Have you received a vaccination for covid yet? How?

Swee Loke wrote:

Yes, this is very common. They actually detest all things Chinese owing to history, battles etc as the Chinese had suppressed them. However, remnants of Chinese culture are still widely seen in District 5 and these days, quite a few Chinese products, appliances and so on are seen in local markets. As for vaccines,  its hard to make a mindset shift overnight. You are right,  a vaccine is better than none; but are they enlightened enough?

They still buy Chinese products because they are cheaper. Viet Nam spent $85 billion on Chinese goods last year. Thats not counting the stuff that gets smuggled into the country. Vietnamese are not patriotic when it comes to  products, money rules.

THIGV wrote:

My wife told me last night that her sister and most of her sister's family had declined the Chinese made Sinovac inoculation.  While I have read that it may not be as good as Astra-Zenica or the three types approved in the US, it certainly must be much better then no vaccine at all.   It seems that her refusal was based on the common Vietnamese dislike of anything from China.  Is this common among local people?

Fortunately her son was vaccinated at his University but I don't know with what.

I dont know how effective it is but my best mate & all my ex work mates & their wives in Dubai office     ( about 50 people in total) have had the Sinovac vaccine & they had no bad side effects at all.

THIGV wrote:

...    It seems that her refusal was based on the common Vietnamese dislike of anything from China.  Is this common among local people?

My Vietnamese family is very aware of food poisoning incidents in China. Chinese vaccine goes in the body like Chinese food goes in the body, so ...

No doubt it is also another excuse to twist the knife in their neighbor. I wonder how much food Vietnam imports from there? Probably not so much.

Excerpt of article from a NIH contributor https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500434/ .

A 2011 survey reported that food safety was the most concerned issue in Chinese people, surpassing public security, traffic safety, medical safety, etc. (1). Food can be contaminated by many harmful factors at any step in the process from farm to table. In China, the major harmful factors include toxic animals and plants (e.g. puffer fish and toadstool), pathogenic microorganisms (e.g. Salmonella and Vibrio Parahaemolyticus), and chemical contamination (e.g. pesticide and veterinary drug residues) (2). For example, of 174 food safety incidents reported in 2012 in China, most were caused by toxic animals or plants (41.4%), followed by pathogenic microorganisms (32.8%), and chemical contami-nation (12.1%) (3). In addition, with the rapid industrialization in China, the use of illegal additives and toxic industrial waste in food processing is a growing food safety problem, e.g. Sudan red incident in 2006 (4), melamine scandal in 2008 (5), gutter oil incident in 2011(6), etc. All the food safety problems resulted not only in public health hazards, but also in public distrust of the food industry and the government.

X

Sorry to point out those surveys were in years 2011, 2012. Surely it's redundant as more Chinese traders became more affluent over 9 years and no longer resort to such ways to feed themselves.. moreover 800 million are no longer in poverty..

Swee Loke wrote:

Sorry to point out those surveys were in years 2011, 2012. Surely it's redundant as more Chinese traders became more affluent over 9 years and no longer resort to such ways to feed themselves.. moreover 800 million are no longer in poverty..

You may want to do some research, food safety is still a big issue in China.

Food safety

Lets not forget how low these Chinese producers are, tampering with baby milk formulas in 2008 was a real low act.

gobot wrote:

THIGV wrote:

...    It seems that her refusal was based on the common Vietnamese dislike of anything from China.  Is this common among local people?

........
No doubt it is also another excuse to twist the knife in their neighbor. I wonder how much food Vietnam imports from there? Probably not so much.

I am well aware of the general Viet aversion to things Chinese.   However, China is the source of 29.82% of Vietnamese imports and 15.66% of exports.  Although the people may not like it, short of open warfare, the economy does seem to be tied to China's.  I suspect that a large portion of those imports are food.  After all, Vietnam does not need to be importing tennis shoes and polo shirts.

My question however should have been more specific.  Has anyone heard of widespread refusal to take the Chinese vaccine in particular?  If a family refuses Sinovac, are they still eligible for one of the others when they become available or are the just bumped to the bottom of the list until all others are vaccinated?  I fear my sister-in-law may have made a serious error.

THIGV wrote:

My question however should have been more specific.  Has anyone heard of widespread refusal to take the Chinese vaccine in particular?  If a family refuses Sinovac, are they still eligible for one of the others when they become available or are the just bumped to the bottom of the list until all others are vaccinated?  I fear my sister-in-law may have made a serious error.

Yes, I have.  Your sister-in-law is not the only one, nor is she one of, say, 20 or 30 people who have refused Chinese vaccine.  I cannot tell you the approximate number, but two of my inside sources said it's in the mid to high double digit.  The rejection of Chinese vaccine has become a campaign already, led by an elderly teacher or author, I don't remember the name, who wrote a very respectful open letter to the head of Saigon requesting the removal of Chinese vaccine.  The letter has been published on multiple media platforms and read on a couple of TV channels.  I can look up his name for you if you wish, but it'll take me a few days as I'm in the middle of several half-finished blogposts.

Will she be bumped to the bottom of the list?  Probably, probably not.  Every ward deals with it differently.  If she's 65 or above, she'll more than likely be pumped up when the other vaccines come in.  If she's younger, the wait will be longer.

Has she made a serious error?  Depends on whom you ask.  If you ask me and my husband, the answer would be a definite no.  We've talked about it last year and agreed that even if it's the only vaccine available, we would refuse it. 

We have solid reasons over the decades to reject everything Chinese (aside from the components of my electronic devices, only because there's no alternative).  The most recent incident happened in the early 2010s when we witnessed how our friends suffered physically, mentally, medically, and financially from the Chinese drywall in their homes in Florida.  We, too, almost joined the roster of victims ourselves when we were about to sign a contract to purchase a place in South Carolina, which we thankfully found out on time was built with those poisonous materials imported from China.

No, nothing made in China for my husband and me if we can help it.

Ciambella wrote:

I can look up his name for you if you wish, but it'll take me a few days as I'm in the middle of several half-finished blogposts.

No need to do the above.  Your answer was both helpful and reassuring.  Hopefully her family will be OK until the next product is available to them.

Regretfully, another "relative" of my wife has died in Thu Duc.  She was a former resident of Ben Tre but had live in Thu Duc most of her life.  Sadly her daughter had just begun the process of petitioning her for immigration to California.

Ciambella wrote:

THIGV wrote:

My question however should have been more specific.  Has anyone heard of widespread refusal to take the Chinese vaccine in particular?  If a family refuses Sinovac, are they still eligible for one of the others when they become available or are the just bumped to the bottom of the list until all others are vaccinated?  I fear my sister-in-law may have made a serious error.

Yes, I have.  Your sister-in-law is not the only one, nor is she one of, say, 20 or 30 people who have refused Chinese vaccine.  I cannot tell you the approximate number, but two of my inside sources said it's in the mid to high double digit.  The reject of Chinese vaccine has become a campaign already, led by an elderly teacher or author, I don't remember the name, who wrote a very respectful open letter to the head of Saigon requesting the removal of Chinese vaccine.  The letter has been published on multiple media platforms and read on a couple of TV channels.  I can look up his name for you if you wish, but it'll take me a few days as I'm in the middle of several half-finished blogposts.

Will she be bumped to the bottom of the list?  Probably, probably not.  Every ward deals with it differently.  If she's 65 or above, she'll more than likely be pumped up when the other vaccines come in.  If she's younger, the wait will be longer.

Have she made a serious error?  Depends on whom you ask.  If you ask me and my husband, the answer would be a definite no.  We've talked about it last year and agreed that even if it's the only vaccine available, we would refuse it. 

We have solid reasons over the decades to reject everything Chinese (aside from the components of my electronic devices, only because there's no alternative).  The most recent incident happened in the mid 2000s when we witnessed the sufferance our friends had to go through -- physically, mentally, medically, and financially -- which caused by Chinese drywall in their homes in Florida.  We, too, almost joined the roster of victims ourselves when we were about to sign a contract to purchase a place in South Carolina, which we thankfully found out on time that it was built with those poisonous materials imported from China.

No, nothing made in China for my husband and me if we can help it.

This is just anecdotal things passed on from my GF but she told me that weeks back there was a push to get everyone vaccinated and people would be in trouble if they didnt and then infected people, there was a lot of talk about people not wanting certain vaccines and why should they be fined if they wanted vaccine but not a certain one they were against.

The story then changed to no no one is going to fine or make you which she said was down to many people complaining about such a move and law advice.

As I said above this is from my VN GF and what she told me from her daily reading of all things covid on her phone she is glued to all day and night.

It does lead me to believe there was some kind of public pressure about forcing people to get something they didnt want, so there must have been a fair few people for gov to think twice.

I have no idea if it was true or fake but thats what she had read and passed on.

THIGV wrote:

gobot wrote:

THIGV wrote:

...    It seems that her refusal was based on the common Vietnamese dislike of anything from China.  Is this common among local people?

........
No doubt it is also another excuse to twist the knife in their neighbor. I wonder how much food Vietnam imports from there? Probably not so much.

I am well aware of the general Viet aversion to things Chinese.   However, China is the source of 29.82% of Vietnamese imports and 15.66% of exports.  Although the people may not like it, short of open warfare, the economy does seem to be tied to China's.  I suspect that a large portion of those imports are food.  After all, Vietnam does not need to be importing tennis shoes and polo shirts.

My question however should have been more specific.  Has anyone heard of widespread refusal to take the Chinese vaccine in particular?  If a family refuses Sinovac, are they still eligible for one of the others when they become available or are the just bumped to the bottom of the list until all others are vaccinated?  I fear my sister-in-law may have made a serious error.

I saw a video on general distribution on social media here where there was lets say a "very heated discussion" at a vaccine centre where there was only the Chinese vaccine available & subsequently many people left without taking it. That was where the video ended & who knows how many then went back to get it.
My experience..............I was given the choice by the doctor.......Astra or nothing, had it been Sinovac or Sputnik or nothing, that might have been a difficult decision to make.

goodolboy wrote:

THIGV wrote:

gobot wrote:

........
No doubt it is also another excuse to twist the knife in their neighbor. I wonder how much food Vietnam imports from there? Probably not so much.

I am well aware of the general Viet aversion to things Chinese.   However, China is the source of 29.82% of Vietnamese imports and 15.66% of exports.  Although the people may not like it, short of open warfare, the economy does seem to be tied to China's.  I suspect that a large portion of those imports are food.  After all, Vietnam does not need to be importing tennis shoes and polo shirts.

My question however should have been more specific.  Has anyone heard of widespread refusal to take the Chinese vaccine in particular?  If a family refuses Sinovac, are they still eligible for one of the others when they become available or are the just bumped to the bottom of the list until all others are vaccinated?  I fear my sister-in-law may have made a serious error.

I saw a video on general distribution on social media here where there was lets say a "very heated discussion" at a vaccine centre where there was only the Chinese vaccine available & subsequently many people left without taking it. That was where the video ended & who knows how many then went back to get it.
My experience..............I was given the choice by the doctor.......Astra or nothing, had it been Sinovac or Sputnik or nothing, that might have been a difficult decision to make.

My experience was me walk to the chair being pointed at when my turn,, sit down roll sleeve up I asked which vaccine,, jab,,,, puzzled look ,, guy who spoke some english said AZ from UK,, he then told me to get up walk outside wait till im called.

Oh God & just when you think things could get back to some kind of normality & there is hope & light at the end of the tunnel!









https://spectator.com.au/2021/08/most-c … vDD6vlMJuk

goodolboy wrote:

Oh God & just when you think things could get back to some kind of normality & there is hope & light at the end of the tunnel!









https://spectator.com.au/2021/08/most-c … vDD6vlMJuk

My friend in Brisbane told me 2 days ago that Australian media was reporting protection percentages were going down he mentioned figures but I didnt note them down.

From your link it said "Data from the Israeli Minister of Health released on July 22 declared that the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at preventing COVID-19 has plummeted from 90 percent to only 39 percent, coinciding with the spread of the Delta variant in the country. " My friend said other vaccine % had also gone down to much lower numbers.

I'll try to get links for where he got info.

Is this the vaccination thread?
FYI this just in from wife.  Use Chrome to translate.
QR code links to web form.

Ho Chi Minh City vaccinates foreigners on a large scale. via Zing news

gobot wrote:

Is this the vaccination thread?
FYI this just in from wife.  Use Chrome to translate.
QR code links to web form.

Ho Chi Minh City vaccinates foreigners on a large scale. via Zing news

Most likely foreigners who have registered but not yet received vaccination will probably get sinopharm vaccine. I believe the AZ supply is low right now since it was mostly used in the previous vaccination run in July-August for most people 18+ and haven't really heard Vietnam receiving additional AZ vaccine. So it seems a lot of the sinopharm stock will be administered this time around for first jab people. And any remaining AZ in stock will probably be prioritized for those to receive their second jab. There won't be enough Moderna or Pfizer vaccines to go around for second jab for people ages 18+. These will still be prioritized for people 65+.

For US citizens living in Vietnam, any one know if the US consulate has plans to assist their citizens into getting preferred American vaccines such as Moderna or Pfizer? I have read that other countries have been helping their citizens to get vaccinations such as Australia and France. Vaccines that are recognized by their country. It doesn't appear that the US doesn't plan to do anything according to their US embassy & consulate website.

"The United States Government does not plan to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to private U.S. citizens overseas.  The Department of State is working with other countries to ensure all residents, including U.S. citizens, can receive vaccines through local vaccination programs.  U.S. citizens currently in Vietnam should follow local updates regarding vaccination efforts in Vietnam."

I am not opposed to getting vaccinated. But I would prefer to get one of the vaccines that is approved and recognized by my country. Even AZ would be ok for me. I have registered to get vaccinated but have heard nothing since. And if I do get called to get vaccinated, I would rather not get vaccinated than getting vaccinated with a vaccine like sinopharm. and it seems right now that most people to get their first jab will be subjected to sinopharm in the age group between 18+.

To be honest, i dont mind shelling out money to get a preferred vaccine shot of my choosing. i hope the vietnamese government rolls out some kind of plan for private hospitals and clinics to do this. i have read an article that FV Hospital has proposed something similar to the government.

Australian govt hasnt done a lot for its citizens. All they have done is create a registration, thats all.

daftshadow wrote:

For US citizens living in Vietnam, any one know if the US consulate has plans to assist their citizens into getting preferred American vaccines such as Moderna or Pfizer?

It's a negative.  And it's not a no to preferred vaccine, but a no to any kind of vaccine.

Aside from a few announcements last year that repatriated flights were available (just announcements, mind you, not assistance), the US Consulate has yet to lift a finger to help American citizens in VN in any way, shape, or form, even when the person was at death bed (not an exaggeration; I've personally witnessed it.  The death bed became the cremation; still no help.) 

Email after email after email, the content was cut and paste of the same thing:  "The US Consulate does not help US citizens in any service."

Ciambella wrote:

daftshadow wrote:

For US citizens living in Vietnam, any one know if the US consulate has plans to assist their citizens into getting preferred American vaccines such as Moderna or Pfizer?

It's a negative.  And it's not a no to preferred vaccine, but a no to any kind of vaccine.

Aside from a few announcements last year that repatriated flights were available (just announcements, mind you, not assistance), the US Consulate has yet to lift a finger to help American citizens in VN in any way, shape, or form, even when the person was at death bed (not an exaggeration; I've personally witnessed it.  The death bed became the cremation; still no help.) 

Email after email after email, the content was cut and paste of the same thing:  "The US Consulate does not help US citizens in any service."

Sounds like the UK consulate also.. mind you having said that before I came here the one in England was just as bad.. ask a question and never get a proper answer.

Ciambella wrote:

daftshadow wrote:

For US citizens living in Vietnam, any one know if the US consulate has plans to assist their citizens into getting preferred American vaccines such as Moderna or Pfizer?

It's a negative.  And it's not a no to preferred vaccine, but a no to any kind of vaccine.

Aside from a few announcements last year that repatriated flights were available (just announcements, mind you, not assistance), the US Consulate has yet to lift a finger to help American citizens in VN in any way, shape, or form, even when the person was at death bed (not an exaggeration; I've personally witnessed it.  The death bed became the cremation; still no help.) 

Email after email after email, the content was cut and paste of the same thing:  "The US Consulate does not help US citizens in any service."

Truer  words were never spoken Ms "C". It shouldn't be that way and it doesn't have to be. The US type Admin chiefs for the past at least 12 years out of the 16 years we've been back now appears to have left their (I'll censure my self on these choice of words) at TSN when they arrived for duty at the US Consulate. The VN staff at ACS that's suppose to work for him appears to be the ones  in charge and make the decisions.

Rick

Ciambella wrote:

daftshadow wrote:

For US citizens living in Vietnam, any one know if the US consulate has plans to assist their citizens into getting preferred American vaccines such as Moderna or Pfizer?

It's a negative.  And it's not a no to preferred vaccine, but a no to any kind of vaccine.

Aside from a few announcements last year that repatriated flights were available (just announcements, mind you, not assistance), the US Consulate has yet to lift a finger to help American citizens in VN in any way, shape, or form, even when the person was at death bed (not an exaggeration; I've personally witnessed it.  The death bed became the cremation; still no help.) 

Email after email after email, the content was cut and paste of the same thing:  "The US Consulate does not help US citizens in any service."

Understandable. Customs and immigration is up to their eyeballs at the open southern border. When the US is full and immigrants stop coming, they will be able to turn their attention to citizen services at embassies and consulates. 

Budman1 wrote:

Ciambella wrote:

daftshadow wrote:

For US citizens living in Vietnam, any one know if the US consulate has plans to assist their citizens into getting preferred American vaccines such as Moderna or Pfizer?

It's a negative.  And it's not a no to preferred vaccine, but a no to any kind of vaccine.

Aside from a few announcements last year that repatriated flights were available (just announcements, mind you, not assistance), the US Consulate has yet to lift a finger to help American citizens in VN in any way, shape, or form, even when the person was at death bed (not an exaggeration; I've personally witnessed it.  The death bed became the cremation; still no help.) 

Email after email after email, the content was cut and paste of the same thing:  "The US Consulate does not help US citizens in any service."

Truer  words were never spoken Ms "C". It shouldn't be that way and it doesn't have to be. The US type Admin chiefs for the past at least 12 years out of the 16 years we've been back now appears to have left their (I'll censure my self on these choice of words) at TSN when they arrived for duty at the US Consulate. The VN staff at ACS that's suppose to work for him appears to be the ones  in charge and make the decisions.

Rick

Very true,Rick.

A friend of mine had her husband's partner visa application denied due to VN thinking. If it was processed by an Australian official it would have been granted. They have now been stuck here for 3-years waiting for their appeal to start. All because some local used their VN logic when looking at the application and decided that a younger man wouldnt be interested in an older woman.

gobot wrote:

Ciambella wrote:

daftshadow wrote:

For US citizens living in Vietnam, any one know if the US consulate has plans to assist their citizens into getting preferred American vaccines such as Moderna or Pfizer?

It's a negative.  And it's not a no to preferred vaccine, but a no to any kind of vaccine.

Aside from a few announcements last year that repatriated flights were available (just announcements, mind you, not assistance), the US Consulate has yet to lift a finger to help American citizens in VN in any way, shape, or form, even when the person was at death bed (not an exaggeration; I've personally witnessed it.  The death bed became the cremation; still no help.) 

Email after email after email, the content was cut and paste of the same thing:  "The US Consulate does not help US citizens in any service."

Understandable. Customs and immigration is up to their eyeballs at the open southern border. When the US is full and immigrants stop coming, they will be able to turn their attention to citizen services at embassies and consulates. 

Yep Gobot sure they will, and as your looking into the future with your rosy glasses on do you see us getting VND50,000 for 1$USD. It'll happen about the same time I predict.

Rick

colinoscapee wrote:

A friend of mine had her husband's partner visa application denied due to VN thinking. If it was processed by an Australian official it would have been granted. They have now been stuck here for 3-years waiting for their appeal to start. All because some local used their VN logic when looking at the application and decided that a younger man wouldnt be interested in an older woman.

This sounds similar to our experience at the HCM US Consulate.  At the screening window, the Vietnamese employee wanted to turn away my wife  from her interview because she did not have a copy of her house book.  I see that the house book is on the list of required documents now, but it was not at that time.  As i was there, I demanded to see a US consular officer.  A young man came to the window.  I showed him a copy of the online list from the consular website, just as I had shown it to her, and he overruled the Vietnamese woman.  If I had not accompanied my wife to the interview, she would have been sent away.  It may make some sense to have these local employees screen out the fakes that non-Vietnamese would not spot, but they let the power go to their heads.

THIGV wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

A friend of mine had her husband's partner visa application denied due to VN thinking. If it was processed by an Australian official it would have been granted. They have now been stuck here for 3-years waiting for their appeal to start. All because some local used their VN logic when looking at the application and decided that a younger man wouldnt be interested in an older woman.

This sounds similar to our experience at the HCM US Consulate.  At the screening window, the Vietnamese employee wanted to turn away my wife  from her interview because she did not have a copy of her house book.  I see that the house book is on the list of required documents now, but it was not at that time.  As i was there, I demanded to see a US consular officer.  A young man came to the window.  I showed him a copy of the online list from the consular website, just as I had shown it to her, and he overruled the Vietnamese woman.  If I had not accompanied my wife to the interview, she would have been sent away.  It may make some sense to have these local employees screen out the fakes that non-Vietnamese would not spot, but they let the power go to their heads.

My friend didnt even get an interview. The Vietnamese employee rejected their application without asking one question. My friend and her husband are still here living together and now have to pay around 12000 aud for a court case, all because some local used VN logic.

Consulate is very good at notarizing at $50 an item. And I got new passport there once. But they are frustratingly narrow beyond that. I asked/suggested recently if they will create a proof of vaccine document for citizens who will be traveling, something better than the piece of paper we receive here. I received a reply copy- pasted from their travel web site, not really addressing my question. But checking me off as case closed.

Scott McKnight wrote:

Consulate is very good at notarizing at $50 an item. And I got new passport there once. But they are frustratingly narrow beyond that. I asked/suggested recently if they will create a proof of vaccine document for citizens who will be traveling, something better than the piece of paper we receive here. I received a reply copy- pasted from their travel web site, not really addressing my question. But checking me off as case closed.

Our beloved embassies couldnt give a rats arse about us.

colinoscapee wrote:

Scott McKnight wrote:

Consulate is very good at notarizing at $50 an item. And I got new passport there once. But they are frustratingly narrow beyond that. I asked/suggested recently if they will create a proof of vaccine document for citizens who will be traveling, something better than the piece of paper we receive here. I received a reply copy- pasted from their travel web site, not really addressing my question. But checking me off as case closed.

Our beloved embassies couldnt give a rats arse about us.

The problem is that, while the diplomats (consuls and vice-consuls) sent from their capitals have the status and notional authority, they are completely dependent on the locally-employees who speak the local languages and understand the society. These people, comparatively poorly paid but with a sense of self-importance, quickly become petty bureaucratic dictators, not offering any service but finding reasons why nothing can be done to help the consulates’ nationals. This unhelpfulness is often tacitly approved by the political leadership who don’t want to make migration easier, and the consuls/vice-consuls who want an easy life and cannot function without their local staff. As a result, no-one has any incentive to improve this dire state of affairs.
We can see this in many of the consulates in Ho Chi Minh city.  Over the last 18 months when they have had very little to do as travel seized up, they have still largely remained obstructive in response to requests for assistance.