News Forum - Sinovac to be added to UK’s approved vaccine list for inbound travel

[Thaiger]

Brits residing in Thailand, and vaccinated with the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, can rejoice as the UK adds it to the list of approved vaccines. According to a Reuters report, the British government has confirmed that from November 22, vaccines on the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Use Listing, which includes Sinovac, Sinopharm, and India’s Covaxin, will be recognised. The move will make it significantly easier for travellers fully inoculated with any of those vaccines to enter the UK without the need for home isolation. The UK will now accept vaccine certificates issued by over 135 approved countries, meaning arrivals will not […]

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[Saltire]

What about mix and match?

1 x Sinovac and 1 x Astra Zenica accepted?

 

[gummy]

6 minutes ago, Saltire said:

What about mix and match?

1 x Sinovac and 1 x Astra Zenica accepted?

Well as both are accepted anyway I doubt that should be an issue, but who knows.

[Stonker]

11 minutes ago, Saltire said:

What about mix and match?

1 x Sinovac and 1 x Astra Zenica accepted?

Mixed vaccines approved for the EU, for UK since September, for USA since October.

It all depends what country you want to go to and if the vaccine is approved, and for some countries where your vaccine was made / given. 

[Stonker]

2 minutes ago, gummy said:

... but who knows.

I do .

[gummy]

Just now, Stonker said:

Mixed vaccines approved for the EU, for UK since mid September, for USA since late October.

It all depends what country you want to go to and if the vaccine is approved, and for some countries where your vaccine was made / given. 

But the thread is about Sinovac being approved by the UK, ( Eng, Scotland, Wales & NI ) . What  other countries  approved it and what other countries think about it with respect to made/given is irrelevant to this thread.

[Saltire]

4 minutes ago, gummy said:

But the thread is about Sinovac being approved by the UK, ( Eng, Scotland, Wales & NI ) . What  other countries  approved it and what other countries think about it with respect to made/given is irrelevant to this thread.

Thanks foor the replies.

It's also irrelevant as I still have not received my vax certificate. The village chief is reading out names of those who can go to his house and pick them up, but he gets through only about 10 a week!

Everyday I listen for my name but not heard 'farang' so far.

 

[Stonker]

To beat @BlueSphinx to it, what seems absurd is that while many countries (edit: including UK!) are now accepting a 'go anywhere' vaccine passport with Sinovac, which is known to be next to useless against Delta which is the dominant strain (98% in Thailand) so those with it may as well not be vaccinated at all, very few are accepting proof of prior infection which is at least as good as any combination of vaccines even with a booster.

I'm not supporting not being vaccinated in any way, as being vaccinated improves protection for those who've been infected as well, but this move just shows how little real thought or rationality goes into some of these moves.

[Stonker]

9 minutes ago, gummy said:

But the thread is about Sinovac being approved by the UK, ( Eng, Scotland, Wales & NI ) . What  other countries  approved it and what other countries think about it with respect to made/given is irrelevant to this thread.

I was answering @Saltire's question, as you were. Sorry if that somehow offended you.

[Saltire]

16 minutes ago, Stonker said:

proof of prior infection which is at least as good as any combination of vaccines even with a booster.

 

Serious question - is there a test for having had covid before? Its more than possible the wife and I had it Jan 2020 on a trip to Bangkok. She had all the symptoms, me, nothing.

 

[Stonker]

15 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Serious question - is there a test for having had covid before? Its more than possible the wife and I had it Jan 2020 on a trip to Bangkok. She had all the symptoms, me, nothing.

Yes there is, but it's not straightforward as it involves measuring assorted antibodies (layman's term) so I expect it would be more expensive and harder to find than a PCR test.

What I and as far as I know most in favour of giving prior infection some recognition are in favour of whether pro or anti-vax, isn't testing for it but just recognising those who've had a positive PCR test.

That would be just as easy to include on a 'vaccine passport' as details of the jabs, but virtually no-one does it.

It just seems absurd that countries like the UK recognise Sinovac which is known to be useless while not recognising prior infection which is known to be very effective.

[poohy]

Fantastic news i can stop pestering Prachuap health authority for booster

time look into booking a flight

 

Fish n chips Indian curry's and real beer!

[mcambl61]

now you this whole thing is farce when this crap is approved.

[Saltire]

19 minutes ago, Stonker said:

Yes there is, but it's not straightforward as it involves measuring assorted antibodies (layman's term) so I expect it would be more expensive and harder to find than a PCR test.

What I and as far as I know most in favour of giving prior infection some recognition are in favour of whether pro or anti-vax, isn't testing for it but just recognising those who've had a positive PCR test.

That would be just as easy to include on a 'vaccine passport' as details of the jabs, but virtually no-one does it.

It just seems absurd that countries like the UK recognise Sinovac which is known to be useless while not recognising prior infection which is known to be very effective.

Makes a lot of sense, however it may be their positive could be a false-positive.  Perhaps a positive with symptoms would be better.

If you were sick with Covid in hospital perhaps they could give you an 'I've had covid' badge when they release you.

 

[Bob20]

16 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Makes a lot of sense, however it may be their positive could be a false-positive.  Perhaps a positive with symptoms would be better.

If you were sick with Covid in hospital perhaps they could give you an 'I've had covid' badge when they release you.

 

53 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Serious question - is there a test for having had covid before? Its more than possible the wife and I had it Jan 2020 on a trip to Bangkok. She had all the symptoms, me, nothing.

Off topic but answering an important question:

Natural immunity wanes, just like after receiving vaccination, so a "Covid badge" is a non-starter.

However, documenting it like with vaccination makes sense.

You can test for vaccine effectiveness and previous infection and remaining natural immunity at many hospitals. Price between 1500-2000 baht plus service fees.

No point me sending some hospital names, as I don't know where you are, but you can google it.

[Saltire]

8 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

so a "Covid badge" is a non-starter.

Joke, Bob, joke

Thanks for the info, I am in Kanchanaburi, will google it but there is only 1 private hospital here. I usually get referred to Bangkok or elsewhere for just about anything.

 

[Stonker]

2 hours ago, Saltire said:

Makes a lot of sense, however it may be their positive could be a false-positive.  Perhaps a positive with symptoms would be better.

If you were sick with Covid in hospital perhaps they could give you an 'I've had covid' badge when they release you.

Actually here they do - or at least a certificate you can use nationally.

Seriously - travel to Phuket, vaccinated only areas, etc.

Thailand is one of the few countries to recognise this.

FWIW at first I dismissed this out of hand as it was an "anti-vaxxer" meme so I tarred it with the same brush which was grossly unfair - all the evidence is now absolute about this, and it's absolutely absurd for any country, particularly the UK at the moment, to recognise Sinovac as an effective vaccine on the same level as others but completely ignore the protection from being previously infected.

[Stonker]

11 hours ago, Saltire said:

Joke, Bob, joke

As all the studies so far have shown conclusively, natural immunity wanes at a slower rate than vaccines - slower than the mRNA vaccines, and considerably slower than the others.

..... and even after several months, it's still way better than Sinovac is even at its peak.

There's simply no reason not to include it in a 'vaccine passport', which is what I think you were suggesting, but it just doesn't suit some people and that could be because unfortunately it's 'tainted' by association with anti-vaxxers.

On a separate note, albeit veering off-topic, you're very unlikely to find a local hospital that can test you adequately as it's far from as straightforward as it sounds as there are so many variables and you'll need a specialist, particularly if you've already been vaccinated as I think you have and it's nearly two years since you thought you may have been infected. 

[Soidog]

16 hours ago, Saltire said:

Everyday I listen for my name but not heard 'farang' so far.

Download the Thai App and get your vaccination certificate and load it in to your phone.

[Saltire]

3 hours ago, Soidog said:

Download the Thai App and get your vaccination certificate and load it in to your phone.

Don't have a 13 digit number to get started. No pink ID or yellow book number.

Edited November 10, 2021 by Saltire

[Faz]

20 hours ago, Saltire said:

It's also irrelevant as I still have not received my vax certificate. The village chief is reading out names of those who can go to his house and pick them up, but he gets through only about 10 a week!

Many test centres issue the vax certificates immediately after receiving the second shot.
Obviously your centre didn't, enquire at the Provincial hospital.

[gummy]

21 hours ago, Saltire said:

The village chief is reading out names of those who can go to his house and pick them up

Not sure why he is involved, nothing to do with him and he is not authorised to keep or even ask for confidential information as that is in the domain of your local health centre and government approved health workers in your Tambon/Amphur which I guess this guy is not. Obviously you have not got yours so possibly can not answer the questions but are these "certificates" being handed out actually approved and registered into the Thai system as all legitimate ones are ?

 As @Faz said go to your provincial health centre. They will ask for the date and approx time of your vaccination(s) and naturally passport details and where you had it. It will be on the central database.

[Saltire]

49 minutes ago, gummy said:

Not sure why he is involved, nothing to do with him and he is not authorised to keep or even ask for confidential information as that is in the domain of your local health centre and government approved health workers in your Tambon/Amphur which I guess this guy is not. Obviously you have not got yours so possibly can not answer the questions but are these "certificates" being handed out actually approved and registered into the Thai system as all legitimate ones are ?

 As @Faz said go to your provincial health centre. They will ask for the date and approx time of your vaccination(s) and naturally passport details and where you had it. It will be on the central database.

@Faz @gummyOk so here is how it works here in the sticks.

I was refused for 'Thai-only' many, many times at all the vax centres (local clinic, district and provincial hospitals) for months, so when the village chief announced a walk-in day for all locals, migrants and me, I went along for the 1 SV 1AZ. I had had no reply from expatvac.com.

The vax day was all paper driven and handwritten, held in the village hall. I got a slip to take for the second jab. The jabs were carried out by the local clinic staff (3) but all the paperwork went to the district hospital in Sangkhla Buri, about an hour from me. They are now entering all the paperwork into the database and delivering official certificates to the poo yai who tannoys your name. The wife was lucky and got hers on the first day. We had both jabs the same days so its a matter of time till they get through several thousand papers. Not the most efficient.

The wife of the poo yai leads the volunteers and she has since told everyone if they are in a hurry (i'm not really) then you can go to the district hospital and request your certificate.

The wife can't see her details on the app, she thinks they may have her phone number wrong so maybe it's not actually in the database.

I can't try the app as I have no 13 digit number, and as they took my passport AND Thai driving licence which has my old passport number, I have no idea what my number is for the app.

If we have a need to go to Sangkhla Buri we will visit the hospital, but will wait a bit longer.

I attribute this and many other local events to being in the sticks and we will revive our plan to move when and if covid takes a break.

Finaly two weeks after my second jab I got a text from expatvac to go to the provincial hospital for 2 Pfeizer, but too late.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by Saltire

[Faz]

39 minutes ago, gummy said:

Not sure why he is involved, nothing to do with him and he is not authorised to keep or even ask for confidential information as that is in the domain of your local health centre and government approved health workers in your Tambon/Amphur which I guess this guy is not.

Depends on the Province Gummy.

When they first started taking registration for public vaccinations earlier this year, the local Health authority arranged for the Poo Yai Baans of each village to take registration details, rather than queues at the local hospitals. That's exactly how I registered and before the 'expatvac' site was launched.

I'm guessing @Saltire lives in an outlying village and thus they've arranged for the village heads to collect and distribute the vaccine certificates locally.
If he personally goes to his Provincial Health centre he can also obtain the Yellow vaccination passport.
They will automatically supply this on request to foreigners, but only to Thais if they can show they have an upcoming overseas flight.

[Saltire]

6 minutes ago, Faz said:

Depends on the Province Gummy.

When they first started taking registration for public vaccinations earlier this year, the local Health authority arranged for the Poo Yai Baans of each village to take registration details, rather than queues at the local hospitals. That's exactly how I registered and before the 'expatvac' site was launched.

I'm guessing @Saltire lives in an outlying village and thus they've arranged for the village heads to collect and distribute the vaccine certificates locally.
If he personally goes to his Provincial Health centre he can also obtain the Yellow vaccination passport.
They will automatically supply this on request to foreigners, but only to Thais if they can show they have an upcoming overseas flight.

Exactly right, thanks.

I am well out in the sticks, the closest 7/11 is 40 Km and my IO is 170 Km.

Incidentally when I was attempting to use expatvac, Tanee Sangrat of the MFA tweeted me thet Kanchanaburi was 'not a primary province' and has less than 200 registered foreigners (farang - as it has thousands of migrant foreigners)

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by Saltire