@BreakForTheLight - My only guess is that they approved it because that way it can be distributed through COVAX and since there are many poorer countries that have no vaccines at all, Sinovac is better than nothing and can help make up the shortfall. Plus, the logistics of distributing are easier in remote areas. From what I understand they recognized it's barely over the 50% threshold for symptomatic disease. There is a feeling that China might have put some pressure on the WHO too. To me, I still wouldn't want that crap. I just don't.

That sucks people are hoarding appointments. It must be extremely frustrating.


Here on social media and in comments to news articles, etc. people parrot the line that none of the vaccines prevent transmission. It's true that at first no one knew how effective they were at that, but what we are seeing in highly vaccinated countries not using Sinovac, like the US, Israel and the UK is that they are helping to prevent transmission.

You also hear Sinovac is 100% effective in preventing death. Again, another lie. Cases trickle out, I am sure there are more than we are hearing. The most recent was a nurse, 36 years old, good health, no comorbidities. I guess he got unlucky and was vaccinated after they ran out of the initial shipments of Pfizer that were used for health, workers, shifting to Sinovac. Anyways, he was probably fully vaccinated with Sinovac by mid-March at the latest and now he's dead.

An advisor to the president just said that we are going to have to get over 80% vaccinated, closer to 100% once vaccines are approved for kids and that people that got Sinovac will need a third dose of it. When does the insanity end? From what I have heard, that hasn't even been studied yet. I guess they are just assuming it might help. I am sure China will be happy to send us millions more Sinocrap doses. At least Uruguay wants to study using a third dose of Pfizer for people who got Sinovac. There Pfizer is reserved for over-70s and medical workers.

And another gem. The municipality of Lo Barnechea (ritzy area of Santiago) has 95% of the population with 1 dose and 71% fully vaccinated. They get sent back to lockdown tomorrow.

I feel really hopeless that we are going to have any semblance of normality any time soon. It's going to be masks and business closures and curfews forever.