Tag Archives: Sinovac

Colombian Health Minister Walks Back Antivax Comments!

Colombian Health Minister Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo just walked back his “anti-vaccine” comments!

Take a look at what he said, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Colombian Health Minister Slams COVID Vaccines!

People are sharing a video, which shows the Colombian Health Minister, Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, calling the COVID-19 vaccines “experimental”

aussie17 : 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨💥💥Wow!!
Health Minister of Colombia, Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo slams experimental vaccine in an astonishing outburst!

————————————
We are playing with the lives of Colombians, we cannot be a factor of experimentation. All of us who are vaccinated today, today, with the exception of those who took Sinovac,

I have three from Sinovac, all the new technology is a technology and all the vaccines entered here without permission, we went and became an experiment.

All Colombians who are vaccinated served for the largest experiment that has been carried out in the entire history of humanity.

We cannot continue experimenting with the Colombian community, much less with the indigenous people, with the blacks and with the poorest of this country, with the peasants.

Richard : When common sense steps back in:

Health Minister of Colombia, Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo strongly criticizes the experimental covid-19 vaccine, stating that risking the lives of Colombians by being a part of an experiment is totally unacceptable…..

Michaelia 8:32 : Experimental Vaccine Under Fire: Colombia’s Health Minister Denounces Experimental Vaccine in Astonishing Outburst!

“Every vaccinated Colombian has contributed to the largest experiment ever conducted in human history”

Show less

Colombian Health Minister Walks Back Antivax Comments!

What you may not realise is that the Colombian Health Minister quickly walked back his “anti-vaccine” comments. Here is what you need to know…

Fact #1 : Viral Video Appears Legitimate

The video appears to be legitimate, and recorded during a political control debate in the First Commission of the Colombian Senate on Tuesday, 28 November 2023.

In that video, Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo – the Minister of Health and Social Protection of Colombia – claimed that Colombians were vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of the “largest experiment in history”, referring to the approval and use of mRNA vaccines before their full approval by regulatory agencies like the FDA and EMA.

Fact #2 : Guillermo Jaramillo Walked Back His Antivax Comments

After the Minister’s video went viral, organisations like the Association of Epidemiology of Colombia expressed their disagreement with his claims. They pointed out that his comments contradict scientific evidence, and will jeopardise trust in COVID-19 vaccines.

Guillermo Jaramillo then officially responded to the criticism, clarifying that he was only referring to the “experimental phase” that mRNA vaccines went through. He also affirmed his “consistent support for vaccination“, and emphasised the importance of “timely vaccination” and the “completion of vaccination schemes“.

Colombian President Gustavo Pedro also defended the Health Minister, labelling accusations that Jaramillo is “anti-vaccine” as “slander”.

Fact #3 : mRNA Vaccines Are No Longer Experimental

mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna underwent and passed large clinical trials, and received their Emergency Use Authorisations (EUA) in December 2020.

Regardless of what people claim – the mRNA vaccines were no longer experimental, once they received their EUA.

There are some differences between an EUA and a full FDA approval, but the EUA means the vaccines have officially been approved for use by the health regulator.

While Guillermo Jaramillo suggested that the Sinovac vaccine is not “new technology”, it is still a new vaccine that underwent the same clinical trials as the mRNA vaccines. I should point out that the Sinovac vaccine never received EUA or full authorisation from Western health regulators like the US FDA or EMA.

Fact #4 : mRNA Vaccines Received Their Full FDA Approval

In any case, the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna received their full FDA approval on 23 August 2021, and 31 January 2022 respectively.

So there is really no reason for anyone to claim that these mRNA vaccines are still experimental. Even if you “believe” that the mRNA vaccines were “experimental” until they received full regulatory approval, we crossed that bridge a long time ago.

To be clear – the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have long ceased to be experimental.

Fact #5 : mRNA Vaccines Proven Safe + Effective

No vaccine or drug is perfectly safe, or perfectly effective. But the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have proven to be safe and effective for the vast majority of people.

Not only did they pass their large clinical trials with flying colours, post-marketing monitoring showed that they remained safe and effective for the vast majority of people after tens of billions of doses have been administered worldwide.

Yes, post-marketing monitoring have shown that the mRNA vaccines can cause rare side effects like myocarditis. But what anti-vaccine activists don’t tell you is that – the risk of developing myocarditis is much higher with COVID-19 infections!

Please help us FIGHT MISINFORMATION by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Joesthetics / Jo Lindner Die From COVID-19 Vaccine?!

Leave a reply

Did bodybuilding star Joesthetics / Jo Lindner die suddenly from COVID-19 vaccine at just 30 years of age?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-07-07 : Added some extra information
Originally posted @ 2023-07-03

Claim : Joesthetics / Jo Lindner Died Suddenly From COVID-19 Vaccine!

Right after news broke that Jo Lindner, popularly known as Joesthetics on YouTube, died suddenly at home, some people immediately claimed that the popular bodybuilding influencer died from the COVID-19 vaccine or steroid use!

Tom Renz : Seriously? Why is the Daily Wire not mentioning that his #DiedSuddenly event occurred as a direct result of the #COVID #Vaccines? Tie-ins to enemies of freedom like Bill Gates or the WEF? No just steroids… ugh. ⁦@JDRucker⁩ ⁦@VigilantFox⁩

KanekoaTheGreat : NEW — Joesthetics, a popular YouTube bodybuilding star with eight million Instagram followers, died at 30 from an aneurysm after receiving four COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, causing significant bloodwork changes and diagnosed micro clots.

Norma Kay : Joesthetics….. died suddenly
Arterial aneurysm and rupture are known side effects of the mRNA jab. He took 4 jabs

Truth : Joesthetics / Jo Lindner Died From Ruptured Aneurysm!

It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to blame all sudden deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Here are the reasons why this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists…

Fact #1 : Joesthetics / Jo Lindner Died From Ruptured Aneurysm

Jo Lindner (born 14 January 1993) was a bodybuilding influencer who is better known as Joesthetics on YouTube.

Just before 4 PM on Friday, June 30, 2023, Jo Lindner was getting ready for a gym session with his bodybuilding friend, Noel Deyzel, when he died suddenly from a ruptured aneurysm.

This was confirmed by his girlfriend, Nicha, who was cuddling with Lindner when he suddenly died. She also said that Lindner had been complaining of neck pain for three days, but did not seek medical attention for it.

Jo is the best place everyone.

Yesterday his past away by aneurysm .. I was there with him in the room.. he put on the necklace in my neck that he made for me ..than ..we was just lay down cuddle..waiting the time to go meet Noel at the gym at 16.00 .. he was in my arms.. than this is just happening too fast.. 3 days ago he kept said that he pain his neck .. we not really realize it… until it too late.

Nicha noticeably did not blame the COVID-19 vaccine for his death, or claim that he died from a vaccine side effect.

Fact #2 : Joesthetics Had A Muscle Condition

Just three weeks earlier – on June 7, 2023, Jo Lindner appeared on Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk where he revealed that he suffers from rippling muscle disease (RMD) – a rare neuromuscular disorder characterised by increased muscle irritability.

RMD is a genetic disorder, caused by mutations in the CAV3 gene. The same CAV3 genetic mutations can also cause cardiomyopathies (heart muscle problems), although there is no evidence that RMD is associated with aneurysm.

The heart is also a muscle, that’s my biggest concern that what if I get such a bad cramp that my heart gets a cramp.

Fact #3 : Joesthetics Was On Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Just one day before he died, Jo Lindner posted about going back on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) after losing the gains he made earlier. He also warned his fans about the risks of going on TRT.

When I lost my gains because I went off everything for 1 year but then could not recover my own test levels so went back on trt. Trust me I tried to stop but be aware it might have long term effects for your life. Trt is a big commitment keep that in mind

However, there is no evidence that TRT can aggravate or cause an aneurysm to rupture.

Fact #4 : Joesthetics Was Taking Anabolic Steroids

Jo Lindner admitted earlier that he took anabolic steroids, and said that he had no idea how harmful they could be for his health. He shared that he developed gynaecomastia – the abnormal enlargement of male breast tissue, together with ‘burning nipples’.

During his recent Raw Talk podcast with Bradley Martyn, Joesthetics said that he was taking 75 mg of “tren” in addition to 250 mg of “test” (testosterone) a week. Tren, which is short for trenbolone, is an androgen and anabolic steroid used to increase muscle growth.

Anabolic steroids can cause a variety of cardiovascular problems, from hypertension and thrombosis to heart attacks and weakness of the connective tissue. Dissection of the ascending aorta is particularly associated with bodybuilders using anabolic steroids. Although it is atypical, aortic dissection can present with pain in the neck.

Fact #5 : Joesthetics Was Taking Marijuana

In his Raw Talk podcast with Bradley Martyn, Joesthetics said that he had been taking weed (marijuana / cannabis) for about 6 years.

While cannabis use has not be associated with the development or rupture of aneurysms, a January 2022 study published in the journal Stroke, showed routine marijuana users have a poorer outcome after an aneurysm rupture:

We’re all vulnerable to a bleeding stroke or a ruptured aneurysm; however, if you’re a routine marijuana user, you may be predisposed to a worse outcome from a stroke after the rupture of that aneurysm.
– Michael T. Lawton M.D., senior author of the study, and President and CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute

Fact #6 : Joesthetics Was Vaccinated Against COVID-19

In his recent Raw Talk podcast with Bradley Martyn, Joesthetics said that he received four doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, he did not reveal which vaccine he received, so claims that he received the Pfizer or mRNA vaccine are unsubstantiated.

Jo Lindner lives in Thailand, where four different COVID-19 vaccines were offered – the vast majority were from Sinovac or AstraZeneca, with a small proportion from Pfizer:

Sinovac : about 47% of doses
AstraZeneca : about 45.5% of doses
Pfizer : about 6% of doses
Janssen : about 1.5% of doses

With the exception of the Janssen vaccine, the other three COVID-19 vaccines were approved for use as the 3rd and 4th (booster) doses, so it is possible that Jo Lindner never received the Pfizer / mRNA vaccine at all.

Joesthetics also claimed that his “doctor” found heavy metals in his blood after he got vaccinated against COVID-19, and recommended that he undergo plasmapheresis. No approved COVID-19 vaccine contains heavy metal, so that’s a really peculiar claim.

In any case, Joesthetics underwent plasmapheresis twice to clean his blood of heavy metals. So even if you believe that COVID-19 vaccines contain heavy metals (they don’t), Jo Lindner had his blood “cleansed” TWICE, so it would be illogical to still claim that he died from the COVID-19 vaccines.

Fact #7 : COVID-19 Vaccines Cannot Create An Aneurysm

Just in case there is any doubt, COVID-19 vaccines cannot create an aneurysm.

An aneurysm is a physical weakening of an artery that bulges into a blood-filled balloon. Small aneurysms generally do not produce any symptoms unless they rupture. Large ones, however, may exert pressure on nearby nerves and tissues causing symptoms like numbness, weakness, paralysis, etc.

When an aneurysm ruptures, the person will experience a sudden and extremely severe pain and even vomiting and seizures, before losing consciousness. If not quickly treated, the resulting haemorrhage causes death. Getting vaccinated does not increase your risk of developing aneurysms, but these risk factors will:

genetic predisposition, like connective tissue disorders, polycystic kidney disease, history of aneurysm in close family members
untreated hypertension (high blood pressure)
cigarette smoking
drug abuse, especially cocaine or amphetamines (because they raise blood pressure)
intravenous drug abuse, which causes infectious mycotic aneurysms
anabolic steroid use, which causes high blood pressure and atherosclerotic effects
age over 40

Fact #8 : Aneurysm is Not A Vaccine Side Effect

The claim that aneurysm is in the list of vaccine side effects is nonsense and based on the (intentional?) misunderstanding of the Adverse Events of Special interest (AESI) list.

The AESI list is not a list of vaccine side effects. It’s a list of mostly non-specific adverse events that are monitored post-vaccination, and includes COVID-19 and other infections, as well as:

manufacturing and lab test issues like “Manufacturing laboratory analytical testing issue, Manufacturing materials issue, Manufacturing production issue“.
product supply issues like “Product availability issue, Product distribution issue, Product supply issue“.

They are obviously not vaccine side effects, nor related in any way to the performance or safety of the vaccine.

Fact #9 : Claims Of COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries Often Proven False

Most claims of sudden deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false. Here is the latest dozen of other false sudden death claims!

Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next death or tragedy…

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

KJ + Noor Hisham just sued by COVID vaccine victims?!

Leave a reply

Were KJ (Khairy Jamaluddin), Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Pharmaniaga just sued by COVID-19 vaccine victims in Malaysia?!

Let’s take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : KJ + Noor Hisham Just Sued By COVID Vaccine Victims!

People are sharing an AgendaDaily article (in Malay) on WhatsApp and social media platforms, claiming that KJ (Khairy Jamaluddin) and Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah just sued by victims of the COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia!

The viral post also claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine victims also sued the three COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers in Malaysia – Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Pharmaniaga.

KJ, Dr Noor Hisham sued over Covid-19 vaccine issue

🚻ı|ı🔥NO☆🔥ı|ı ﷽
Three Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers were also sued, Pfizer, Astrazeneca and Pharmaniaga

15 O6 2O23
ABE YES NO

KOTA KINABALU: A group of vaccine recipients filed a lawsuit against the government and the Malaysian Ministry of Health (KKM), especially the former minister in charge of the national vaccination program, Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar after claiming to be a victim of the side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Citing a Sinar Harian report, a total of 44 victims represented by the law firm Shahrin Satheer Kamal & Co also filed a lawsuit against the former Director of Health, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and three manufacturers of the Covid-19 vaccine – Pfizer, Astrazeneca and Pharmaniaga.

Lawyer, Muhammad Shahrin Satheer said, the group claimed that the Ministry of Health gave an invalid declaration and it was an agreement forced by the defendant to prevent them from being taken action from the severe side effects of the vaccine injection.

He also informed that his client demanded that the defendant be held responsible for the effect of the Covid-19 vaccine injection on the plaintiff which had caused severe side effects resulting in losses.

“Our client is demanding general damages and special damages that the defendant must pay to the plaintiff as a result of the severe side effects of the Covid-19 injection which has caused death, permanent disability and other complications resulting in loss and loss of life suffered by the plaintiff- plaintiff,” he said.

He said, the lack of proof of the vaccine having been clinically tested before being used on consumers is also one of the basis of the lawsuit.

“The plaintiff is also demanding an interim injunction to prevent the defendant from widely providing the Covid-19 vaccine to other Malaysians until a clinical study is conducted and a complete report is prepared,” he said.
1⃣ı|ı🔥NO☆ACO🔥ı|ı ﷽

Show less

Truth : KJ + Noor Hisham Sued By COVID Vaccine Victims In 2022!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS about the COVID-19 pandemic and the COVID-19 vaccines, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Agenda Daily Article Copied From Sinar Harian

I should start by pointing out that the Agenda Daily article is an almost exact copy of its source, a Sinar Harian article.

Fact #2 : Likely Source For False Claims About Sabah Lawsuit

I should also point out this piece of fake news is possibly the source for the earlier false claims that people in Sabah just filed a lawsuit against the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) for forced vaccination.

As mentioned in my fact check article, I can find no evidence of such a lawsuit by people in Sabah. This viral message is the only one that suggests that a COVID-19 vaccination lawsuit was filed in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Fact #3 : No Evidence Lawsuit Was Filed In Kota Kinabalu

The viral message mentioned Kota Kinabalu as the location, which appears to be completely false. The Agenda Daily article it listed as its source did not mention any location.

But the original article by Sinar Harian mentioned Shah Alam, Selangor, as its location. The law firm Shahrin Satheer Kamal & Co. is also based in Rawang, Selangor.

Therefore, the lawsuit was likely filed in Shah Alam, and not Kota Kinabalu as alleged by the viral message.

Fact #4 : Original News Was Published November 2022

The original news was originally published on 16 November 2022, and not on 15 June 2023 as suggested by the viral message.

Noor Hisham Abdullah retired on 21 April 2023, while Khairy Jamaluddin ceased being the Malaysia Minister of Health on 24 November 2022. Whoever created that viral message took care to change their status to match the new date.

Fact #5 : Lawsuit Was Allegedly Filed In November 2022

The Sinar Harian article mentioned that on 16 November 2022, 44 people represented by Shahrin Satheer Kamal & Co. filed a lawsuit against:

Malaysia Minister of Health, Khairy Jamaluddin
Malaysia Director General of Health, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah
COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers – Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Pharmaniaga

However, a day later – on 17 November 2022, Khairy Jamaluddin said at a press conference that he has yet to receive any lawsuit notice:

I have not received the notice of the summons. When I receive it, I will ask the lawyer I will appoint to answer it.

Since then, there has been no update on this lawsuit, so it is unknown if it was actually filed, or what has occurred since it was filed.

Fact #6 : Malaysia Has A COVID-19 Vaccine Injury Fund

Like most countries around the world, Malaysia has a COVID-19 vaccine injury fund. Established on 21 March 2021, it is called Bantuan Khas Kewangan Kesan Mudarat Vaksin COVID-19 (Special Financial Assistance for COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Effects), and pays out:

RM 50,000 for serious side effects that requires extended hospitalisation
RM 500,000 for permanent disability or death from the COVID-19 vaccine

If anyone is injured or dies as a result of the COVID-19 vaccines, the victim or the victim’s family can file for compensation with this fund. There is no need to file a lawsuit (and pay any legal fees) to get compensated.

Fact #7 : COVID-19 Vaccines Were Proven Safe + Effective

All COVID-19 vaccines underwent large clinical trials and were proven to be safe and effective, before receiving their Emergency Use Authorisation. Hence, it is wrong to claim that COVID-19 vaccines were never tested in a clinical trial.

In addition, approved COVID-19 vaccines continued to be monitored for safety and efficacy, and many eventually received their full FDA approval after many months of post-marketing monitoring.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did US Intentionally Release COVID Virus In Wuhan?!

Leave a reply

Did the US government intentionally release the COVID-19 virus in Wuhan, to trigger a global pandemic so that people will accept vaccines?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : US Intentionally Released COVID Virus In Wuhan!

People are sharing an article by The Standard newspaper in Hong Kong, in which David Martin claimed that the US government intentionally released the COVID-19 virus in Wuhan, to trigger a global pandemic so that people will accept vaccines!

The article is being shared not only by anti-vaccination activists and conspiracy theorists, but also pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) as “evidence” that the COVID-19 pandemic was caused by the United States, and not China.

Here is an excerpt from the article. It’s long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

US ‘intentionally released Covid virus in Wuhan’ EU summit told

The Covid-19 coronavirus was “intentionally released” by the United States in Wuhan, China, with the target to trigger a global pandemic to raise public acceptance of vaccines, a US businessman specializing in patent auditing said.

David Martin, the founding chairman of M Cam asset management company, said at an International Covid Summit organized by the European Parliament in Brussels earlier this month that the US was responsible for the making of both coronaviruses causing the outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome – or SARS – in 2003 and the Covid-19 pandemic in the past three years.

The third edition of the summit featured speakers from anti-lockdown advocates to medical academia to discuss the global pandemic response. The speakers shed light on the possibility that the coronavirus which caused the pandemic was man-made, instead of naturally occurring.

In his speech, Martin said: “The pandemic that we alleged to have happened in the last few years did not happen overnight. In fact, the very specific pandemic using the coronavirus began at a different time.”

He said that in 1965, scientists discovered the coronavirus as a model of a pathogen – an agent that causes disease. They also found out that coronaviruses can be modified.

“Later we started learning how to modify a coronavirus by putting them in animals such as dogs and pigs,” Martin said, adding that such a practice became the basis for US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer’s first coronavirus spike protein vaccine in 1990.

But very soon the medical sector and drug makers found out that the vaccines did not work.

“Because the coronavirus is a malleable model, it mutates,” Martin said. “Every medical publication concluded that coronaviruses escape vaccines because it modifies and mutates too rapidly for a vaccine to be developed.”

In 2002, a university in North Carolina initiated a study to develop an “infectious replication defective,” which Martin interpreted as “a weapon to target individuals, but not have collateral damage.”

Characterizing the project as having “mysteriously preceded SARS by a year,” Martin said the coronavirus that caused the highly deadly infection was not from China and that it was “engineered” instead of naturally occurring.

On Covid-19, Martin said the coronavirus – named as SARS-CoV-2 by the World Health Organization – was poised for human emergence in 2016, with a preview about an “accidental or intentional release of a respiratory coronavirus” from a laboratory in Wuhan.

He said the purpose of the coronavirus “release” was to boost global acceptance on universal vaccination.

Explaining the common concern among the medical industry, Martin said: “Until an infectious crisis is very real, present and at the emergency threshold, it is often largely ignored.

“To sustain the funding base beyond the crisis, we need to increase the public understanding of the need for medical countermeasures, such as the pan-influenza, or pan-coronavirus, vaccine. A key drive is the media and the economics will follow the hype.

“We [pharmaceutical firms] need to use that hype to our advantage to get to the real issue. Investors will respond if they see profit at the end of the process,” he said.

Show less

Truth : US Did Not Release COVID-19 Virus In Wuhan!

This appears to be yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter, and here are the reasons why!

Fact #1 : International COVID Summit III Was Not Organised By EU Parliament

The article wrongly states that the International COVID Summit III was organised by the European Parliament.

As I explained in my previous article, the International COVID Summit III was not an official EU Parliament event. It appears to be a private conference organised by COVID-19 conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccination activists.

Held in the Anna Lindh room of the European Parliament, it was not an official EU or European Parliament event, and only 5 MEPs attended as “co-hosting members” of the event.

In other words – the speakers at this event was only “testifying” to the few attendees in the room, and to the event’s livestream, not to the European Parliament.

You can read all about the ICS3 in my earlier article, Why International COVID Summit III Criticised Vaccine!

Fact #2 : This Was The First International COVID Summit

The article also wrongly called it the “third edition of the summit”. The first International COVID Summit, and International COVID Summit 2 do not appear to exist!

What actually existed were the Global COVID-19 Summit, and the 2nd Global COVID-19 Summit, but they are both completely unrelated to this International COVID Summit III. Those were official events involving heads of states and governments, as well as heads of international organisations, NGOs, and industries across the world.

So why would this International COVID Summit jump to its “third” iteration, when this was really the first time it was held? Could it be trying to mislead people into thinking that it was the third version of the Global COVID-19 Summit?!

Fact #3 : Coronavirus Was First Isolated In 1930s

David Martin said that the first coronavirus as a model of a pathogen was isolated in 1965. Well, I have no idea what he meant by “as a model of a pathogen”, but that’s wrong on several counts.

first coronavirus sample (IBV) was isolated in 1930s
second coronavirus sample (MHV) was isolated in 1947
third coronavirus sample (B814) was isolated in 1961
fourth coronavirus sample (229-E) was isolated in 1966
all four virus samples were determined to be from same group, and named “coronavirus” in 1967

You can read more about this in my earlier article – Did US + UK Create COVID-19 As Bioweapon?!

Fact #4 : Vaccines Work Even When Virus Mutates

All viruses can mutate when they replicate, just like how all animals evolve through reproduction. Just because a virus mutates does not mean that vaccines stop working.

Vaccines are training programs that teach our immune system how to identify the actual virus, and make its own antibodies against it. It’s like training your army by showing them how the enemy soldiers look like and behave, so they can train and prepare for war.

The vaccines do not stay in your body to fight the COVID-19 virus. They only teach your immune system how to do that, and they do that regardless of whether the virus has mutated or not.

As viruses evolve, they may get better at evading the antibodies that your immune system developed to defeat them. But that doesn’t mean they are immune. The antibodies may not be as effective, but they will still offer some protection, reducing the risk of severe disease and death.

This isn’t just theory. During the pandemic, the first vaccines only targeted the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. But it continued to offer robust protection against the Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants that came after.

Fact #5 : No Evidence US Released COVID-19 Virus In Wuhan

Claims that the US released the COVID-19 in Wuhan to create the pandemic has been circulating since 2020, but until today – there has been ZERO EVIDENCE of that.

Pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) accused US soldiers like Maatje Benassi of spreading the COVID-19 virus while participating in the 2019 Military World Games. They even spread a fake video (see below), claiming to show an American soldier spreading the COVID-19 virus in a subway in Wuhan.

However, all of those claims have long been proven to be completely false. More importantly, David Martin himself did not offer any actual evidence that the US released the COVID-19 virus, intentionally or otherwise, in Wuhan.

Fact #6 : Most COVID-19 Vaccines Developed By Foreign Companies

The claim that the US government would create a pandemic to drive demand for vaccines is ludicrous. For one thing – big pharmaceutical companies are public-listed companies, and many are based outside of the United States.

More importantly – most COVID-19 vaccines were developed by foreign companies:

Only the Moderna Spikevax vaccine was developed in the United States
The Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine was developed by German company, BioNTech
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was developed by Oxford University, and AstraZeneca is a UK company.
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was developed by Janssen Vaccines in the Netherlands.
The Sinovac, Sinopharm, CanSino COVID-19 vaccines were developed in China.

So the conspiracy theory that the United States created the COVID-19 pandemic for profit is absurd…

Fact #7 : Vaccines Are Cheaper Than Cures

I should also point out that prevention is always better and CHEAPER than the cure. Vaccines may seem expensive, and a way for Big Pharma to make billions of dollars. But vaccines are still better and CHEAPER than the cures.

Vaccines prevent you from developing severe COVID-19, thus negating your need to be hospitalised – which is expensive. Sure, Big Pharma now has drugs to treat COVID-19, like PAXLOVID, but they are much more expensive.

When it comes to dollars and common sense, vaccines are cheaper and better because they prevent hospitalisation. Big Pharma would make far more money selling you everything from expensive new drugs like PAXLOVID, or machines and drugs to keep you alive in the ICU!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Science | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Thailand Ban Pfizer Vaccine Over Princess’ Coma?!

Leave a reply

Did Thailand ban the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine because it caused Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s coma?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Thailand Banned Pfizer Vaccine Over Princess’ Coma!

This message has gone viral on WhatsApp and social media, claiming that Thailand just banned the Pfizer vaccine because it caused Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s coma!

It’s a long post, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Thailand to BAN Pfizer After Thai Princess Falls Into A Coma Following Booster Jab

A Thai government spokesperson told Professor Sucharit Bhakdi this week that his country could soon become the first in the world to nullify and make void its contracts with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.

According to Bhakdi, the spokesperson said, in reference to the company’s experimental covid “vaccines,” that “we will see to it that Thailand is the first country in the world to declare this contract (with Pfizer) null.”

We are told that the Royal Family in Thailand was directly impacted by Pfizer’s covid injections, which reportedly harmed the king’s daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha. Because of this, Thai authorities are working towards ending the country’s relationship with Pfizer.

Bhakdi says he met with top government advisors and explained to them how the entire premise behind the “vaccines” is built on a throne of lies. Pfizer fraud is the only thing backing the jabs as there is no safety data to show they work as claimed.

Upon hearing this, Thai government advisors were shocked and assured Bhakdi that they are making preparations to sever Pfizer’s contracts with the country.

Thailand seeks billions in retribution from Pfizer for fraudulent covid injections

In addition to ending the Pfizer contracts, the Thai government also plans to seek retribution to the tune of billions of dollars in payback from the company. That money will then go towards compensating all Thai people who “lost their existence” as a result of the Pfizer covid jab rollout.

“The discussion he cited having with the Thai government spokespeople, in conjunction with their advisors to the Thai Royal family, is significant,” writes Nicholas Creed for The Daily Bell.

“The monarchy is revered by Thais, to the point of being sacrosanct and beyond reproach; subject to strict Lèse-majesté laws being invoked when criticism is made of the Royal family.”

In short, the Royal Family of Thailand holds great sway and influence over affairs such as this. The Thai people trust its decisions and are sure to support this move to remove Pfizer from their nation.

It was reported back in December that Princess Bajrakitiyabha collapsed from a heart attack after getting jabbed by Pfizer. This is the basis upon which the Royal Family is now moving towards holding Pfizer accountable for its crimes against humanity.

“If anything was going to awaken the Thai people from indoctrinated slumber, incurring their wrath and outrage at the scale of how badly they have been duped – this would probably be it,” Creed says, noting that up until now the Thai people fell for the mass psychosis and “uniformed worship of the new normal ideology.”

“I want to wake up from this nightmare.”

In the comments, someone wrote that Pfizer not only bullied but also bribed government officials, many through blackmail, into buying and distributing Pfizer’s covid shots to their populations.

“Fraud vitiates everything,” this person added, noting that contract law, which is color of law, is chartered under Roman Canon law.

“Common law is superior to color of law. The Magna Carta is superior to Roman Canon law. The Constitution of the United States of America is supreme in America.”

Another wrote that Pfizer and its executives, including CEO Albert Bourla, need to have all of their assets seized, including those being held in banks around the world.

“Go out and arrest all Pfizer executives on your soil,” this person added. “These cockroaches have to be hiding in a country somewhere.”

Show less

No Evidence Thailand Is Planning To Ban Pfizer Vaccine At All!

There is really NO EVIDENCE that Thailand has banned, or is planning to ban, the Pfizer vaccine because it caused Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s coma!

Fact #1 : Claims Likely Based On Edited Videos

The claims in the viral message appear to be based on two viral videos that were edited to remove some context. I confirmed that by watching and comparing both video clips to the full interview of Sucharit Bhakdi by Pascal Najadi.

It looks like the person who edited the videos wanted to remove references to the fact that Bhakdi was talking to Thai activists, not Thai officials. I covered both videos separately in these articles:

Fact #2 : No Evidence Bhakdi Spoke To Thai Government Officials

If you watch the full video or read the extended transcripts in the two articles above, you will realise that Sucharit Bhakdi did not actually claim to have met any Thai official, never mind advisors to the royal family.

He appeared to have only met Thai activists who claimed that they can “connect” him with the authorities.

Fact #3 : No Evidence Thai Officials Plan To Nullify Pfizer Contracts

There is also no evidence Thailand is actually planning to nullify the Pfizer vaccine contracts. In fact, Bhakdi himself called for people to “start a movement” to “file a case against Pfizer-BioNTech“.

That would not be necessary if the Thai government is already planning to nullify the Pfizer vaccine contracts.

And if we are able in Thailand to start a movement to say, file a case against Pfizer-BioNTech that they pay for the damage they have done, let’s make it.

Fact #4 : Use Of Pfizer Vaccine Minimal In Thailand

It is odd that Sucharit Bhakdi is so focused on the Pfizer vaccine when the Moderna vaccine uses a similar mRNA and lipid nanoparticle delivery technology.

In any case, the use of Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines in Thailand is minimal. This is partly because the mainstay of the Thai COVID-19 vaccination programme was the AstraZeneca vaccine, that was eventually manufactured by Siam Bioscience (owned by King Vajiralongkorn himself).

But due to supply issues, Thailand imported and used large amounts of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine, and eventually the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine.

mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna only make up 5.7% of the COVID-19 vaccines delivered to the Thai government.

Vaccine Brand	Doses Ordered	Doses Delivered
Sinovac	31.1 million	26.52 million
AstraZeneca	61 million	25.5 million
Sinopharm	15 million	15 million
Pfizer	30 million	3.5 million
Moderna	13 million	560,200

Fact #6 : Unknown If Princess Bajrakitiyabha Was Vaccinated

Despite Sucharit Bhakdi’s claims that Princess Bajrakitiyabha received her third dose just 23 days before her collapse, I simply cannot find any evidence of that.

Neither Princess Bajrakitiyabha, nor the Thai royal family, or even the Thai government, has ever publicly revealed her vaccination status.

Perhaps Bhakdi is privy to her vaccination status, but he did not share any evidence to back up his claim, and I cannot corroborate his claim.

Unless and until the Thai royal family or government reveal her vaccination status, and what (if any) COVID-19 vaccine she received, it would be wrong for anyone to claim (without evidence) that she was injured by the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Fact #7 : Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s Cause of Collapse Still Unknown

It is interesting to note that the person who edited the viral video cut out the part where Sucharit Bhakdi claimed that Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s heart failed.

The truth is – the cause of her sudden collapse has not been publicly revealed, but the Thai palace released a statement on 19 December 2022, in which it stated that “no heart defect could be found“, dismissing earlier assessments that she suffered a cardiac event.

So while we still do not know why Princess Bajrakitiyabha suddenly collapsed (Thai royal expert Andrew MacGregor Marshall claims it was a hemorrhagic stroke), we have known since December 2022 that she did not have a “heart defect” of any kind.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Fact Check | Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Is Pfizer In Trouble Over Thai Princess Vaccine Injury?!

Leave a reply

Is Pfizer in trouble in Thailand over Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s vaccine injury?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Pfizer In Trouble Over Thai Princess Vaccine Injury!

A video clip of Professor Sucharit Bhakdi has gone viral on Twitter, claiming that top Thai authorities are preparing to declare the Pfizer vaccine contracts null and void, purportedly over Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s vaccine injury!

Top Thai authorities including advisors to the King have been in discussions with Prof. Sucharit Bhakdi and are prepared to see to it that the Pfizer contracts are declared null and void!! The Royal Family has been alerted that the princess is most likely a victim of the jab!!

The Thai Princess who collapsed 23 days after her booster is still in a coma. The Royal Family have been alerted that the purported diagnosis of a bacterial infection is ‘ridiculous’ and that she is most likely the victim of the jab.

Thai Government Vows to be “First Country” to Declare Pfizer Contracts “Null” After Princess Drops of Heart Attack, Dr. Bhakdi Presents “Fraud”

No Evidence Pfizer Is In Trouble Over Thai Princess In Coma!

There is really NO EVIDENCE that Pfizer is in any trouble over Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha being in coma after suddenly collapsing, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : The Video Was Edited To Remove Context

Like the first viral video clip, this video clip also appears to have been edited to remove some context.

Specifically, it appears to be edited to make Sucharit Bhakdi appear as if he talked to Thai officials, when he was actually referring to Thai activists!

Here are my rough transcripts from the second video clip, with the removed parts highlighted in bold.

Then I said, guys, something happened you know, in December, and that is that one daughter of the present king, Rama the 10th, collapsed and is in coma. She, within, I think it was 23 days after the third shot.

44 years old, never been seriously ill, collapsed and is now in a coma. And the diagnosis that was given by the authorities and by the university is so ridiculous. She’s supposed to have a bacterial infection that will never do what she’s suffering from.

And so, we determined… and the activists in Thailand who have been on this for many, many months now. Great guys, also a professor from the University of Bangkok.

He’s gotten in touch with the royal family, and we are sending information to the royal family, to alert them to the fact that in all probability, the princess is suffering as a victim of this jab, as so many people around the world have been suffering.

The part that was removed was short, but it was sufficient to remove the context that Bhakdi was not talking to Thai officials, who would have clearly known that their Crown Princess Bajrakitiyabha had been in coma since December 2022!

But more critically, the person who edited the video appears to intentionally leave out this very pertinent part right after the section above.

Why? Because Sucharit Bhakdi claimed that Princess Bajrakitiyabha suffered from a heart failure. As you will see in Fact #4, the Princess did not suffer from heart failure!

It’s cardiac. Her heart failed. Okay? Her heart failed, and because her heart failed, her brain did not get the oxygen, and she’s still in the intensive care department in Thailand now, after more than six weeks. So it’s very, very serious.

Right after that, Sucharit Bhakdi suggested that the Thais should try to “start a movement” to file a case against Pfizer-BioNTech. That is a clear indication he was talking to Thai activists, and not Thai officials.

And if we are able in Thailand to start a movement to say, file a case against Pfizer-BioNTech that they pay for the damage they have done, let’s make it.

Is Pfizer in trouble with the Thai government over the Thai Princess' "vaccine injury"? 🧐

Here are the facts : https://t.co/rA0NEbou2v #TechARP #Thailand #SucharitBhakdi #Pfizer #COVID19 #Vaccine #Vaccination #Princess #Royalty #Health #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Thai pic.twitter.com/heDgIgroF5

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) January 30, 2023

Fact #2 : Use Of Pfizer Vaccine Minimal In Thailand

It is odd that Sucharit Bhakdi is so focused on the Pfizer vaccine when the Moderna vaccine uses a similar mRNA and lipid nanoparticle delivery technology.

But due to supply issues, Thailand imported and used large amounts of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine, and eventually the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine.

mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna only make up 5.7% of the COVID-19 vaccines delivered to the Thai government.

Vaccine Brand	Doses Ordered	Doses Delivered
Sinovac	31.1 million	26.52 million
AstraZeneca	61 million	25.5 million
Sinopharm	15 million	15 million
Pfizer	30 million	3.5 million
Moderna	13 million	560,200

Fact #3 : Unknown If Princess Bajrakitiyabha Was Vaccinated

Despite Sucharit Bhakdi’s claims that Princess Bajrakitiyabha received her third dose just 23 days before her collapse, I simply cannot find any evidence of that.

Neither Princess Bajrakitiyabha, nor the Thai royal family, or even the Thai government, has ever publicly revealed her vaccination status.

Perhaps Bhakdi is privy to her vaccination status, but he did not share any evidence to back up his claim, and I cannot corroborate his claim.

Fact #4 : Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s Cause of Collapse Still Unknown

It is interesting to note that the person who edited the viral video cut out the part where Sucharit Bhakdi claimed that Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s heart failed.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Fact Check | Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Thailand Vow To Nullify Pfizer Vaccine Contracts?!

Leave a reply

Did Thailand vow to be the first country to declare the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine contracts “null and void”?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Thailand Vow To Declare Pfizer Vaccine Contracts Null + Void!

A video of Professor Sucharit Bhakdi has gone viral on Twitter, claiming that Thailand is preparing to declare the Pfizer vaccine contracts null and void!

Top Thai authorities including advisors to the King have been in discussions with Prof. Sucharit Bhakdi and are prepared to see to it that the Pfizer contracts are declared null and void!!

Thai Government Vows to be “First Country” to Declare Pfizer Contracts “Null” After Princess Drops of Heart Attack, Dr. Bhakdi Presents “Fraud”

No Evidence Thailand Vowed To Nullify Pfizer Vaccine Contracts!

There is really NO EVIDENCE that Thailand has vowed to be the first country in the world to declare the Pfizer vaccine contracts as null and void!

Fact #1 : The Video Was Edited To Remove Context

Like the second viral video, this video clip appears to be edited to remove some context. I confirmed that by watching and comparing the video clip to the full interview of Sucharit Bhakdi by Pascal Najadi.

It looks like the person who edited the video wanted to remove references to the fact that Bhakdi was talking to Thai activists and not Thai officials.

Here are my rough transcripts from the first video clip, with the removed parts highlighted in bold.

Let me tell you the wonderful thing that happened when we decided to go back to Thailand for a holiday, which was badly needed. This was the beginning of January this year. There are Thai activists in Thailand with whom we have been connected over the past year.

They said, if you come to Thailand… uh, I’m still a Thai by the way… I’m Thai-German… we will connect you with the authorities and advisors to the highest authorities in Thailand, and this is what happened.

So I have the opportunity, the first opportunity in three years, to talk to the top advisors of a government in any country.

And it was very, very impressive, because I laid out to them that this whole COVID-19 agenda is a fake, and why it is a fake, and I was able to lay out for them the proof that the COVID vaccinations were based on fraud.

The person who edited the video, also appears to be trying to scrub out the part where Bhakdi was referring to safety pharmacological studies in 2021 and 2022.

The EMA – European Medical Agencies – was asked again and again and again to reveal whether BioNTech Pfizer had ever performed any safety pharmacological study in 2021 and 2022, and the answer is available to us and to you.

The official answer submitted on the 18th of October of 2022. 18th of October, which we have at our disposal, the EMA declared officially that safety pharmacological studies were never performed. Never. And they were never deemed necessary. So now we have it.

It also appears that the first video was scrubbed to remove the part where Bhakdi stated that it was not the mRNA that was the problem, but the lipid packaging that protected it.

The person who edited the video also removed the part where Bhakdi said that the Thais were Googling information on the Pfizer-BioNTech contract. This would have alerted any viewer that Bhakdi was talking about Thai activists, and not Thai officials who would not need to Google such information.

[/su_note]

And when I told the Thais this, you know guys, they jumped up, they jumped up in the roof. And so they said Thailand is going to join Switzerland. Thailand is going to join Switzerland and show the world how to go, because the contract to buy millions of doses of that damn vaccine that is deadly, known to be deadly.

Not because of the mRNA, but just because of the lipids that are packaging the mRNA, that is enough to kill people. Not even the spike protein is necessary. You just have to take the packaging, and that it in itself is deadly. And that it in itself will cause anyone, will force anyone to say that nothing that is packaged in this deadly package can be safe. If the package itself is deadly, then you don’t have to ask what is in the package.

And then they said alright, and they were Googling and said, the contract was signed in Thailand with Pfizer-BioNTech and in this case, it was based on fraud because there were no safety studies and therefore, and it is now known that, this package is not safe. It is immaterial what is in in the package. It is not safe, because of the packaging.

And so they said to me – we will see to it that Thailand is the first country in the world that is going to declare this contract null, and nullify the contract. Which means that Pfizer BioNTech is going to have to pay back those billions to Thailand, with which Thailand will recompensate those peoples [sic] that have lost their existence.

Did Thailand vow to be the first country to declare the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine contracts "null and void"?! 🧐

Here are the facts : https://t.co/xD2rUj8ryf #TechARP #Thailand #SucharitBhakdi #Pfizer #COVID19 #Vaccine #Vaccination #Business #Health #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck pic.twitter.com/jedvEimodF

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) January 30, 2023

Fact #2 : No Evidence Bhakdi Spoke To Thai Officials

As mentioned above, the viral video clip appears to have been edited to remove references to Thai activists, likely to convey the perception that Sucharit Bhakdi was speaking to Thai officials.

If you watch the full video or read the extended transcript above, Sucharit Bhakdi does not actually claim to have met any Thai official, never mind advisors to the royal family. He appears to have only met Thai activists who claimed that they can “connect” him with the authorities.

Fact #3 : No Evidence Thai Officials Plan To Nullify Pfizer Contracts

The full video, and the extended transcript above, shows that Sucharit Bhakdi appears to have spoken only with Thai activists, not Thai officials.

Therefore, there is no evidence Thailand is actually planning to nullify the Pfizer vaccine contracts. In fact, Bhakdi himself called for people to “start a movement” to “file a case against Pfizer-BioNTech“.

That would not be necessary if the Thai government is already planning to nullify the Pfizer vaccine contracts.

And if we are able in Thailand to start a movement to say, file a case against Pfizer-BioNTech that they pay for the damage they have done, let’s make it.

Fact #4 : Use Of Pfizer Vaccine Minimal In Thailand

It is odd that Sucharit Bhakdi is so focused on the Pfizer vaccine when the Moderna vaccine uses a similar mRNA and lipid nanoparticle delivery technology.

But due to supply issues, Thailand imported and used large amounts of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine, and eventually the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine.

mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna only make up 5.7% of the COVID-19 vaccines delivered to the Thai government.

Vaccine Brand	Doses Ordered	Doses Delivered
Sinovac	31.1 million	26.52 million
AstraZeneca	61 million	25.5 million
Sinopharm	15 million	15 million
Pfizer	30 million	3.5 million
Moderna	13 million	560,200

Fact #5 : Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Was Evaluated In 2020

I should also touch on the claim that the safety of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was never tested.

Pfizer actually conducted their Phase 1/2 trial in 2020, testing the first participants on May 5, 2020, and posting the first date on August 20, 2020. That was followed up by the large Phase 3 trial, whose study was peer-reviewed and published in the New England Medical Journal in December 2020.

In other words, safety studies were carried out on the Pfizer vaccine in 2020, but not in 2021 or 2022 because it was the same vaccine.

It appears that the the first viral video was edited to removed the part about the EMA being asked whether Pfizer performed the safety tests in 2021 and 2022, to convey the false perception that Pfizer never conducted safety tests at all.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Fact Check | Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Ben Idir Mehenni Die Suddenly From Vaccine?!

Leave a reply

Did Algerian footballer Ben Idir Mehenni die suddenly on the field from the COVID-19 vaccine?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Algerian Footballer Ben Idir Mehenni Died From Vaccine!

People have been sharing a video clip of people congregating on a football field, claiming that Algerian footballer Ben Idir Mehenni just died suddenly on the field from the COVID-19 vaccine!

Died Suddenly : BREAKING IN ALGERIA: Another Athlete has dropped dead.

A Footballer named Ben Idir Mehenni #diedsuddenly of a heart attack on the field.

The player complained of feeling unwell a few minutes before the end of the match, minutes later collapsing to his death. 💉

#SuddenDeath #SuddenDeaths2023 #Nuremberg2 #DiedSuddenlyNews #Suddenlydied #ItsTheJab #DiedUnexpectedly #DiedSuddenly #CovidIsntOver #suddendeaths #Damar #vaccinegenocide #Covid_19
Algerian footballer Ben Idir Mehenni died suddenly due to heart attack (Jan’23) death jab & fries

Vidmax : Another pro soccer player has dropped dead again while on the pitch. Algerian player, Ben Idir Mehenni, #diedsuddenly after being rushed to the hospital after his collapse. #SuddenDeaths2023 #DiedSuddenlyVaccine #VaccineDeaths #mRNA #PfizerLiedPeopleDied #Nuremberg

Did Algerian footballer Ben Idir Mehenni die suddenly on the field from the COVID-19 vaccine?!
Here are the facts : https://t.co/0J6s1gK4ZD #TechARP #Algeria #Football #Soccer #Death #Tragedy #DiedSuddenly #SuddenDeath #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Vaccine #Vaccination pic.twitter.com/LGQA83rWaN

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) January 29, 2023

No Evidence Algerian Footballer Ben Idir Mehenni Died From Vaccine!

It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all athlete deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Ben Dir Mehenni Suddenly Collapsed + Died

On Tuesday, 24 January 2023, Union sportive de Oued Amizour (Sports Union of Oued Amizour) played against M.C. Rouiba in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) at the Stade de Reghaia (Reghaia Stadium).

A few minutes before the game ended, Ben Idir Mehenni who played for Oued Amizour collapsed on the field, and was rushed to the Reghaia hospital. Unfortunately, he could not be saved, and passed away.

Ben Idir Mehenni’s death was first announced by the Béjaia Radio, and confirmed by the Fédération Algérienne de Football in a Facebook post on Wednesday, 25 January 2023.

Le joueur a été victime d’un malaise quelques minutes à la fin de la rencontre et a été évacué en urgence à l’hôpital de Reghaia où il avait rendu l’âme quelques minutes après.

The player fell ill a few minutes after the match and was rushed to Reghaia hospital where he passed away a few minutes later.

▪️تعزية 🤲🏼 pic.twitter.com/90gLPr9Cim

— Fédération Algérienne de Football (@FAFAlgeria) January 25, 2023

Fact #2 : Ben Idir Mehenni’s Cause Of Death Is Still Unknown

While many people claimed that Ben Idir Mehenni died from a heart attack, there has been no official source for that claim.

Neither Béjaia Radio nor the Fédération Algérienne de Football said that Ben Idir Mehenni died from a heart attack.

While Ben Idir Mehenni may well indeed have died from a heart attack, he could also have died from a sudden cardiac arrest – another condition which commonly causes athletes to suddenly collapse and die.

In any case, until and unless there is official word from the hospital on his cause of death, or an autopsy report, it would be wrong for anyone to claim that Ben Idir Mehenni died from heart attack, the vaccine, or some other cause.

Fact #3 : Ben Idir Mehenni Was Likely Not Vaccinated Against COVID-19

It is unknown if Ben Idir Mehenni was ever vaccinated against COVID-19, so it would be wrong for anyone to claim that he died from COVID-19 vaccine side effects.

It is actually pretty likely that Ben Idir Mehenni was not vaccinated, as Algeria has a very low COVID-19 vaccination rate. Less than 15% of its population is fully-vaccinated, and less than 18% ever receive a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Unless he had earlier travelled overseas to play football, it is more than likely that Ben Idir Mehenni was never vaccinated against COVID-19.

Fact #4 : No mRNA Vaccine Approved For Use In Algeria

While many people blame his death on mRNA vaccines, specifically the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, no mRNA vaccine has ever been approved for use in Algeria!

Only four COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in Algeria so far:

Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaxzevria : viral vector vaccine
Sinovac CoronaVac : inactivated virus vaccine
Sinopharm Covilo : inactivated virus vaccine
Gamaleya Sputnik V : viral vector vaccine

As you can see – it is really not possible for anyone in Algeria to die from an mRNA vaccine, because no mRNA vaccine is available in Algeria!

Fact #5 : Claims Of Athletes Injured By COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False

This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists abusing athlete deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

So far, claims of athlete deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false at every instance. Here is the latest dozen cases I fact checked recently.

Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next athlete tragedy…

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Fact Check | Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

US Intel : Xi Jinping Won’t Accept Western Vaccines!

Leave a reply

According to US intelligence, Chinese President Xi Jinping is still unwilling to accept Western vaccines to fight recent surges in COVID-19 infections!

US Intel : Xi Jinping Won’t Accept Western Vaccines!

Speaking at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in California, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said that Chinese President Xi Jinping is unwilling to accept Western vaccines despite the recent surges in COVID-19 infections.

[Xi Jinping] is unwilling to take a better vaccine from the West, and is instead relying on a vaccine in China that’s just not nearly as effective against Omicron.

Seeing protests and the response to it is countering the narrative that he likes to put forward, which is that China is so much more effective at government.

It’s, again, not something we see as being a threat to stability at this moment, or regime change or anything like that. How it develops will be important to Xi’s standing.

Avril Haines’ comments corroborate what US officials have said earlier. The White House said earlier in the week that China had not asked the United States for vaccines.

One US official also told Reuters there was “no expectation at present” that China would approve western vaccines.

It seems fairly far-fetched that China would greenlight western vaccines at this point. It’s a matter of national pride, and they’d have to swallow quite a bit of it if they went this route.

China Relaxes Zero COVID, But Western Vaccines Are Critical!

The Chinese government recently relaxed some of its Zero COVID policies, lifting some lockdown measures and restrictions in major cities.

Chinese Vice Premiere Sun Chunlan also told health officials to take a “human-centred approach”, and called for China to enhance its “diagnosis, testing, treatment and quarantine” measures, while boosting vaccination rates especially for its senior citizens”.

However, if US intelligence is correct that President Xi Jinping refuses to accept Western vaccines, it will be difficult for China to open up without a significant number of its citizens being hospitalised or dying from COVID-19.

China has, so far, refused to approve any foreign COVID-19 vaccines, relying exclusively on its domestic vaccines, which have been far less efficacious from the start.

They are now even less effective against the highly-contagious Omicron variant, which would likely mean in many more cases of breakthrough infections.

Even worse – with so few infections in the past three years, there is less opportunity to boost immunity for Chinese citizens vaccinated with less efficacious vaccines from Sinovac and Sinopharm.

While many countries around the world have started opening up after achieving a reasonable amount of vaccinations coupled with infections, it will be very difficult (if not impossible) for China to do the same without introducing booster doses using more efficacious Western vaccines.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Business | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Are 70 Countries Planning To Sue China For Vaccine Deaths?!

Leave a reply

Are 70 countries around the world preparing to sue China for COVID-19 vaccine deaths?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : 70 Countries Are Preparing To Sue China For Vaccine Deaths!

This message is going viral on WhatsApp and Twitter, claiming that 70 countries around the world are preparing to sue China for COVID-19 vaccine deaths.

Miles Guo
💥Due to the vaccine-related death, around 70 countries are preparing to sue China in the International Arbitration Court, if US ceases the vaccine mandate, China may have to pay 600 trill USD for all the vaccine-related mortality🤢they work for another 10,000 years!

The message is often linked to the source of that claim – this Gnews article :

On May 29th in a livestream, Miles Guo revealed that currently at least 70 countries that have adopted Communist China’s vaccines are preparing to sue the Chinese Communist Party – CCP for vaccine-related deaths. These countries are requesting an independent arbitration in the International Arbitration Court in UK London.

He said for sure the CCP won’t show up in the court, which would lead to a unilateral arbitration directly, and in that case, it’s almost 100% sure that the court would find CCP liable for the vaccine related deaths, which might bring up to approximately 600 trillion USD for a compensation, and that is an astronomical amount for the Chinese deplorables (Lao Baixing) to pay.

Truth : 70 Countries Are Not Preparing To Sue China For Vaccine Deaths!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by G News, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Country Is Preparing To Sue China For Vaccine Deaths

Despite what Miles Guo may claim, there is no country that is planning to sue the Chinese Communist Party for deaths related to Chinese vaccines.

Fact #2 : There Is No International Arbitration Court

There is no international body called the International Arbitration Court. The two major courts that deal with disputes between countries are :

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which is a non-UN intergovernmental organisation.

Neither the ICJ nor the PCA are based in London, the United Kingdom. They are both based in The Hague, Netherlands.

There is a London Court of International Arbitration, but that is a British private company offers dispute resolution through arbitration and mediation. Hardly a proper channel to “sue” China, isn’t it?

Fact #3 : G-Times News Is Infamous For Fake News

This fake story was created by G-Times News (also known as GNews or G News), a website owned by Guo Media.

Guo Media is a company associated with Guo Wengui (also known as Miles Guo), an exiled Chinese businessman, and Steve Bannon – both of whom are infamous for creating and spreading misinformation.

Naturally, both Guo and Bannon are often featured in G News coverage. It doesn’t make them prescient, just pretentious.

Just like the time G-Times News claimed that Pfizer delisted itself on the Nasdaq and NYSE!

Fact #4 : Chinese Vaccines Save Lives

China has been selling tons of COVID-19 vaccines, in particular, the Sinovac CoronaVac, the Sinopharm BIBP and the CanSino Convidecia.

They were not very efficacious even against the ancestral COVID-19 virus, but they offered very good protection against severe disease and death, as this table shows.

Their efficacy against COVID-19 variants like Delta and Omicron were much poorer to be sure. But we have to acknowledge that these Chinese vaccines still saved lives.

COVID-19 Vaccine	Protection Against
COVID-19 Vaccine	Symptomatic Infection	Severe Disease	Death
Pfizer Comirnaty	95.0%	100%	100%
Gamaleya Sputnik V	91.6%	100%	100%
Moderna mRNA-1273	94.1%	100%	100%
AstraZeneca AZD1222	62% ~ 90%	100%	100%
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV	79% ~ 86%	90%	100%
J&J Janssen COVID-19	66.0%	85%	100%
CanSino Convidecia	65.7%	90.98%	100%
Sinovac CoronaVac	50.65%	83.7%	100%

Fact #5 : CCP Did Not Make COVID-19 Vaccines

The Chinese COVID-19 vaccines were developed and produced by various Chinese pharmaceutical companies, not the Chinese Communist Party.

So it would be really absurd to sue the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), or the country of China, for the poor efficacy of vaccines produced by Chinese companies.

Only fake news creators and conspiracy theorists can come up with such ridiculous claims, and expect to be taken seriously.

I hope you found this fact check article useful. Please help us fight fake news by sharing it out!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Fact Check | Science | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Free COVID Vaccine For 5-11 Yo Kids Extended To 31 May!

Leave a reply

The first dose of the free PICKids vaccine programme for 5-11 year old kids has been extended to 31 May 2022!

Here is what you need to know…

Free COVID Vaccine For 5-11 Yo Kids Extended To 31 May 2022!

On 13 April 2022, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) announced that they will stop offering the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine under the PICKids programme after 15 May 2022.

Then on 25 April 2022, they announced that they would also stop offering the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for the PICKids programme after 15 August 2022.

Finally, on 12 May 2022, they announced that they will extend the first dose of the free COVID-19 vaccine to 31 May 2022.

From 31 May 2022 onwards, the PICKids programme will no longer offer the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to 5-11 year old kids.

From 16 August 2022 onwards, the PICKids programme will no longer offer the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to 5-11 year old kids.

the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine will no longer be offered at both public and private health facilities across Malaysia.
the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine will only be offered as a paid vaccination option in private health facilities.

While you may still pay for the Sinovac vaccine for your child, it is a far inferior vaccine to the free Pfizer vaccine.

Since MySejahtera stopped accepting registration for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for 5-11 year old kids on 8 May 2022, here is what you need to know :

Parents who registered and made appointments on or before 8 May 2022, for vaccination dates on or before 31 May 2022, can continue with their existing appointments.
Parents who registered and made appointments on or before 8 May 2022, for vaccination dates after before 31 May 2022, will have their appointments cancelled automatically.
Parents who try to register on MySejahtera after 8 May 2022, will not be given any appointment.

Therefore, parents who have not registered, or are in the second or third category above, should walk into any KKM health clinic for their free COVID-19 vaccine, anytime from now until 31 May 2022.

There are only two exceptions to this 31 May 2022 deadline :

Children Infected With COVID-19

The first exception to this deadline are 5-11 year old kids who have to cancel their appointments (before 31 May 2022) due to a COVID-19 infection.

Their parents are advised to bring these kids to any government health clinic within 6 weeks after recovering from COVID-19, or by 30 August 2022 at the very latest.

Children Turning 5 After 31 May 2022

The second exception are for children who turn five years old on or after 31 May 2022.

Their parents can register and book their vaccine appointments for the first dose of the free COVID-19 vaccine until 15 January 2023.

These children must receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose by 31 January 2023. Thereafter, the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be offered for free, and must be obtained as a paid vaccine at private health facilities.

So parents, please HURRY and get your children vaccinated for FREE!

Why Is PICKids Ending Free COVID-19 Vaccine For 5-11 Yo Kids?

As of 12 April 2022, only 38.6% of eligible children have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

This extremely low uptake will result in wastage, as the paediatric Pfizer vaccine has a 6-month shelf life.

As the Pfizer vaccine for 5-11 year-old kids have a lower dose, it cannot be used for older children.

Therefore, to avoid waste, the COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF-C) decided to stop giving the COVID-19 vaccine under the PICKids programme.

CITF-C also amended the vaccination consent form for children (below 18 years of age), removing this clause :

2. I am responsible for the risks that may occur to children as a result of my decision/action because the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the side effect.

The clause was dropped to avoid confusion, and to convey the existing practice in which the Ministry of Health has never neglected, and is always ready to offer the necessary medical assistance if there are side effects from the vaccination.

I highly recommend that you bring your children to any government health clinic for their COVID-19 vaccination ASAP!

Please don’t waste this opportunity to protect them against COVID-19 for FREE!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Sinovac / Sinopharm Recipients To Get Second Booster Dose!

Leave a reply

Sinovac and Sinopharm recipients will be allowed to get a second booster dose!

Here is what you need to know…

Sinovac / Sinopharm Recipients To Get Second Booster Dose!

On 14 April 2022, the Malaysia Ministry of Health announced that they will offer a second booster dose to high-risk individuals, to improve their protection against COVID-19!

In addition, they will also offer recipients of the Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccines the opportunity to get a second booster dose.

The second booster dose will be the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine, and it will be given at least 1 month after the first booster dose for Sinovac / SInopharm recipients.

This second booster dose is optional, and is not compulsory. Your vaccination status will not change, whether you take the second booster dose or not.

However, it will facilitate overseas travel for Sinovac and Sinopharm recipients because many countries do not recognise either vaccines.

Should Sinovac / Sinopharm Recipients Get Second Booster Dose?

If you are a Sinovac or Sinopharm recipient and need to travel overseas, you should definitely get the second booster dose.

Both vaccines have been EUA-qualified by the WHO. However, quite a number of countries do not recognise the Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccines, due to their lower efficacy.

The massive RECoVaM study, for example, showed that the Sinovac vaccine’s limited efficacy quickly waned after just 2 months. And that wasn’t even against the highly-contagious Omicron variant.

Even Sinovac recipients who receive a Pfizer booster dose may not obtain sufficient protection against the Omicron variant. A recent Yale University study showed that Sinovac vaccine recipients will require TWO Pfizer booster doses, to adequately protect against the Omicron variant.

So if you have the opportunity to get the second booster dose, take it. Even if the country you intend to visit recognises the Sinovac / Sinopharm vaccine, you will better protect yourself against COVID-19 by getting the second booster dose.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Travel | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Second Booster Dose Offered To High-Risk Individuals!

Leave a reply

High-risk individuals in Malaysia will be offered a second booster dose, to improve their protection against COVID-19!

Here is what you need to know…

Second Booster Dose Offered To High-Risk Individuals!

The Malaysia Ministry of Health will offer a second booster dose to high-risk individuals, to improve their protection against COVID-19!

High-risk senior citizens aged 60 years and above, with co-morbidities like
– diabetes
– chronic lung disease
– chronic renal disease, underlying dialysis
– chronic liver disease
– cerebrovascular disease
– heart failure, ischaemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy
– chronic neurological diseases
– BMI of over 40
– residents of long-term care facilities
Individuals who received the Sinovac or Sinopharm booster dose for travel purposes
Healthy senior citizens are advised to consult a doctor for second booster dose recommendation

The second booster dose will be the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine, and it will be given :

at least 4-6 months after the first booster dose for senior citizens,
at least 3 months after recovery for senior citizens who had a COVID-19 infection,
and at least 1 month after the first booster dose for Sinovac / SInopharm recipients.

This second booster dose is optional, and is not compulsory. Your vaccination status will not change, whether you take the second booster dose or not.

Why Second Booster Dose For High-Risk Individuals?

High-risk individuals, namely senior citizens with co-morbidities, are at a much higher risk of developing severe COVID-19.

Even though COVID-19 vaccines offer great protection against hospitalisation and death, their protection wanes over time. With the Omicron variant raging around the globe, and new variants coming up, it is important to boost their protection.

This is particularly important for those who received the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines. Both Chinese vaccines offer markedly lower protection, which quickly wane over a matter of weeks.

A Yale University study, for example, showed that Sinovac vaccine recipients will require TWO Pfizer booster doses, to adequately protect against the Omicron variant.

Therefore, if you are offered the second booster dose, I would highly recommend you take it. Even more so if you received the Sinovac / Sinopharm vaccine earlier.

There is also a more practical consideration for people travelling overseas – some countries in Europe do not recognise the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines, both as a primary series vaccine or a booster dose.

Therefore, they will be allowed to obtain a second booster dose, at least one month after receiving their first booster dose.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

PICKids : No More First Dose For 5-11 Yo Kids After May 15!

Leave a reply

The Malaysia Ministry of Health just announced that they will STOP offering the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for free to 5-11 year-old kids!

Here is what you need to know…

PICKids : No More Free First Dose For 5-11 Yo Kids Soon!

On 13 April 2022, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) announced that they will stop offering the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine under the PICKids programme next month.

From 16 May 2022 onwards, the PICKids programme will no longer offer the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to 5-11 year old kids.

the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine will no longer be offered at both public and private health facilities across Malaysia.
the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine will only be offered as a paid vaccination option in private health facilities.

They are calling on parents to quickly register their children for COVID-19 vaccination by 8 May 2022, in order to obtain an appointment date in time.

Why Is PICKids Ending Free First Dose For 5-11 Yo Kids?

As of 12 April 2022, only 38.6% of eligible children have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

This extremely low uptake will result in wastage, as the paediatric Pfizer vaccine has a 6-month shelf life.

As the Pfizer vaccine for 5-11 year-old kids have a lower dose, it cannot be used for older children.

Therefore, to avoid waste, the COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF-C) decided to stop giving the free first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine under the PICKids programme.

CITF-C has also amended the vaccination consent form for children (below 18 years of age), removing this clause :

2. I am responsible for the risks that may occur to children as a result of my decision/action because the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the side effect.

I highly recommend that you register your children for their COVID-19 vaccination ASAP!

Please don’t waste this opportunity to protect them against COVID-19 for FREE!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Booster Deadline For Seniors + Sinovac Extended… Again!

Leave a reply

The deadline for ALL senior citizens and Sinovac vaccine recipients to receive a booster dose in Malaysia has been extended… AGAIN!

Booster Deadline For Seniors + Sinovac Recipients Extended Again!

On 7 February 2022, Malaysia Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that these individuals will be required to get a booster dose by 28 February 2022.

60 years and older who were fully-vaccinated with any COVID-19 vaccine
18 years and older who were fully-vaccinated with the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine

On 24 February 2022, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that the deadline has been extended, and both groups will have until the 31 March 2022 to get their booster dose.

On 1 April 2022, the Malaysia Health Ministry (KKM) extended the deadline again, this time by three (3) months.

This means individuals in both groups who do not get their booster dose will lose their fully-vaccinated status only on 1 July 2022, .

To be clear – this is not a vaccine mandate. You are free to refuse the booster dose. However, your MySejahtera will show that you are not fully-vaccinated.

KKM Still Offers Sinovac Booster Dose

On 7 February, the Health Minister also shared that 3.5 million people who were fully-vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine still have not received their booster dose.

To encourage them to get their booster dose, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) is now offering Sinovac recipients the option of a Sinovac booster dose.

KKM however strongly recommends that Sinovac recipients receive either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca booster dose, because they offer much better protection.

They are only offering the Sinovac booster dose, because it is better than not taking one at all. As Khairy quipped, “If you are going to travel to a cold country and refuse the coat that KKM offers, it’s better that we give you a t-shirt than let you go naked“.

That’s quite an apt description, as recent studies (here, here and here) have shown that the Sinovac booster dose is about as useful as a t-shirt in winter.

That said, Khairy also said that there are currently no plans for a 4th shot for Sinovac recipients.

That is why I completely agree with KKM, and highly recommend that Sinovac recipients opt for the much better Pfizer or AstraZeneca booster dose.

If you prefer a Chinese vaccine for work or geopolitical reasons, then opt for the Sinopharm vaccine, which is at least slightly better than the Sinovac vaccine.

But no matter what you choose – please get the booster dose ASAP.

You can walk-in for your booster dose at any Mega PPV or Offsite PPV, or get an appointment at a GP PPV. So it’s really convenient.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

KKM : Those Who Refuse Booster Will Not Lose Privileges

Leave a reply

KKM just announced that those who refuse their booster dose will not lose their fully-vaccinated privileges, only their status.

Status Changes For Those Who Refuse Booster Dose

Starting 1 April 2022, individuals in the two groups who do not get their booster dose will lose their fully-vaccinated status.

60 years and older who were fully-vaccinated with any COVID-19 vaccine
18 years and older who were fully-vaccinated with the Sinovac or Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine

For your convenience, here is a table summarising the COVID-19 vaccination status changes that will kick in on 1 April 2022 :

Vaccination Status	Pre-Departure	On Arrival	Additional Test or Quarantine
Child (< 7 Years Old)	No Test Required		No Test No Quarantine
Boosted (≥18 Years)	PCR test within 2 days	Professional RTK-Ag within 24 hours
Fully Vaccinated
Fully Vaccinated + Post-COVID-19 (11-60 Days)	Professional RTK-Ag within 2 days or FTT letter * if hospitalised
Children / Teenagers (7-17 Years)	PCR test within 2 days
Not Vaccinated with Medical Exemption
Partially Vaccinated or Unvaccinated			Day 4 PCR or Day 5 RTK 5-Day Quarantine
Partially Vaccinated or Unvaccinated + Post-COVID-19 (11-60 Days)	Professional RTK-Ag within 2 days or FTT letter * if hospitalised

* FTT = Fit To Travel

KKM : Those Who Refuse Booster Will Not Lose Privileges

On 30 March 2021, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) announced that those who refuse their booster dose will not lose their fully-vaccinated privileges, only their status.

For these individuals – people in the two groups above who refuse to get their booster dose – they will lose the Fully Vaccinated status in MySejahtera, but will be treated like Fully Vaccinated individuals.

you will be able to dine-in like Fully Vaccinated individuals
you will be able to go shopping like Fully Vaccinated individuals
you will be able to go to work like Fully Vaccinated individuals

To comply with this, premise owners are being asked to verify that you are a Partially Vaccinated individual who has received the full primary series vaccine :

For 2-dose vaccines (Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinovac) : individuals must have exceeded 14 days from their second dose
For 1-dose vaccines (Johnson & Johnson, CanSino) : individuals must have exceeded 14 days from their vaccination

Overseas travellers entering Malaysia, however, must be fully-vaccinated with both the primary series vaccine and a booster dose to be allowed to enter these public premises.

My Opinion : Those Who Refuse Booster Dose Should Lose Privileges

This is a really confusing move. If you are in the two vulnerable groups, and refuse your booster dose :

you will lose your fully-vaccinated status, but not your privileges.
your MySejahtera will say Partially Vaccinated, but you will be treated like Fully Vaccinated.

So it begs the question – what’s the use of labelling them as Partially Vaccinated, if it makes no practical difference?

Even more perplexing – KKM requires overseas travellers to be boosted, but not vulnerable citizens. This makes it extremely difficult and confusing for premise owners to vet.

This is a table I came up with to summarise what KKM just announced about who should be allowed into public premises :

MySejahtera Status	Overseas Traveller	Malaysian Resident
Boosted	Allowed
Fully Vaccinated	Not Allowed	Allowed
Partially Vaccinated (No Booster)	Not Allowed	Allowed
Partially Vaccinated (1 Dose of 2 Dose Vaccine)	Not Allowed	Not Allowed
Unvaccinated	Not Allowed

I have a feeling it’s going to cause considerable confusion amongst business owners and the public alike.

KKM ended their press statement, calling for these vulnerable groups to get their booster dose. I seriously doubt they will be taken seriously after telling them it makes no real difference.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

ALL Sinovac + Sinopharm Recipients MUST Get Booster Dose!

Leave a reply

Please note that ALL Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccine recipients must get a booster dose, or lose their fully-vaccinated status in April!

Here is what you need to know…

ALL Sinovac + Sinopharm Recipients MUST Get Booster Dose!

On 24 February 2022, Malaysia Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that all adult recipients of the Sinovac vaccine must get a booster dose by 31 March 2022.

That was extended on 24 March 2022, to include individuals 18 years and older who were fully vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine.

Starting 1 April 2022, all adults who received the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccine will lose their fully-vaccinated status, if they fail to get their booster dose.

Instead, they will receive a Partially Vaccinated status in their MySejahtera app.

COVID-19 Vaccine	No. of Doses	18-59 Years Old	60 Years Old & Above
Sinovac Sinopharm	2 Doses	Partially Vaccinated
	3 Doses	Fully Vaccinated

This also includes senior citizens 60 years and older, regardless of which vaccine they received earlier. They must ALL receive their booster dose, or receive a Partially Vaccinated status in their MySejahtera app.

COVID-19 Vaccine	No. of Doses	60 Years Old & Above
Sinovac Sinopharm	2 Doses	Partially Vaccinated
Sinovac Sinopharm	3 Doses	Fully Vaccinated
Pfizer Moderna AstraZeneca Covaxin Covishield Novavax Sputnik V	2 Doses	Partially Vaccinated
	3 Doses	Fully Vaccinated
CanSino Janssen Sputnik Light	1 Dose	Partially Vaccinated
CanSino Janssen Sputnik Light	2 Doses	Fully Vaccinated

What Booster Dose Is Best For Sinovac / Sinopharm Recipients?

The Malaysia Ministry of Health is offering four different booster doses for FREE.

Sinovac Recipients : Pfizer, AstraZeneca, CanSino or Sinovac
Sinopharm Recipients : Pfizer or AstraZeneca

The best booster dose you can receive is the Pfizer booster dose, followed by the AstraZeneca booster dose.

They are not only better vaccines (with higher efficacy), the mixing of vaccines (heterologous vaccination) will greatly increase protection against the coronavirus.

Heterologous vaccination is like learning different martial arts. By learning different ways to handle the coronavirus, your immune system is better able to beat COVID-19.

If you must have a Chinese vaccine (for travel and personal reasons), then opt for the CanSino vaccine.

They are also allowing you to walk-into the nearest PPV (COVID-19 vaccination centre) for your booster dose.

So take this opportunity to get a boost in your protection against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Alert : COVID-19 Vaccination Status Changes On 1 April 2022!

Leave a reply

Please note that your COVID-19 vaccination status in Malaysia will change on 1 April 2022, depending on the vaccine and number of doses you received.

Take a look at the finalised schedule of COVID-19 vaccination status changes that will take effect very soon!

Vaccination Status Changes For Seniors, Sinovac + Sinopharm Recipients

On 24 February 2022, Malaysia Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that these individuals will be required to get a booster dose by 31 March 2022.

60 years and older who were fully-vaccinated with any COVID-19 vaccine
18 years and older who were fully-vaccinated with the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine

That was extended on 24 March 2022, to include individuals 18 years and older who were fully vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine as well.

Starting 1 April 2022, individuals in all three groups who do not get their booster dose will lose their fully-vaccinated status.

To be clear – this is not a vaccine mandate. You are free to refuse the booster dose. However, your MySejahtera will show that you are not fully-vaccinated.

COVID-19 Vaccination Status Changes On 1 April 2022!

On 24 March 2021, the Malaysia Ministry of Health also announced changes to the COVID-19 vaccination status, adding a new Booster status.

From 1 April 2022 onwards, there will be four possible vaccination status in MySejahtera (from best to worst) :

Boosted
Fully Vaccinated
Partially Vaccinated
Unvaccinated

For your convenience, here is a table summarising the COVID-19 vaccination status changes that will kick in on 1 April 2022 :

COVID-19 Vaccine	No. of Doses	18-59 Years Old	60 Years Old & Above
Sinovac Sinopharm	2 Doses	Partially Vaccinated
Sinovac Sinopharm	3 Doses	Fully Vaccinated
Pfizer Moderna AstraZeneca Covaxin Covishield Novavax Sputnik V	2 Doses	Fully Vaccinated	Partially Vaccinated
	3 Doses	Boosted	Fully Vaccinated
CanSino Janssen Sputnik Light	1 Dose	Fully Vaccinated	Partially Vaccinated
CanSino Janssen Sputnik Light	2 Doses	Boosted	Fully Vaccinated

Please note that the Malaysia Ministry of Health is offering four different booster doses for FREE.

They are also allowing you to walk-into the nearest PPV (COVID-19 vaccination centre) for your booster dose.

So take this opportunity to get a boost in your protection against COVID-19!

Primary Series Vaccine	Recommended Booster	Timing After Primary Series
Pfizer	Pfizer or AstraZeneca	After 3 months
AstraZeneca	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Sinovac	Pfizer, AstraZeneca, CanSino or Sinovac
Sinopharm	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Moderna	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
CanSino	Pfizer, AstraZeneca or CanSino
Sputnik V	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Janssen	Pfizer or AstraZeneca	After 2 months

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Malaysia COVID-19 Booster Dose Policy : 22 Mar 2022!

Leave a reply

Here is our LATEST summary of the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose policy in Malaysia, as of 21 March 2022!

Malaysia Ramping Up COVID-19 Booster Dose Program!

Malaysia started the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose programme on 13 October 2021, targeting those who received the Pfizer vaccine more than 6 months ago.

It was then expanded to those who received the Sinovac vaccine more than 3 months ago, on 22 October 2021.

On 9 November 2021, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) announced that it would be made available to younger adults.

On 24 November 2021, KKM announced that it will be open to anyone above 18, including those who received AstraZeneca, Cansino, Sinopharm and Janssen vaccines.

On 16 December 2021, KKM made it mandatory for vulnerable individuals to receive the booster shot, to be considered as fully-vaccinated.

On 28 December 2021, KKM halved the booster dose interval for most COVID-19 vaccines!

On 21 March 2022, KKM added the CanSino booster dose to the PICK vaccination programme, and updated its booster dose recommendations.

Latest COVID-19 Booster Dose Policy In Malaysia Explained!

Here is our summary of Malaysia’s COVID-19 vaccine booster dose policy!

Why Should We Get It?

It is recommended that you get the booster dose to better protect against more contagious COVID-19 variants like the Delta variant, and the new Omicron variant.

The primary series of COVID-19 vaccines continues to protect you against hospitalisation and death. However, the Delta and Omicron variants are partially-resistant to the vaccines, and will cause more breakthrough infections.

While most of these breakthrough infections will be mild or moderate, it puts vulnerable people – the elderly and people with co-morbidities – at risk. That’s why they are being given the booster shot first, over everyone else.

In addition, antibody protection from COVID-19 vaccines has been shown to wane over 2-6 months, so booster doses are necessary to restore optimal protection.

What Vaccines Have Been Approved As Booster Dose?

The Malaysia Drug Control Authority (DCA) approved the Pfizer booster dose on 8 October 2021.

Only on 17 November 2021 did they also approve the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines as booster doses.

Then on 6 January 2022, they approved the CanSino vaccine as a booster dose.

How Soon Can You Get The Booster Dose?

You can now get your booster dose as early as THREE (3) months after completing your primary series for most vaccines, or TWO (2) months for the Janssen vaccine.

Here is a table I created to summarise the booster options and when you can get one :

Primary Series Vaccine	Recommended Booster	Timing After Primary Series
Pfizer	Pfizer or AstraZeneca	After 3 months
AstraZeneca	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Sinovac	Pfizer, AstraZeneca, CanSino or Sinovac
Sinopharm	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Moderna	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
CanSino	Pfizer, AstraZeneca or CanSino
Sputnik V	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Janssen	Pfizer or AstraZeneca	After 2 months

Pfizer Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Pfizer vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

AstraZeneca Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

Sinovac Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
Alternative : AstraZeneca / CanSino / Sinovac booster shot

If you are not comfortable with the Pfizer vaccine, please consider the AstraZeneca booster shot instead, because it is far superior to the Sinovac booster shot.

If you must have a Chinese vaccine, then consider the CanSino booster shot, which is superior to the Sinovac booster shot.

Sinopharm Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Sinopharm vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

Note : CITF-B originally allowed a third dose of Sinopharm as a booster shot, but it has NOT been approved by the NPRA, and is therefore not available at the moment.

Moderna Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Moderna vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

Sputnik V Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Sputnik V vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

CanSino Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the CanSino vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after vaccination.

Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
Alternative : AstraZeneca or CanSino booster shot

If you are not comfortable with the Pfizer vaccine, please consider the AstraZeneca booster shot, because it is superior to the CanSino booster shot.

Opt for the CanSino booster shot, if you must have a Chinese vaccine.

Janssen Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine can receive their booster shot 2 months after vaccination.

Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

Who Can Receive It?

On 24 November 2021, the Ministry of Health announced that the COVID-19 booster doses will be available to all individuals 18 years and above.

However, the appointments will be prioritised using the age step down approach, with priority for frontliners, individuals with co-morbidities, pregnant mothers, and those who have to travel overseas.

Is COVID-19 Booster Dose Mandatory?

Like the COVID-19 vaccine, the booster shot is NOT mandatory.

Is It Necessary To Be Fully-Vaccinated?

Yes, for certain vulnerable groups.

On 16 December 2021, the Ministry of Health (KKM) announced that these individuals MUST receive a booster shot by end of February 2022, to be considered as fully-vaccinated.

On 7 February 2022, this was extended to end of March 2022.

Individuals who received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine, and
Individuals 60 years and older who completed other COVID-19 vaccines,

Those who do not meet these requirements by end of March 2022 will lose their “fully-vaccinated” status in MySejahtera.

They will only regain their fully-vaccinated status once they receive the booster dose.

Is It A Good Idea To Mix COVID-19 Vaccines?

Yes, studies have shown that it is not only safe to mix COVID-19 vaccines, such heterologous vaccinations will greatly increase your protection against the coronavirus.

Many countries are now giving heterologous booster shots, and the JKJAV expert committee has also recommended to proceed with heterologous vaccinations.

Heterologous vaccination is like learning different martial arts. By learning different ways to handle the coronavirus, your immune system is better able to beat COVID-19.

The Malaysia Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who was vaccinated with two doses of the Sinovac vaccine, also received a Pfizer heterologous booster shot :

Do We Need To Pay?

Like the COVID-19 vaccine, the booster shot is provided for FREE under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).

How To Apply For COVID-19 Booster Dose?

You do NOT need to apply for the COVID-19 booster dose.

Once you are eligible, you will be given an appointment notification in MySejahtera to go to a GP / government clinic or hospital for your booster dose.

If you do not have MySejahtera, you will be informed by SMS. So please keep an eye out for your appointment!

You can also put yourself on the COVID-19 vaccine standby list at nearby clinics.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health + Science | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

You Can Soon Get CanSino Booster Dose For FREE!

Leave a reply

You can soon get the CanSino booster dose for FREE under the PICK vaccination programme!

Here is what you need to know…

You Can Soon Get CanSino Booster Dose For FREE!

The Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) conditionally approved the CanSino Convidecia vaccine as a booster dose on 6 January 2022.

This conditional approval allows the CanSino Convidecia booster dose to be given to individuals 18 years and older, after 3 to 6 months from getting the single-dose vaccine.

On 21 March 2022, KKM announced that they will make the CanSino booster dose available for FREE under the PICK vaccination programme.

It will mainly be used as a booster dose for existing Chinese vaccines.

You will be able to apply for the CanSino booster dose in MySejahtera shortly.

Primary Series Vaccine	Recommended Booster	Timing After Primary Series
Pfizer	Pfizer or AstraZeneca	After 3 months
AstraZeneca	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Sinovac	Pfizer, AstraZeneca, CanSino or Sinovac
Sinopharm	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Moderna	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
CanSino	Pfizer, AstraZeneca or CanSino
Sputnik V	Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Janssen	Pfizer or AstraZeneca	After 2 months

CanSino Convidecia Booster Dose : A Quick Primer

The CanSino Convidecia vaccine works similarly to other viral vector vaccines, like the AstraZeneca AZD1222 and Gamaleya Sputnik V vaccines.

It uses a modified Ad5 virus containing the DNA instructions for the SARS-CoV-2 protein spike, which are then created by your own cells and presented on their surfaces.

These “foreign” protein spikes triggers the body’s immune system, which then makes antigens to target these spikes.

The Convidecia is a single-dose vaccine, so its booster dose is its “second” dose. It works by triggering the immune system a second time, greatly boosting the amount of antibodies.

CanSino Convidecia Booster Dose : Should You Get It?

The Sinovac primary dose vaccine had a 65.7% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19, so its booster dose will certainly be superior to the Sinovac booster dose (50.4% efficacy).

It is likely that KKM is offering the CanSino booster dose as a superior alternative to the Sinovac booster dose, to those who must absolutely receive only a Chinese vaccine.

That said, its efficacy is not as good as the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine. That is why KKM is still recommending the Pfizer or AstraZeneca booster dose.

If you want the best possible booster dose, get the Pfizer vaccine. Alternatively, get the AstraZeneca vaccine if you have an allergic reaction or strong side effects from an earlier Pfizer vaccination.

But opt for the CanSino booster dose, if you need a Chinese vaccine for easier travel to China. It is certainly a superior vaccine to the other option – Sinovac.

Hopefully, the introduction of the CanSino booster dose will see the Sinovac vaccine phased out for good.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Pfizer vs. Sinovac Vaccine : Which Is Better For Your Child?

Leave a reply

Now that both the Pfizer and Sinovac vaccines are approved for 5-11 year old kids, some parents are wondering – which is the better vaccine for their child?

Here is a quick summary of both vaccines, as well as their safety and their efficacy against COVID-19!

Pfizer vs. Sinovac Child Vaccine : Different From Adult Vaccines?

One of the first questions parents ask me is if the Pfizer and/or Sinovac vaccine for 5-11 year-old children are the same, as the adult vaccines.

The Pfizer vaccine for 5-11 year old children is an improved formulation based on the adult vaccine, while the Sinovac vaccine is exactly the same for both adult and children.

Here is a simple and quick comparison :

Characteristics	Pfizer Vaccine for Kids	Sinovac Vaccine for Kids
Formulation	Improved with Tris buffer More stable, longer storage	No change
No. of Doses	2 Doses No change	2 Doses No change
Dosage	10 micrograms 1/3 of adult dose	3 micrograms Same as adult dose
Volume	0.2 ml 2/3 of adult vaccine	0.5 ml Same as adult vaccine
Dose Interval	8 Weeks * 5 weeks longer	4 weeks Same as adult vaccine

* In some countries only, Pfizer still recommends the original 3-week dose interval

Pfizer vs. Sinovac Vaccine : Which Is Better For Your Child?

Pfizer Child Vaccine Efficacy : 90.7%

The Pfizer bridging study showed that their lower-dose paediatric vaccine was 90.7% efficacious in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection.

Their study also showed that the Pfizer paediatric vaccine produced high neutralising antibody titres against the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant at 1 month after Dose 2.

One Month After Dose 2	Geometric Mean Titres (GMT)	Difference
USA-WA1/2020 (Reference)	365.3	+36.5X
B.1.617.2 (Delta)	294.9	+29.5X
Unvaccinated	10	Baseline

Sinovac Child Vaccine Efficacy : Unknown

Back in October 2021, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) ran a Phase 3 clinical trial to determine the efficacy of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for children 3-11 years in age.

However, they did not reveal what was the efficacy of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for the 5-11 year old age group, or how it performed against the Omicron variant.

We do know that the adult dose was only 50.4% efficacious in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 from the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, and that it has zero efficacy against the Omicron variant (see link and table below).

It seems very improbable that the same vaccine would impart better efficacy in children, more so against the Delta or Omicron variants.

COVID-19 Variant	Seropositive Rate		MN Titer (GMT)
COVID-19 Variant	Pfizer	Sinovac	Pfizer	Sinovac
HKU691 Omicron	20%	0%	5.43	Min.
HKU344-R346K Omicron	24%	0%	6.42	Min.
Delta	100%	68%	124.7	10.3
Beta	100%	0%	25.7	Min.
Alpha	100%	100%	229.4	21.7

Pfizer Is Definitely Better Than Sinovac For Your Child

Until there are good peer-reviewed Phase 3 results of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine for 5-11 year-old children, I believe it is far more prudent to vaccinate your child with the Pfizer COMIRNATY paediatric vaccine.

At least the Pfizer paediatric COVID-19 vaccine has been proven in a Phase 3 trial to be 90.7% efficacious in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections in 5-11 year-old children.

It is highly unlikely that even the adult dose of the Sinovac vaccine can impart anything close to its original 50.4% efficacy against the ancestral COVID-19 virus, and it seems very likely to perform poorly against the Delta and Omicron variants.

If you want the best protection for your child, get the new Pfizer vaccine for kids. Only consider the Sinovac vaccine if your child has an adverse reaction to the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Pfizer vs. Sinovac Vaccine : Which Is Safer For Your Child?

This is also another question that many parents are asking. Everyone is worried about COVID-19, but no one wants their child to be “injured” by a vaccine.

There isn’t a straight answer, because safety has to be balanced against the risk of injury from a breakthrough infection – getting COVID-19 despite being vaccinated.

Sinovac Vaccine : Fewer Side Effects But Low Efficacy

The Sinovac vaccine is no doubt a very safe vaccine, with fewer complaints of side effects. Generally, they include pain and swelling at the injection site, fever, headache, nausea, diarrhoea, joint pain, cough, chills, sore throat and runny nose.

While parents will be relieved to hear that, I must point out that this is because the Sinovac vaccine generates a much weaker immune response. Even with an aluminium hydroxide adjuvant to boost the immune response, its efficacy is relatively poor at 50.4% against the original COVID-19 virus.

Pfizer Vaccine : More Side Effects But Much Higher Efficacy

The Pfizer vaccine is also a very safe vaccine, with rare risks of anaphylaxis and myocarditis in young adults and adolescents. The risk is not much higher than with other vaccines, as my table of data from the massive SAFECOVAC study shows :

Pfizer : 1 in every 1.11 million doses
AstraZeneca : 1 in every 1.43 million doses
Sinovac : 1 in every 2 million doses

Age Groups	Myocarditis Events (Per Million Doses)
Age Groups	Pfizer	AstraZeneca	Sinovac
Overall	0.9	0.7	0.5
Over 30 Years	1.0	NA	0.6
30 Years + Younger	0.87	NA	0.49

We must also remember that myocarditis is a condition that can affect anyone who suffers a viral infection, and is also seen with a COVID-19 infection.

In fact, you are far more likely to get myocarditis from a COVID-19 infection than either the Pfizer or Sinovac vaccine.

Here is my comparison of the myocarditis risk of triple vaccination (two doses + booster) versus a single COVID-19 infection.

Myocarditis Risk	Per Million People	vs Sinovac	vs AstraZeneca	vs Pfizer
COVID-19	450	+300x	+214x	+167x
3x Pfizer	2.7	+1.8x	+1.3x	Baseline
3x AstraZeneca	2.1	+1.4x	Baseline	-0.2x
3x Sinovac	1.5	Baseline	-0.3x	-0.4x

No matter how you slice and dice the results, it is very clear that the risk of myocarditis is GREATEST with a single COVID-19 infection, than it is with THREE doses of the Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac vaccines.

If you are worried about your child getting myocarditis, you should definitely protect him/her using the best COVID-19 vaccine you can get, and that would be the Pfizer paediatric vaccine.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Sinovac Vaccine for 5-11 Yo Kids : What You Need To Know!

Leave a reply

You can now get the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine for your 5-11 year-old kids in Malaysia!

Here is what you need to know!

Sinovac Vaccine for 5-11 Yo Kids : Approved In Malaysia!

On 3 March 2022, the Malaysia Health Ministry (KKM) gave conditional approval to the Sinovac CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine for use in 5-11 year-old children.

This makes the Sinovac CoronaVac the second COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in Malaysia for children 5 to 11 years in age, after the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine on 6 January 2022.

It is also the second vaccine to be approved for use in the PICKids COVID-19 vaccination programme for children.

Sinovac Vaccine for 5-11 Yo Kids : What You Need To Know!

Here is what you need to know about the use of the Sinovac vaccine for 5-11 year old kids in the PICKids vaccination programme for children.

When Will PICKids Offer Sinovac Vaccine For Kids?

PICKids started offering the Sinovac vaccine for 5-11 year-old kids starting 7 March 2022.

What Is Sinovac Vaccine For Kids?

The Sinovac vaccine for 5-11 year old kids is the SAME as the Sinovac vaccine for adults.

This is an inactivated virus vaccine – which uses real SARS-CoV-2 viruses that have been killed (deactivated) using β-propiolactone, a sterilising agent.

What Is The Dose For Kids?

The dose is the same for kids, as it is for adults – 600 SU (3 µg) of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus ,together with aluminium hydroxide (as adjuvant) in 0.5 ml of phosphate-buffered saline.

What Is The Dose Interval

Children 5-11 years in age will receive two doses, with an interval of 4 weeks between each dose.

Where Is The Vaccine Injected?

Just like in adults, the Sinovac vaccine will be injected into the deltoid muscle of the child’s shoulder.

Who Qualifies For Sinovac Vaccine For Kids?

The Malaysia Ministry of Health recommends the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine as the COVID-19 vaccine of choice for children 5-11 years in age.

However, they will offer the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine to :

children who cannot receive the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine for health reasons
children who do not have co-morbidities
children whose parents refuse to allow them to be vaccinated with the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine

Who Must NOT Take Sinovac Vaccine For Kids?

Children who are 5-11 years in age must NOT take the Sinovac vaccine if they have :

a history of allergy to any ingredient used in the manufacture of the Sinovac vaccine
a severe reaction to the first dose of the Sinovac vaccine
severe neurological diseases like transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, demyelinating diseases
uncontrolled chronic diseases

Is Sinovac Vaccine For Kids Offered For Free?

The Sinovac vaccine is offered for FREE at all COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (PPVs) under the Malaysia Ministry of Health and ProtectHealth.

The Sinovac vaccine is also available in private clinics and hospitals as a paid vaccination option.

Where Is Sinovac Vaccine For Kids Being Offered?

Parents or guardians can register their children for the vaccine through the MySejahtera app. The appointment will be issued through the parent’s / guardian’s MySejahtera app.

Parents or guardians can also bring their children to selected PPVs to walk-in for their COVID-19 vaccination.

Sinovac Vaccine For Kids Who Received Pfizer Vaccine

Children who experienced a serious reaction to the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine for children, can receive one dose of the Sinovac vaccine as their second dose, 4 weeks after the first dose.

Children Who Miss Their Vaccine Appointment

Children who miss their appointments, or are not able to make it for health or other unforeseen circumstances, can cancel their appointments and book a new one.

Potential Side Effects Of Sinovac Vaccine

Most side effects of the Sinovac vaccine are mild and temporary, with recovery in just a few days without treatment.

They include pain and swelling at the injection site, fever, headache, nausea, diarrhoea, joint pain, cough, chills, sore throat and runny nose.

When Can Infected Children Get Vaccinated?

Children can get vaccinated against COVID-19, after they fully recover from COVID-19 – at least 14 days after they are infected, and have already completed their isolation.

Should You Get Sinovac Vaccine For 5-11 Yo Kids?

This conditional approval of the Sinovac vaccine will be a relief for many parents who have been holding out for an alternative to the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine, and spur vaccination rates.

Back in October 2021, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) ran a Phase 3 clinical trial to determine the efficacy of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for children 3-11 years in age.

However, they did not reveal what was the efficacy of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for the 5-11 year old age group, or how it performed against the Omicron variant.

COVID-19 Variant	Seropositive Rate		MN Titer (GMT)
COVID-19 Variant	Pfizer	Sinovac	Pfizer	Sinovac
HKU691 Omicron	20%	0%	5.43	Min.
HKU344-R346K Omicron	24%	0%	6.42	Min.
Delta	100%	68%	124.7	10.3
Beta	100%	0%	25.7	Min.
Alpha	100%	100%	229.4	21.7

It seems very improbable that the same vaccine would impart better efficacy in children, more so against the Delta or Omicron variants.

Until there are good peer-reviewed Phase 3 results of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine for 5-11 year-old children, I believe it is far more prudent to vaccinate our children with the Pfizer COMIRNATY paediatric vaccine.

At least the Pfizer paediatric COVID-19 vaccine has been proven in a Phase 3 trial to be 90.7% efficacious in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Malaysia Approves Sinovac Covid-19 Vaccine For 5-11 Yo Kids

Leave a reply

Malaysia just approved the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine for 5-11 year-old kids!

Here is what you need to know!

Malaysia Approves Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccine For 5-11 Yo Kids!

On 3 March 2022, the Malaysia Health Ministry (KKM) announced that the 370th Drug Control Authority meeting has agreed to give conditional approval to the Sinovac CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine for use in 5-11 year-old children.

The conditional approval is for CoronaVac Suspension for Injection COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell) manufactured by both Sinovac Life Sciences Co. Ltd. in China, as well as Pharmaniaga Lifescience Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia.

This makes the Sinovac CoronaVac the second COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in Malaysia for children 5 to 11 years in age, after the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine on 6 January 2022.

Should You Get Sinovac Vaccine For 5-11 Yo Kids?

This conditional approval will be a relief for many parents who have been holding out for an alternative to the Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine, and spur vaccination rates.

Back in October 2021, the KKM ran a Phase 3 clinical trial to determine the efficacy of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for children 3-11 years in age.

However, the Malaysia Ministry of Health did not reveal what was the efficacy of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for the 5-11 year old age group, or how it performed against the Omicron variant.

COVID-19 Variant	Seropositive Rate		MN Titer (GMT)
COVID-19 Variant	Pfizer	Sinovac	Pfizer	Sinovac
HKU691 Omicron	20%	0%	5.43	Min.
HKU344-R346K Omicron	24%	0%	6.42	Min.
Delta	100%	68%	124.7	10.3
Beta	100%	0%	25.7	Min.
Alpha	100%	100%	229.4	21.7

It seems unlikely that the same vaccine would impart better efficacy in children, more so against the Delta or Omicron variants.

At least the Pfizer paediatric COVID-19 vaccine has been proven in a Phase 3 trial to be 90.7% efficacious in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections.

I believe KKM will continue to use the superior Pfizer vaccine in the PICKids vaccination program, while allowing hesitant parents to get the Sinovac vaccine for their children through private clinics and hospitals.

This may be the best way forward for everyone.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

How To Walk-In For Free Sinovac Booster At Offsite PPV!

Leave a reply

Find out how to walk-in for your free Sinovac booster dose at any Offsite PPV nationwide!

Here is what you need to know!

Free Sinovac Booster Dose At PPV?

On 7 February 2022, Malaysia Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin shared that 3.5 million people who were fully-vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine still have not received their booster dose.

To encourage them to get their booster dose, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) will offer Sinovac recipients the option of a Sinovac booster dose.

KKM however strongly recommends that Sinovac recipients receive either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca booster dose, because they offer much better protection.

How To Walk-In For Free Sinovac Booster At Offsite PPV!

On 12 February 2022, ProtectHealth Corporation announced that they will make the Sinovac booster dose available for FREE at all Offsite PPVs under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).

Starting Monday, 14 February 2022, you can walk-in for your Sinovac booster dose at any Offsite PPV in Malaysia.

You can look for the nearest Offsite PPV using the ProtectHealth Vaccination Centre search feature.

All individuals who walk-in for the booster dose must ensure that they have a proper digital COVID-19 vaccine certificate in MySejahtera before going to the PPV.

Those who do not have a digital COVID-19 vaccine certificate because they do not have a smartphone, can bring their physical vaccination card to the PPV.

Here is the official checklist of what you need to do BEFORE going to get your COVID-19 booster dose at the PPV :

Get enough sleep
Eat breakfast or lunch before going to the PPV
Be in good health, with no symptoms
Wear suitable and comfortable clothes
Wear a face mask
Bring your identity card / document (e.g. passport)
Bring your vaccination card as proof of completed primary vaccination, if you don’t have MySejahtera
Make sure you are not required to be under quarantine!

Should You Get Sinovac Booster Dose At PPV?

Now that KKM is offering the Sinovac vaccine booster dose for free, should you get it? That very much depends on a number of factors.

Are You Allergic To The Pfizer Vaccine?

If you are allergic to the Pfizer vaccine, then you definitely cannot receive a booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

You will have to get a booster dose of other vaccine types – viral vector vaccines like AstraZeneca or Sputnik V, or inactivated virus vaccines like Sinovac or Sinopharm.

But with so many better vaccine options available out there, Sinovac CoronaVac should be your last choice, not your first.

Are There Better Options?

If you are given the option to switch to Pfizer or AstraZeneca, you should definitely opt for either one over the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine.

Of all the WHO approved vaccines, Sinovac CoronaVac is the least efficacious COVID-19 vaccine, offering just over 50% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19.

And that was before it was tested against the Delta or Omicron variants. Studies have shown that two doses of Sinovac offered less protection against Delta, and no protection against Omicron.

COVID-19 Variant	Seropositive Rate
COVID-19 Variant	Pfizer	Sinovac
Alpha	100%	100%
Beta	100%	0%
Delta	100%	68%
Omicron	20% – 24%	0%

Must You Get A Chinese Vaccine?

The popularity of Chinese vaccines is partly due to Chinese propaganda, and partly because China offers travel advantages for people vaccinated with Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccines.

People who need to travel to China are still FORCED to pay for Sinovac / Sinopharm vaccines to avoid additional PCR tests.

So here is my advice. If you have to travel to China, opt for the Sinopharm vaccine. It is not only cheaper than Sinovac, it is a far better COVID-19 vaccine!

Vaccine	Ancestral		Delta Variant		Omicron Variant
Vaccine	Infection	Severe Disease	Infection	Severe Disease	Infection	Severe Disease
Sinopharm COVILO	68%	73%	67%	71%	35%	53%
Sinovac CoronaVac	47%	50%	46%	49%	24%	37%

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Is Sinovac + Pfizer Combo Less Effective Against Omicron?

Leave a reply

Was the combination of Sinovac and Pfizer proven to be less effective against the Omicron variant of COVID-19?

Let’s take a look at the claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Sinovac + Pfizer Combo Proven Less Effective Against Omicron

On 9 February 2022, The Edge posted an article with the title “Combination of Sinovac and Pfizer proven less effective to fight Omicron, says Pharmaniaga“.

The article covers Pharmaniaga’s statement which suggested that a third dose of Sinovac (of which they are the licensed distributor) is better than the Pfizer booster dose.

Let me share the relevant parts of the article, with key segments in bold. It’s a long read, so you can skip to the next section for the facts.

Pharmaniaga Bhd, citing a study conducted by Yale University, said that two doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine with a Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose are less effective and produces a lower immune response against the Omicron variant compared with other strains.

On the other hand, Pharmaniaga, which is the licensed distributor of Sinovac vaccine in Malaysia, highlighted that a separate research by Sinovac Biotech Ltd shows that three doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine produced higher neutralising antibodies in 95% of recipients compared with 3.3% by the second dose against a variant of concern (VOC), including Omicron.

Based on these findings, the pharmaceutical company stressed that getting a Sinovac Covid-19 booster is highly recommended for those who have completed their primary vaccination, which offers better protection by creating an antibody response and providing good protection, especially against severe disease.

Pharmaniaga’s statement contradicts Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s remark made in November last year to the Malaysian public that “for Sinovac recipients, a Pfizer booster is the best choice to increase your level of protection”.

In a statement, Pharmaniaga said the research conducted by Yale University, the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Health and other institutions, demonstrated that the primary two doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine with the booster shot of Pfizer produced an antibody response similar to a two-dose mRNA vaccine.

The country’s sole distributor of Sinovac vaccine also noted that Yale University School of Medicine Immunobiology Professor Akiko Iwasaki, in her official Twitter account said, “Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine’s two-dose recipients boosted with Pfizer mRNA vax, prior infection made no difference to the neutralisation capacity against Omicron.”

Show less

Truth : Pfizer Booster Is Superior To Sinovac Booster Against Omicron

I have not read the actual Pharmaniaga statement, because it is still not available on their website.

However, I had earlier written about the Yale University study, and the statement as shared by The Edge appears to misrepresent what the study actually said.

It also appears to ignore what other studies have said about the poor efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine, including their own Phase 3 trial results.

Let’s go through the claims, and see what the facts really are…

Fact #1 : All Vaccines Are Less Effective Against Omicron

Because it has so many mutations, the Omicron variant is more able to escape the antibody protection that vaccines offer. This is true for all COVID-19 vaccines, not just the Pfizer vaccine.

It seems rather disingenuous for Pharmaniaga to point out that the Pfizer booster dose is less effective against Omicron, compared to other variants… when that is the case for all other vaccines, including Sinovac.

Fact #2 : Booster Dose Will Always Raise Antibody Levels

A booster dose is like a refresher course for your immune system. It will always boost antibody levels against COVID-19.

So the “separate research by Sinovac” themselves (instead of a neutral third party) only tells us that their booster dose is doing what other booster doses are doing – increasing antibody levels.

Abuthen? Did you expect a different result?

Fact #3 : What They Didn’t Say Is Interesting…

You can pick up more information if you note what Pharmaniaga did not say, assuming The Edge did not leave out anything pertinent.

For example, Pharmaniaga did not mention how much was the increase in antibody levels. Why not?

Neither did they confirm that the higher level was sufficient to protect against the Omicron variant. Why not?

They also conspicuously did not claim that the Sinovac booster dose is more effective than the Pfizer booster dose against the Omicron variant. Why not?

Fact #4 : Pfizer Booster Greatly Improves Protection

The Yale University study showed that two doses of Sinovac with a Pfizer booster dose gives protection equivalent to two mRNA vaccine doses.

However, the Pharmaniaga statement left out the very pertinent fact of what that actually meant :

10.1X higher NAb levels against ancestral (original) virus :
6.3X higher NAb levels against Delta variant :

The study also showed that two doses of Sinovac with a Pfizer booster offered 40% better protection against Omicron than two doses of the mRNA vaccines.

In other words, the Pfizer booster dose greatly improves on the mediocre protection offered by the Sinovac vaccine, but it may not be at par with 3-doses of other vaccines.

Fact #5 : Cross Protection Not Seen With Sinovac Vaccine

According to Pharmaniaga, the Yale University study showed that no cross protection (hybrid immunity) was seen in Sinovac recipients who receive a Pfizer booster dose.

That is absolutely correct, but it does not mean what they think it means.

Professor Iwasaki specifically pointed out, “Prior infection only synergies with the mRNA vax to elevate broadly neutralizing Ab but not with inactivated vax. This may relate to the persistent GC (Germinal Centre) responses in mRNA vax”.

In other words, this synergistic boost in antibody levels from a COVID-19 infection is only seen with mRNA vaccines like the Pfizer COMIRNATY, but not seen with inactivated virus vaccines like the Sinovac vaccine.

Let me put it plainly – the Yale study showed that if you want cross protection (hybrid immunity), you will get it with the Pfizer vaccine, but not with the Sinovac vaccine.

Fact #6 : Pfizer Superior To Sinovac Against Beta, Delta + Omicron

A recent Hong Kong University (HKU) study showed that while the Pfizer vaccine is less effective against Omicron, the Sinovac vaccine is worse.

Sinovac vaccine antibodies were completely unable to bind to the Beta and Omicron variants.
Sinovac vaccine antibodies were only able to bind to the Delta variant in 68% of individuals.

COVID-19 Variant	Seropositive Rate
COVID-19 Variant	Pfizer	Sinovac
Alpha	100%	100%
Beta	100%	0%
Delta	100%	68%
Omicron	20% – 24%	0%

Incidentally, the Yale University study also pointed out that there was NO detectable neutralisation against the Omicron variant in people who received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine.

Even Pharmaniaga themselves inadvertently confirmed it, when their statement mentioned that only 3.3% of people vaccinated with 2 doses of Sinovac had neutralising antibodies against variants including Omicron.

Fact #7 : 3X Sinovac Doses Not Sufficient Against Omicron

A joint study by Hong Kong University (HKU) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) recently showed that 3 doses of the Sinovac vaccine does not provide sufficient protection against Omicron.

Three doses of the Pfizer vaccine offer the highest level of protection against Omicron.
A Pfizer booster dose given to those who received two Sinovac vaccine doses obtain good protective antibody levels against Omicron.
Three doses of the Sinovac vaccine do not provide sufficient protection against the Omicron variant.
Antibody levels of three doses of the Sinovac vaccine were roughly equal to two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Fact #8 : Sinovac Is Least Efficacious COVID-19 Vaccine

The Sinovac CoronaVac is the least efficacious COVID-19 vaccine, barely qualifying for its EUA/EUL with a 50.4% efficacy rate in its Phase 3 trial.

Back when vaccine supply was extremely limited, some protection was better than nothing at all, which is why health authorities deployed the Sinovac vaccine.

Now that we have supplies of better vaccines – Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, etc., there is no longer any reason to settle for the Sinovac CoronaVac.

It is impossible for the Sinovac vaccine to improve its efficacy against the ancestral (original) COVID-19 virus, and it is certainly ludicrous to suggest that a third dose will boost its efficacy from 50.4% to 94%.

Please listen to advice from health authorities, instead of a vaccine manufacturer and/or its distributor.

CITF-B strongly recommends the Pfizer or AstraZeneca booster dose for Sinovac recipients, because they offer better protection.

Sinovac recipients are at the highest risk of a breakthrough infection, because they have the least protection. So make sure you get the best booster dose you can!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Fact Check | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Reject Booster Dose?

Leave a reply

Did Malaysia Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin reject taking the COVID-19 booster dose?

Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Rejects Booster Dose!

People are sharing a TikTok video by @wakproton showing Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin saying that he doesn’t need the COVID-19 booster shot.

The text in the video said, “Hahahaha… KJ pun tolak BOOSTER!“, which in English meant “Hahahaha… KJ also rejected the booster!”

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Did-KJ-Reject-Booster-Dose.mp4?_=1

Here is my translated transcript for context :

I took Sinovac quite late, so I don’t need the booster yet. But this is a serious answer – the booster is only offered to people who should have it.

I’m young, I do not have co-morbidities at the moment, so I should not be taking a booster because I would be taking a vaccine from somebody else.

So the booster dose should be given to people who, according to experts, can be given the booster – people who are 60 years and older, those with co-morbidities, those who are immunocompromised. The boosters are for those people, not healthy people right now.

We are not recommending boosters for healthy people right now. It’s just for certain groups that we are giving the booster dose.

Truth : Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Did Not Reject Booster Dose

This is yet another example of anti-vaccination fake news created by misrepresenting statements from the past.

Fact #1 : This Video Was From 20 September 2021

First, I need to point out that this video was taken at a press conference on 20 September 2021 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport – more than 4 months ago!

It was FALSELY shared as a new video, to trick people into believing that the Health Minister was rejecting the booster dose.

The TikTok video creator, @wakproton used this old video to intentionally mislead you.

Fact #2 : Booster Doses Limited To High-Risk Groups At That Time

Back in September 2021, vaccine supply was still limited, and studies show that fully-vaccinated people still had good protection against COVID-19.

Hence, the priority was to give at least 80% of the adult population the chance the get the primary series of the vaccine first. Then, the booster dose would be given to a priority group who are most at risk :

frontliners
individuals 60 years and older
individuals with co-morbidities
immunocompromised individuals

This was the same order of priority that was adopted when Malaysia started the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Fact #3 : Khairy Jamaluddin Received His Booster Dose On 29 October 2021

Malaysia Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin received his COVID-19 booster dose on 29 October 2021.

He received a Pfizer booster dose, to complement his two Sinovac vaccine doses taken earlier, to demonstrate that heterologous vaccination (mixing of vaccines) is safe and effective.

So the claim that he rejected the booster dose is utter nonsense.

Fact #4 : Booster Shot Recommended For All Adults

After the a month and half of giving the booster shot to the priority group, the government recommended the booster dose for all individuals 40 years and older on 9 November 2021.

That was then expanded to all individuals 18 years and older on 24 November 2021 – the same day South Africa reported the discovery of the Omicron variant to the WHO.

Since then, the Malaysia Health Ministry (KKM) and Khairy Jamaluddin have been actively encouraging people to get the COVID-19 booster dose.

Fact #5 : Booster Shot Helps Protect Against Variants

KKM has strongly recommended the booster shot, to protect against the Delta and Omicron variants, after the recent RECoVaM study showed the waning protection of COVID-19 vaccines.

They were also concerned about the latest data on the Omicron variant, which showed greater transmissibility, higher viral binding affinity and higher antibody escape.

Evidence showed that a booster shot can increase protection against the Omicron variant. And early research involving 21 million booster doses in the UK showed that they are safe.

In line with those results, regulatory bodies in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia as well as panels of health experts now recommend that the booster dose vaccination should be given as early as three (3) months after completing the primary vaccine.

Now that you know the truth, please SHARE this fact check with your family and friends.

Antivaxxers do NOT care about your lives. Ignore them, and protect yourself and your family against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Fact Check | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Malaysia Health DG Admit Vaccines Cause Myocarditis?

Leave a reply

Did the Malaysia DG of Health confirm that COVID-19 vaccine recipients are getting myocarditis?

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Did Malaysia Health DG Hisham Admit Risk Of Vaccine Myocarditis?

A Malaysian website called Samudera has been promoting their article on WhatsApp and Telegram, which warns readers that Malaysia DG of Health, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, admitted that vaccine recipients are getting myocarditis.

This was the message they sent out on Telegram and WhatsApp (with our English translation in italics) :

Confirmed!! DG Hisham Sahkan Kes Radang Jantung Pada Penerima Vaksin

Confirmed!! DG Hisham Confirms Myocarditis In Vaccine Recipients

56% kes Radang Jantung dari penerima Pfizer!!

56% of myocarditis cases from Pfizer recipients!!

Lepas tu KJ nak suruh kita ambil & suntik anak2 kita pula??

And KJ (Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin) asked us to get the vaccine, and inject our kids too?

Anak dia bila nak suntik??

When will he inject his own children??

The message includes links to their article, and Telegram channel, both of which I removed because they are misleading.

For context, here is my English translation of what Samudera wrote in their article :

Director-General of Health, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah revealed that 56% of myocarditis detected was related to the Pfizer vaccine, 36% related to Sinovac and 8% related to AstraZeneca.

According to him, at least 25 cases of myocarditis was detected within 3 weeks of receiving the COVID-19 vaccinations.

This admission by the Director-General of Health himself indirectly increases the concerns of some Malaysians towards vaccines, especially those using the mRNA technology.

In addition to warnings by American health authorities, the WHO also reported on the potential relationship between mRNA vaccines and myocarditis.

Truth : Vaccine Myocarditis Risk In Malaysia Less Than 1 In Million!

Samudera intentionally twisted Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah’s words, to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous.

That’s misleading and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Vaccine Myocarditis Risk Less Than 1 In Million!

The results that Samudera quoted is correct, but appears to be intentionally stripped of context.

Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah was speaking about the new SAFECOVAC study, which looked at the risk of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia.

It is true that 25 myocarditis events were observed within 21 days of COVID-19 vaccination, but that was after 33 million doses were administered in Malaysia!

In other words, the vaccine myocarditis risk in Malaysia was less than 1 in a million doses!

Fact #2 : Vaccine Myocarditis Risk Only Slightly Higher With mRNA Vaccines

Samudera curiously ignored the incidence data, and only tells their readers that 56% of vaccine myocarditis cases in Malaysia are related to the Pfizer vaccine.

That’s the wrong way to look at the risk, because it automatically goes up the more you use a particular vaccine, and a majority of vaccine recipients received the Pfizer vaccine.

The correct way is to look at the incidence rate per million doses, which shows that the vaccine myocarditis risk of the Pfizer vaccine is only slightly higher than that of the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines.

Age Groups	Myocarditis Events (Per Million Doses)
Age Groups	Pfizer	AstraZeneca	Sinovac
Overall	0.9	0.7	0.5
Over 30 Years	1.0	NA	0.6
30 Years + Younger	0.87	NA	0.49

Fact #3 : Myocarditis Risk From COVID-19 Is Much Higher!

What Samudera and other anti-vaccination websites / activists don’t tell you is that – COVID-19 patients suffer from myocarditis too!

In fact, the risk of getting myocarditis from a COVID-19 infection is much, MUCH higher than the risk of getting myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccination.

Using the new SAFECOVAC data, I extrapolated the risk of getting THREE DOSES of COVID-19 vaccines against the risk of a single COVID-19 infection :

Look at the results! If you are worried about myocarditis, you should definitely want to AVOID getting infected with COVID-19.

Myocarditis Risk	Per Million People	vs Sinovac	vs AstraZeneca	vs Pfizer
COVID-19	450	+300x	+214x	+167x
3x Pfizer	2.7	+1.8x	+1.3x	Baseline
3x AstraZeneca	2.1	+1.4x	Baseline	-0.2x
3x Sinovac	1.5	Baseline	-0.3x	-0.4x

Fact #4 : Vaccine Myocarditis Generally Mild

Myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccination is generally mild, and patients respond well to medication and rest.

We just need to be cognisant about the symptoms, and seek medical attention when we notice them :

Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Feelings of a fast-beating or pounding heart

Fact #5 : CDC Recommends COVID-19 Vaccination

Samudera insinuated that US health authorities are warning people about the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines.

The truth is – the US CDC not only recommends that adults get vaccinated, they also advise that children as young as 5 years old should get vaccinated against COVID-19.

CDC continues to recommend that everyone ages 5 years and older get vaccinated for COVID-19.

The known risks of COVID-19 illness and its related, possibly severe complications, such as long-term health problems, hospitalization, and even death, far outweigh the potential risks of having a rare adverse reaction to vaccination, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis.

Fact #6 : WHO Recommends COVID-19 Vaccination

Samudera also insinuated that the World Health Organization (WHO) are warning people about the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines.

The truth is – the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) looked at the issue, and acknowledged the clear benefits off the mRNA vaccines in reduce deaths and hospitalisations due to COVID-19 infections.

They also pointed out that “myocarditis and pericarditis following vaccination is generally mild and responds to conservative treatment (e.g. rest, treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs etc)“.

Now that you know the facts, please SHARE this fact check, and WARN your family and friends about the fake viral message, and the Samudera website.

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Fact Check | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Malaysia Health Ministry Use Expired COVID-19 Vaccines?

Leave a reply

Is the Malaysia Health Ministry giving us expired COVID-19 vaccines?

Take a look at the viral message, and find out what the FACTS really are!

Claim : Malaysia Health Ministry Is Using Expired COVID-19 Vaccines!

This message is going viral on WhatsApp, claiming that the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) is using EXPIRED COVID-19 vaccines.

A million vaccine shots tossed in Indonesia on short expiry date

Our health ministry and Minister must explain why Indonesia is discarding expired vaccine shots while our Health minister is extending the expired period to six months.

It is known that once a vaccine or any medicine is expired it loses its efficacy and should not be given. But our DG and Health Minister on their own accord without any advice from from the vaccine maker decided to extend the expiry period and give it to our people.

Is Malaysian lives so cheap that expired vaccine can be given to our people without fear that it may have adverse effects on the people.?

Truth : Malaysia Is Not Using Expired COVID-19 Vaccines!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp about COVID-19 vaccines.

Malaysia is NOT using expired COVID-19 vaccines, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Most Expired Vaccines In Indonesia Had Short Shelf Life Left

It is true that more than a million COVID-19 vaccine doses were discarded in Indonesia after they expired. But that was because most of them were donated with just 1-3 months of shelf life left!

On 19 January 2022, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told the Indonesian Parliament that about 98% of the 1.1 million doses that were discarded were “donated just 1-3 months away from expiry“.

In other words, it was almost impossible for Indonesia to distribute and use those vaccines before they expired.

Hence, the Indonesian government will be “more selective and only accept doses expiring in three months or longer“.

Fact #2 : COVID-19 Vaccine Shelf Lives Were Too Short

When properly stored, vaccines can last a long time. Most vaccines actually have a shelf life of about three years.

However, vaccine manufacturers have been extraordinarily cautious when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. Many COVID-19 vaccines ship with shelf lives of only 3 to 6 months!

The key takeaway point is that COVID-19 vaccine shelf lives are extraordinarily short. Many healthcare professionals would call them way too short.

Fact #3 : EUA / EUL Vaccines Do NOT Have Fixed Expiry Dates

The US FDA points out that vaccines authorised for emergency use (EUA / EUL) do NOT have fixed expiry dates.

Vaccines authorized for emergency use – as products that are not approved under a biologics license application and are still being studied under investigational new drug applications– do not have fixed expiry dates.

For those doses that are close to expiry, if they are being held under appropriate conditions for ensuring their integrity for use, they can potentially be quarantined to see if data on new stability studies warrant extension of the initial expiry date according to appropriate policies and procedures.

Fact #4 : Vaccine Shelf Life Extension Is Based On Stability Studies

Vaccine manufacturers can conduct stability studies, to prove that their COVID-19 vaccines remain stable and effective over time.

They can then apply to extend the shelf life of COVID-19 vaccines, which is subject to approval by drug regulatory agencies like the US FDA and the UK MHRA

The shelf life of COVID-19 vaccines will only be extended if stability tests prove that they maintain their potency.

Fact #5 : Vaccine Shelf Life Extension Requested By Manufacturers

The fake news claimed that the Malaysia Health Ministry extended vaccine shelf life on their own accord. That’s complete and utter nonsense.

The vaccine manufacturer must apply for a shelf life extension, and provide their stability study results to prove that their COVID-19 vaccine remain stable and potent beyond the requested shelf life extension.

Fact #6 : Many COVID-19 Vaccines Have Extended Shelf Lives

Many COVID-19 vaccines shipped with very short shelf lives, and have since had them extended, some multiple times.

Pfizer-BioNTech COMIRNATY : Extended to 9 months since 22 August 2021
Moderna Spikevax : Extended to 9 months since 23 December 2021
J&J Janssen : Extended to 4.5 months on 10 June 2021, and then 6 months on 28 July 2021
Sinovac : Extended to 12 months
SII Covishield : Extended to 9 months in March 2021
Bharat Covaxin : Extended to 12 months on 3 November 2021
Sputnik V : Extended to 6 months

Now that you are aware of the facts, please share this fact check with your family and friends, so they won’t get fooled by this fake news!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Fact Check | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

SAFECOVAC: Vaccine Myocarditis Risk Less Than 1 In Million!

Leave a reply

The new SAFECOVAC study showed that there is less than one in a million risk of getting myocarditis from any of COVID-19 vaccine used in Malaysia!

Take a look at the results for yourself!

SAFECOVAC : Vaccine Myocarditis Risk Study In Malaysia

SAFECOVAC is a vaccine safety study (NMRR-21-822-59745) conducted by the Institute for Clinical Research (ICR) under the National Institutes of Health, Malaysia.

The study reviewed data from 433,674 hospital admissions from 216 public and private hospitals between February and September 2021, and found that :

a total of 25 myocarditis events were observed within 21 days of COVID-19 vaccination
14 myocarditis events were related to the Pfizer COMIRNARTY vaccine
9 myocarditis events were related to the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine
2 myocarditis events were related to the AstraZeneca vaccine

Let me break down the data they just shared, and tell you what they really mean!

Vaccine Myocarditis Risk Is Less Than 1 In Million!

On 16 January 2022, the Malaysia Ministry of Health shared some preliminary data from the SAFECOVAC study, which I summarised in this table :

Age Groups	Myocarditis Events (Per Million Doses)
Age Groups	Pfizer	AstraZeneca	Sinovac
Overall	0.9	0.7	0.5
Over 30 Years	1.0	NA	0.6
30 Years + Younger	0.87	NA	0.49

In other words, the risk of getting vaccine-induced myocarditis is only :

Pfizer : 1 in every 1.11 million doses
AstraZeneca : 1 in every 1.43 million doses
Sinovac : 1 in every 2 million doses

As you can tell, that is not only a very low risk. But what you may not know is how it compares to the risk of getting myocarditis from a COVID-19 infections.

So let’s take the SAFECOVAC data, and extrapolate the risk of myocarditis from people who were vaccinated three times (including booster dose) versus a COVID-19 infection.

Look at the results! If you are worried about myocarditis, you should definitely want to AVOID getting infected with COVID-19.

Myocarditis Risk	Per Million People	vs Sinovac	vs AstraZeneca	vs Pfizer
COVID-19	450	+300x	+214x	+167x
3x Pfizer	2.7	+1.8x	+1.3x	Baseline
3x AstraZeneca	2.1	+1.4x	Baseline	-0.2x
3x Sinovac	1.5	Baseline	-0.3x	-0.4x

So please protect yourself against myocarditis, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. Get vaccinated!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Marathon Runners Collapse From COVID-19 Vaccination?

Leave a reply

Did 5 athletes at the Taipei Marathon collapse due to their COVID-19 vaccination?

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Marathon Runners Drop Like Flies From COVID-19 Vaccination!

A YouTuber called Tony Lin has gone viral with his video claiming that five athletes at the Taipei Marathon dropped like flies from their COVID-19 vaccinations!

Here is a partial transcript of what he said in his video :

Hi, this is Tony Lin. Welcome to my video.

Can you imagine, in a marathon competition, runners drop like flies. One by one fall into the ground, their hearts stopped beating and they gradually lost consciousness, and they were rushed to the hospital.

This is exactly what happened in an international marathon competition held in Taiwan.

Coincidentally, this is the first ever marathon competition in Taiwan that require the runners to show their vaccination records to join this marathon competition.

He then reads out portions of a news report by a website called Taiwan English News, relevant excerpts which I am reposting here for your convenience :

Five athletes collapsed during the Taipei Marathon event this morning, and were rushed to hospital, at least three having lost vital signs, requiring Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

By 10:30 am, a total of five people had collapsed unconscious in the course of the race. According to reports all five are now conscious and under observation in hospital.

For the first time in its history, the 2021 marathon, with the awkwardly-phrased theme “The Day we Reborn,” required participants to show record of COVID vaccination, or medical record showing proof of recovery from COVID-19, or negative PCR test/rapid antigen test certificate.

Truth : Marathon Runners Did NOT Collapse From COVID-19 Vaccination!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS by antivaxxers like Tony Lin, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : 2021 Taipei Marathon Is Not Only For Vaccinated Runners

Tony lied that the 2021 Taipei Marathon requires runners to show their vaccination records to join.

It’s even explained in the Taiwan English News article that 2021 Taipei Marathon participants are required to show one of these:

record of COVID-19 vaccination, OR
medical record as proof of recovery from COVID-19, OR
a negative PCR / RTK certificate

The official 2021 Taipei Marathon regulations stipulate that runners must bring one of the following proof:

COVID-19 vaccination record (must be vaccinated before December 5, 2021)
PCR test report with negative result after December 13, 2021
Proof of RTK self-test with negative result and a signed waiver form
Medical proof of recovery (from COVID-19)

In other words, UNVACCINATED people can also participate in the 2021 Taipei Marathon. They just have to prove that they recovered from COVID-19, or test negative on a PCR / RTK test.

Fact #2 : Vaccination Status Of Collapsed Runners Unknown

The vaccination status of the five collapsed marathon runners are unknown. They could be unvaccinated, as I pointed out above.

But Tony Lin suggested that they collapsed due to myocarditis from the COVID-19 vaccine, even though he does not know if they are even vaccinated. He naturally offered NO EVIDENCE to back up his claim.

Even if they were vaccinated, we do not know what COVID-19 vaccine they received. Tony Lin obviously does not know either.

Fact #3 : Cardiac Arrest Is Not Myocarditis

Tony Lin tries to link the cardiac arrest that the runners suffered from, to myocarditis. But they are completely different heart problems.

Cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction of the heart, that causes an irregular heartbeat or even stops the heart from pumping completely. Victims will immediately collapse unconscious, and may not breathe or have a pulse.

Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle, with victims complaining of chest pain, shortness of breath or feelings of a pounding / fast-beating heart.

Fact #4 : Runners Collapse At Every Marathon

There is a reason why marathons have medical staff on standby – runners collapse at every marathon event. Some have even died.

The marathon is not your run-of-mill running event. It is a long-distance foot race that stretches out to over 42 kilometres (26 miles)!

During any marathon race, heat from the sun can cause heat stroke, while changes in air temperature can trigger cardiac arrest in vulnerable people.

It is an incredibly strenuous event, even for trained athletes. So it is not uncommon to see runners collapse at marathon races, especially if they were not able to train much during the pandemic.

Fact #5 : Cardiac Arrest Deaths Lower Than Expected

A 2016 systematic medical review found that there was a risk of approximately 0.6 to 1.9 cardiac arrest deaths out of every 100,000 marathon participants.

Even though 5 people ended up suffering from cardiac arrest at the 2021 Taipei Marathon, they recovered after treatment. So the incidence rate of cardiac arrest deaths is actually much lower than expected.

Chien Ding-kuo (簡定國), deputy director at the Department of Emergency Medicine, MacKay Memorial Hospital, said that the high number of OHCA cases might be associated with low temperatures in the early morning as well as under-training.

Fact #6 : Much Higher Risk Of Myocarditis From COVID-19!

What Tony Lin does not point out is that the risk of getting myocarditis from a COVID-19 infection is MUCH HIGHER than the risk of getting myocarditis from a COVID-19 vaccine.

Using data from the new SAFECOVAC study, here is the extrapolated risk of myocarditis for people who were vaccinated three times (including booster dose) versus a COVID-19 infection.

Myocarditis Risk	Per Million People	vs Sinovac	vs AstraZeneca	vs Pfizer
COVID-19	450	+300x	+214x	+167x
3x Pfizer	2.7	+1.8x	+1.3x	Baseline
3x AstraZeneca	2.1	+1.4x	Baseline	-0.2x
3x Sinovac	1.5	Baseline	-0.3x	-0.4x

It is very clear that the risk of myocarditis is GREATEST with a single COVID-19 infection, than it is with THREE doses of the Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac vaccines.

So please protect yourself against myocarditis, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. Get vaccinated!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Health | Fact Check | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!