[tiwil]

Great news from Indonesia. Moderna just got accepted by our govt and probably will be used very soon. After 3 steps test, it records 94,1% efficacy for 18-65 y/o and ~85% efficacy for 65 y/or or older. Aaahh, I wish I got Moderna, not the one from China. But whatever, I got vaccinated anyway.

[deanhills]

Great news from Indonesia. Moderna just got accepted by our govt and probably will be used very soon. After 3 steps test, it records 94,1% efficacy for 18-65 y/o and ~85% efficacy for 65 y/or or older. Aaahh, I wish I got Moderna, not the one from China. But whatever, I got vaccinated anyway.

3 steps!  That has to make it a very expensive vaccine to administer. Not only the vaccines, but the manpower to administer the vaccines. Pfizer for me is in the same league as Moderna, but it only has two steps, and after the 2nd step it seems to be equally good.  Now Johnson & Johnson is reckoning it's single dose is effective against the new Delta variant.  Of the three Johnson & Johnson is the least complicated.  J&J vaccines don't require refrigeration and only one dose is needed.  However I still have more confidence in Pfizer.  

Anyway, today I was able to buy Ivermectin capsules from a local pharmacy after getting a doctor's prescription for it.  The Delta variant is in full force in South Africa with almost 21,000 new cases recorded per day.  Vaccinations are moving very slowly and even if I decided to take the vaccine, it's still a long way before my turn will come.  Ivermectin is anti-parasite medication that seems to be working well for people who have had Covid 19 here.  Some use it as preventative.  Others when they get the virus.  I'm using Neem - a health product that seems to have same basic effects as Ivermectin but just less potent - as preventative.  Hopefully I won't get the virus, but if and when I do, I'll take the Ivermectin.  When Ivermectin is taken during the course of Covid 19, vs preventative, the dosages are much larger.  However, you only take it for one week, like an anti-biotic.

In the meanwhile I'm also relieved my chance hasn't come yet as the administration of the vaccinations has been pretty chaotic.  I reckon the longer they are doing the vaccinations, the more experienced they become, and also hopefully the developers of the vaccines are improvising the vaccines as new variants crop up.  By the time my turn comes I may have a totally different perspective of vaccines.

Canada now allows people across the border without needing the 3-day stay in a hotel while they are being tested - if they can show proof of vaccination (in advance of travel) (of course vaccination that Canada approves). One still has to submit a quarantine plan and also additional proof of a negative test that was taken within 72 hours before arrival.  I was hoping to get to Canada next year, so that may be a reason I'll go for vaccination, if and when those rules still apply.  One thing with Covid 19, the rules and restrictions seem to be changing all of the time.  And there are different ones for different countries, enough to confuse global travellers.

[tiwil]

3 steps!  That has to make it a very expensive vaccine to administer. Not only the vaccines, but the manpower to administer the vaccines. Pfizer for me is in the same league as Moderna, but it only has two steps, ...

Ah! I think I've choose wrong words. It's actually 3 phase test. We conduct our own test even though producer already do test. Our govt want to make sure it's perfectly fine to be used by locals here. Who know there might be difference between producer and our country

Anyway the side-effect is OK-ish. I read the side effect only pain in injection area, muscles, and joint, headache, and a bit of fatigue. Perfectly fine for ~95% efficacy. Thanks God it's still better than AZ.

[deanhills]

Ah! I think I've choose wrong words. It's actually 3 phase test. We conduct our own test even though producer already do test. Our govt want to make sure it's perfectly fine to be used by locals here. Who know there might be difference between producer and our country

Anyway the side-effect is OK-ish. I read the side effect only pain in injection area, muscles, and joint, headache, and a bit of fatigue. Perfectly fine for ~95% efficacy. Thanks God it's still better than AZ.

OK now I understand thanks for explaining @tiwil.  I've got respect for your Government testing it.  In South Africa looks like the Government is going to do the same with testing the Chinese vaccine Sinovac.  Although I can't help but think that maybe they've already made a decision about it in the background with trying to please the Chinese.  I totally agree, vaccines may work differently in different environments and it's very important that they should be tested first.  Hopefully South Africa will give the testing a proper period of time instead of treating it like a quickie formality.

What is interesting to learn yesterday was that the Johnson@Johnson vaccine that is only administered once, only has a life span of 8 months.  So those who had been first to receive the vaccine 8 months ago now need to be vaccinated again.  I wonder how that would effect the vaccine totals!  Hopefully they will subtract the total of J&J vaccinated individuals who need to be revaccinated.  To give credit to the Government.  At least they are alert to this.  I wonder whether Pfizer may be in the same boat.  And wonder how long the Pfizer vaccination will last.  The greater number of Pfizer vaccinated individuals are still waiting for their booster shots.

[mzltest]

OK now I understand thanks for explaining @tiwil.  I've got respect for your Government testing it.  In South Africa looks like the Government is going to do the same with testing the Chinese vaccine Sinovac.  Although I can't help but think that maybe they've already made a decision about it in the background with trying to please the Chinese.  I totally agree, vaccines may work differently in different environments and it's very important that they should be tested first.  Hopefully South Africa will give the testing a proper period of time instead of treating it like a quickie formality.

Yeah it needs re-testing before using a foreign vaccine.Actually as previously I might mentioned,is in blocked social medias like twitter,there are people saying the actual protection rate might is just around 50% and recently in Bilibili(native media) I saw they
admitting this statement but saying that the rate is lower than actual because not all control group attenders got covid-19. So I'd say it's safe , but I won't say it is that effective.

And yes.The vaccine expires within a year so that's another problem. It might be effective,but not efficient.It looks like you have to go to hospital not for diease,just for vaccination annually or less,thus probably the tendency for more doses that strengthen or just renew the effect will go down everytime a new shot is required.

[pqhosting]

Hello everybody! Today I want to up a question. Do you really need a vaccine? If you are young, heatlhy, take care of yourself, do much sport activity does your immune system let corona virus come into you? We should remember, that if you take a vaccine, you also can be a carrier of the corona. What is your opinion?

[tbelldesignco]

I think so, but I was also brought up in a house that we got what vaccines were recommended to us, including H1N1 and the immunization for HPV. The vaccine helps prevent the spread and the immune response to the virus, so you could carry it and your body be fighting an active infection, but you will not break a fever and spread the virus.

[sagher]

Here i have some questions.
COVID subsequently changes there shape and DNA to be survive in the world.
After vaccination. many many people die here even some of my close relatives.
After vaccination thousands of people again infected. and more dangerously infected and covid eat there lungs more fastly.
You still need all protection however you vaccinated or not. waring mask. using sanitizer, keep distance, less outside visit, less gathering, etc..

SO WHAT VACCINE GIVE US?

[tryp4vps]

..... Do you really need a vaccine? If you are young, heatlhy, take care of yourself....

It depends. Because I think the current trend is that more and more countries will require vaccination for foreign visitors.

And it does not matter if you are really healthy or not.

Therefore if you do plan to travel overseas in the next months or so, it is still better to take vaccine first.

[deanhills]

Hello everybody! Today I want to up a question. Do you really need a vaccine? If you are young, heatlhy, take care of yourself, do much sport activity does your immune system let corona virus come into you? We should remember, that if you take a vaccine, you also can be a carrier of the corona. What is your opinion?

@pqhosting  Please check before you start a new topic in the Corona Virus Forum.  I've merged your topic with a topic that already exists.

And in answer to your question.  Yes, I do believe we need a vaccine.  But I don't think the vaccines that are currently available can fully protect us against the Corona Virus.  Only partially.  And also only for a limited period of time.

I disagree that your immune system can protect you fully when you're in contact with the corona virus.  This is the thing. Scientists still only have limited information available about the virus.  Very healthy individuals can get seriously ill from the virus.  Different individuals respond differently.  In the beginning they said the old people were the most vulnerable.  But with the new strains different age groups are vulnerable as well.  It's almost as though when scientists just begin to think they can describe the virus, that it changes its face and new research has to be undertaken.

The world at one point sounded so happy they have succeeded to vaccinate millions of people, until new strains started to make their appearance.  For example, people who have been vaccinated with Pfizer now have a reduced protection against the Delta strain.  

I think it's going to take some time for countries to develop their immigration policies for allowing visitors in.  As obviously having been vaccinated doesn't mean one can't pass on the virus.  There has to be proof of vaccination given.  Expiry date of vaccination.  Whether the type of vaccination is acceptable.  And the country may still ask for a test to show that the vaccinated person tested negative within X hours before entry into the country.  To check through those documents is going to be a great head ache for sure.  I'm also certain there's going to be plenty of fraud as well.  It's definitely not going to be easy to travel internationally from a Covid 19 point of view. Not while the numbers are still as high as they are. And when there are so many different vaccines with a variety of percentage efficacy.

Bottomline, most vaccines are tested for 3 years before they are released. Basically the vaccines for Covid 19 that are used have only been around for almost a year making the millions of vaccinated people test cases. I don't think we've turned the corner yet to get a vaccine that completely protects one against the Corona Virus.