Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Health Minister volunteering to receive first Covid jab, as effectiveness rate questioned

Published

Saturday, January 16, 2021 11:14

Maya Taylor

PHOTO: Wikimedia

“I’ll go first!”

Thailand’s Public Health Minister has repeated his pledge to be the first person to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, in a bid to allay people’s concerns. Questions have been raised about the Chinese-manufactured Sinovac Biotech jab after its effectiveness rating was revised downwards by researchers in Brazil.

Anutin Charnvirakul says the vaccine process will be overseen by Sophon Mekthon from the Ministry of Public Health and all safety criteria will be met. The Pattaya News reports that the minister says he has confidence in the safety of the vaccine and is willing to prove it by being the first person to get the jab. It’s not the first time he has made this suggestion but there has been no official confirmation that the Health Minister will be first in line.

Thailand has ordered 2 million doses of the vaccine, with the first 200,000 expected to arrive next month. The government has also ordered 26 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca in partnership with Oxford University but is not expected to take delivery of that vaccine until the middle of the year.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News

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News Categories: Coronavirus (Covid-19) Thailand

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30 Comments

Andrew

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 11:39 am

Is this Chinese vaccine manufactured in Wuhan?

Reply
- Greg
  
  Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 11:41 am
  
  Sure IS Andrew. No way in hell would i touch that.
  
  Reply
  - Slugger
    
    Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 3:17 pm
    
    Please yourself. The alternative might kill you and then we dont have to
    worry do we?
    
    Reply
- Issan John
  
  Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 6:01 pm
  
  Actually Beijing, with another in sao Paulo, Brazil.
  
  Sinovac’s actually 15% Thai owned by the CP Group.
  
  Reply
Mark Wilkinson

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 11:39 am

Time to mandate anti discrimination laws to protect the freedom of the people who choose not to take the vaccine

Reply
- The Thaiger
  
  Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 1:31 pm
  
  I don’t think this is a discrimination issue as much as a public health issue at this time.
  
  Reply
- Pete
  
  Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 1:44 pm
  
  It’s already illegal to discriminate against the mentally disabled.
  
  Reply
  - Siso
    
    Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 2:34 pm
    
    Better watch out the miracle juice shot won’t mentally and physically disable you
    
    Reply
Issan John

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 12:36 pm

About as absurd as his opposite numbers doing the same thing in the West – if it’s as safe and effective as it’s claimed to be (“the vaccine is still 78% effective in preventing mild cases that do need treatment and 100% effective at preventing moderate to serious infections”) then I’d be trampling over him to get Sinovac’s vaccine as “100%” is one heck of a lot better than 90 / 93 / 95 or whatever %, but without knowing who it was trialled on, who knows?

Like most others here I’m happy to pay for my choice of vaccine, and I’m sure there’ll be a choice of at least two (AstraZeneca / Siam Bioscience or Sinovac), but I’d like to have something credible to base that choice on.

Reply
- ice cream licker
  
  Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 7:23 pm
  
  But shouldnt only people who are afraid of dying from covid need to get it? Because then those people won’t die from covid..
  
  What if I am not worried about dying from covid and I dont want the vaccine, but everyone who is afraid of dying gets it will this be allowed?
  
  Who would I still be considered a danger to?
  
  Reply
  - Issan John
    
    Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 7:34 pm
    
    Sorry, but I’ve no idea why you’re asking me.
    
    As far as I’m concerned if you’re “not worried about dying from covid and dont want the vaccine” then don’t have it.
    
    Entirely up to you …
    
    Reply
Siso

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 12:44 pm

In Norway 23 elderly people died already from the Pfizer vaccine because of the side effects of this shit. Health ministry there put a warning out already, and they only vaccinated 20.000 people at this point…

These vaccines been pushed thru with emergency laws and only now the research has really began of what this will do with people on global scale and not to mention the long term effects which nobody still has a clue of

Reply
- London Al
  
  Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 2:32 am
  
  There is no correlation between these deaths in Norway and the vaccine other than the deceased had received the jab, with zero evidence you’ve decided there is and made it a statement of fact, that’s worrying because some people actually believe this garbage
  
  As ever with doom mongers you have no ideas on how to deal with over 15,000 Covid deaths per day, indeed you seem quite happy for that to continue whilst you question vaccines that have been created and approved by the world’s finest minds.
  
  Reply
  - Siso
    
    Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 11:12 am
    
    Just a big coincidence that 13 people had the same symptoms and died horribly shortly after the injections… use you common sense man. Also what many forget is that this mRNA isn’t that new and was developed already in1989 to combat Zika, Rabies etc but never made it to human trials because of all the severe and bad side effects. On the official websites of the CDC or RIVM ( Netherlands) and the other agencies monitoring all this, they clearly state that this is a pretty much a major test trial on global scale and ask the people we got the injections and have side effects to Report it asap because they are building a database because they themselves don’t even exactly know what still could go wrong or missed in the small and short trials they did, and don’t even start about the long term effects because they are pretty much not known, and that will take at least some years to really see what these mRNA vaccines will have caused and that’s what every expert agrees on simple as that. These pharmaceutical giants have immunity for some very good reasons and the trials subjects have been paid about 8000 euros to take part so theres little liability for the big guys and they know that so the rollout of these vaccines is big and fast and it feels like they are throwing all the different cooked up spaghettis at the will to see what sticks
    
    Reply
    - Issan John
      
      Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 7:39 pm
      
      Not questioning anything else, Siso, but I don’t think “the trials subjects have been paid about 8000 euros to take part”. After all, all those being vaccinated now are technically and formally part of Phase 4 trials and AFAIK none are being paid.
      
      Reply
  - Manu
    
    Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 11:33 am
    
    @London Al, your statement is just as wrong: you cannot say there is “no correlation” as it is currently being investigated and nobody knows yet. So perhaps Siso is wrong but perhaps it will be you and in that case, i can give you back your sentence: “that’s worrying because some people actually believe this garbage”
    
    Just an intersting fact: Israel has vaccinated 20% of its population since the 24th December. The number of tested positive has increased by 400% since, they entered their third lockdown(for this exclusivity by the way, Pfizer has increased the price of its vaccine by 40% and Israel agreed). The UK have vaccinated around 2 millions people since the 4th December, 300% increase on daily tested positive. Now before Pr. IJ and others jump at me, of course one understands logically that it will take months to show some results (positive or negative) and nobody can predict how long or even if it will work at all. My point is this: I hope you all guys have some savings on the side (and I suspect you do) cause 2021 will be a year of misery for 100 of millions of people on this planet: small businesses closing down by the millions (already and on and on…), same with jobs, poverty, starvation, mental illnesses, suicides, etc… etc… and I am not even mentioning the disapearance of some basic liberties, some of them we might never get back… And after 2021? My guess is: more of this to come. Surely there is another way???
    
    My personal hope is certainly not a vaccine (that I do not need like the vast majority of people). It is simply that Sars-cov-2 disapear off the face of the Earth like the first sars-cov did after 2 years some years ago. Otherwise this madness might just go on and on…forever.
    
    Reply
    - Issan John
      
      Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 7:51 pm
      
      So what is this “other way”, Manu?
      
      A visit from Harry Potter?
      
      Reply
      - Manu
        
        Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 10:02 pm
        
        Don’t you realise that your way might not be the way. And how would you know if you do not question anything? The other way? Not your way. And … Harry Potter now? There I have to start feeling sorry for you… and that’s your answer, so tired trying to convince people vaguely thinking like you that no arguments reallly convince the other way. Honestly mate, get a life and think straight. cheers anyway
  - Issan John
    
    Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 7:47 pm
    
    So how do you “deal with over 15,000 Covid deaths per day”, London A1?
    
    Let it run rampant then desperately vaccinate everyone, ignoring the manufacturers’ and “world’s finest minds'” recommendations?
    
    Or by making sure, as far as humanly possible, that you don’t get “15,000 Covid deaths per day” or your share of them?
    
    Just asking … I know which option I prefer.
    
    Reply
Siso

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 1:11 pm

Edit: about 30.000 are vaccinated in Norway and reports state that a bunch of other people had severe side effects as well. Now you can claim that these where already very fragile people with conditions, but still it isn’t very positive and encouraging news this early in this global science project and I do agree that if you want to get the miracle juice you should at least have a choice of what manufacturer you would like looking at the different stats they have

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 4:06 pm
  
  Agreed, Siso, for a change. I wouldn’t touch an mRNA vaccine with a bargepole until the results from the “Phase 4” trials are well and truly in, which won’t be for years, and I’m happy to let others be the guinea pigs for a totally new vaccine based, in the case of Moderna and Pfizer, on totally new and untried technology.
  
  I’d be happy with the AstraZeneca / Siam BioScience vaccine, but I’d no sooner trust Moderna or Pfizer’s mRNA vaccines than I would Sinovac’s at the moment.
  
  Reply
  - gosport
    
    Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 4:42 pm
    
    It is not guinea pig, it is called trail blazer.
    
    Reply
    - Issan John
      
      Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 5:57 pm
      
      I gave up trail blazing some time ago.
      
      Reply
- gosport
  
  Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 4:40 pm
  
  They don’t drag Pfizer to court? no three fingers on street?
  
  I can understand why Turkey President took Sinovacs. I prefer to take the one the minister takes.
  
  Reply
  - Issan John
    
    Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 6:02 pm
    
    Maybe two fingers …
    
    Reply
- Alavan
  
  Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 5:24 pm
  
  Funny.
  Pfizer is vaccinated everywhere in the EU and nowhere the same problems.
  Belgium, more than 23000 elderly (in homes) vaccinated, one person older than 80 died, but they have still to check what it was from. 10 people had mild to severe side effects.
  In 2 months, I will take <hat they give me. Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zenneca, but preferably Johnson & Johnson where only one vaccination is necessary.
  
  Reply
Patrick Kelly

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 11:49 pm

Not sure I’d trust anything coming out of China…case in point!

Beijing continues today to withhold vital information that scientists need to protect the world from this deadly virus, and the next one,” Pompeo said.. This from the Secretary of State -USA

He just might have more real time information than we can ever fathom.

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 10:16 pm
  
  Who to trust? Mike Pompeo and his mate Trump or China?
  
  I think I’d prefer a rabid dog …
  
  Reply
  - Andrew
    
    Monday, January 18, 2021 at 6:47 am
    
    1/3 of all comments here are from…you. Don’t you think it’s time to get a break. It’s very annoying IJ !!!
    
    Reply
Leo Z

Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 5:47 am

Folks, the Chinese themselves don’t trust their own vaccines, why should you? Look up the companies behind them and their history of corruption.

Reply

Maya Taylor

A seasoned writer, with a degree in Creative Writing. Over ten years' experience in producing blog and magazine articles, news reports and website content.

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