The NY Times tracker calculates a bit differently than the government site. I think the government site is % of target population, which is about 80% of the population, leaving out out kids and assuming a certain % won't or can't get vaccinated. Anyways, we are right in synch with the US according to the NY Times data. Here it's 54% fully vaccinated and 41% with one dose. US is 50%/40%. If the difference is not the vaccine, then what is it?

Even medical experts here are now coming out to say that Sinovac is showing to be pretty crap as far as reducing transmission and that the government needs to look into getting more mRNA vaccines. I posted a link to an article about that on a forum for expats here. Some guy promptly bit my head off at me for daring to criticize Sinovac. Hehe, maybe that was all he could get, so he has to feel like it is going to work. Another formerly pro-Sinovac cheerleader on that site is now starting to question it, though.


There was an article in a local paper here saying that a study in Uruguay showed that Sinovac supposedly reduced deaths by 97%. Again, hard to believe. I was poking around on the Our World in Data site and daily deaths in Uruguay in recent days are second worst in the world, behind only Paraguay that has barely vaccinated anyone. Uruguay is behind only us in South America in number of vaccinated. Pfizer is for 70+ there and everyone else gets Sinovac. The numbers are even higher than Argentina and Colombia, which are vaccinating more slowly too. How can you have one of the world's worst death rates and say the vaccine prevented 97% of deaths. It does not add up.

I wish our Health Minister and President would resign to be replaced by a new administration that will focus on getting us better vaccines. Realistically, my only hope is that as supply increases, private clinics will be able to buy doses of better vaccines. I am sure there will be a lucrative market of people who got Sinovac but would be willing to pay to get Pfizer or Moderna if they could. I know my husband and several friends want to do that if/when it becomes possible. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to pay.


Oh, and they have detected the black fungus in hospitalized patients here and we are over 8,000 new cases again in today's report. Just great.