no angels in the business world, or drug business world.

Though most companies do take care to make safe products if possible.

Yet rushing a anti-viral to market certainly has risks greater than reselling licensed Aspirin

after 90+ years on the market.

[Rainmon]

OK, I have a question.

If you are an expat here living on a non-immigrant visa and you have one the medical conditions normally putting you at the top of the queue to get the vaccine (such as asthma/diabetes) are you included on this priority or not?

Some people just don't get it.

FARANG in Thailand are considered SCUM, the pits of the Thai society, irregardless of how good a ATM you might be, they are only interested in your money, certainly not your health.

On a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being top priority, FARANG rate 0.

Flame me all you like, but its true.

Yes I understand the attitude toward Farang here, but the point is, if a Farang is in the priority medical group to get the vaccine first, he should, because if he gets infected he can spread it to the Thai's! Geez we are all human beings here this just make good sense for the health of everyone!!

...but I don't know if they will use this logic on who gets the first vaccine hits, if they don't, then they are STUPID and will endanger the health of everyone else...

[sabaijai]

Topic title changed to better reflect news content.

[animatic]

Sanofi Pasteur has a good rep in France, if I remember correctly.

[gunnyd]

I'd say let them have the vaccine first. That way we can find out if the vaccine is worse than the disease.

After the 1976 swine flu debacle I wouldn't want to be the first in line for the new vaccine.