Medium Rare
Jullie Y. Daza
What a turnaround! SWS points to Sinovac, the made-in-China vaccine, as the top choice of Filipinos, 39 percent. This, after months of bad press. Just as surprisingly, the US-made Pfizer was only second choice, 32 percent.
And yet, another survey, done “during the same survey period,” found that the US was the most preferred country of origin or source of vaccine, 63 percent. China came in a far second, 19 percent. There’s a disconnect here somewhere. The Chinese vaccine is the most preferred brand, but China is not well liked when it comes to sourcing?
Anyway, what’s important is that now that Sinovac has come this far, it’s easier for experts to explain Sinovac. Two doctors I consulted agreed in separate interviews that Sinovac is a “good choice” for senior citizens because it has less chances of producing adverse side-effects. It’s the same for people with allergies. An eminent cardiologist said Sinovac is unique as it’s developed via the long established method that’s been around for decades. If old-fashioned makes it more comfortable for vaccinees to place their confidence in the drug of their choice, so be it.
I asked four people – relatives and colleagues – what they felt after their Sinovac shots and they each replied, “No side effects,” “No pain.” One added, “No big deal.” Should they now worry about a sufficient supply for their second dose?
According to the cardiologist, a little-known fact is that “when China donated those millions of doses, they also donated the needles” – yes, those superfine needles may explain why vaccinees feel no pain. Unlike the fat needles that could scare away a kid back in the last century, today’s needles are designed to look and feel friendly.
Over the last two months, only 4.3 million of us have been vaccinated, or 166,000 a day. We need to vaccinate 60-70 million people to achieve herd immunity by Nov. 27, which is the goal of IATF. OCTA Research calculates that to inoculate 75 percent of the population, we will need a total of 160 million doses (for 80 million people). I leave the math to you, but by Bloomberg’s estimate, it will take 10 years to hit the target. Perhaps IATF has a secret formula locked down somewhere.
Mask-Hugas-Iwas-Vax ####