Far-flung U.S. citizens clamour for vaccines from embassies

[metisdead]

Some troll posts and the replies have been removed.

[1FinickyOne]

10 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Five words:

Johnson and Johnson One Jab

ok for me but that looks like 7 words... 

 

But Who's counting and he's on first...

[d2b2]

9 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Why do Americans think their Embassy is a hospital. 

Do Americans think vaccination sites at CVS and Walgreens are hospitals? Do they think of the sports venues where mass vaccination is provided are hospitals?  Do you think Americans will show up at mobile vaccination sites asking for X-rays and STD tests?

Sorry, I think your question is just ridiculous.

[iamariva1957]

11 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Logistically not feasible.  What would an embassy do?  Set up a mass vaccination site on embassy grounds?  Not likely.  Security to enter any US Embassy(especially now) is cumbersome.  Also, the embassy would then have o set up a process to register, verify and book time slots for the vaccination.  Could the embassy hire local medical staff to vaccinate only it's citizens?  It could turn into a diplomatic nightmare.  If it got really bad in any country the only real assistance the embassy would provide is emergency evacuation(anyone remember those flights from Japan to Travis Air Force Base in 2020?).  Of course even embassy operated evacuations are not free.  As I recall the US Embassy charged each evacuated person from Japan approximately $4400.  

 

This is issue is Dead on Arrival.  

1. No...it is not impossible. If the US can ship  rations to 2 seperare war zones complete with gum and 4 cigarettes then they have the logistical capability. And now with a surplus of vaccines that some idiots are choosing not to take... the supply is there.

 

2. Repatriation flights are pegged at present commercial costs. 4400 was special.... not a flight to a commercial airport and not on a commercial carrier.

 

3. System to arrange and process is already in set. You have to make an appointment for any service already. So embassy knows who... how many... and when.

 

4. Let the foreign governments complain. Embassies and consulates are sovereign territory. 

 

5. Medical staff already present in the form of the Marine detachment who are all trained along with Corpsmen and other medical professionals.

 

6. Have you seen the US embassador residence? Outside area is  large enough to almost handle a football game.

 

7. The US State Department has as part of its mission to "support,  inform, and help" its citizens overseas.... so help already!

 

So dead in the water? Not just delayed by stupidity. The British folks would give you a cup of tea with 4 sugars... no vaccine but maybe a biscuit.

[rwill]

Embassies are more for dealing with foriegn countries and their citizens(and spying on them).  Expats living in those foreign countries are not their focus.

[d2b2]

17 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

Poor Biden has enough problems that he can't solve, as a US Vietnam Vet. I am happy to  wait for the vaccines to come in like everyone else. Take a deep breath the vaccines will be here soon.

With Covid variant on the rise and no vaccines on the near horizon, I wouldn’t suggest taking a deep breath without the aid of a mask

[ehs818]

The annual Cobra Gold is scheduled for August. How about supplying vaccines to be placed on the ships and we citizens can make online appointments and meet these military medical staff at predesignated locations and times. I favor the J&J vaccine as it requires less special handling, and it's a one injection vaccine rather than two.

[iamariva1957]

11 hours ago, placeholder said:

Who is they? The embassies of which countries? Is the Thai Red Cross meant to be coopted in the interests of expats? Has it no other functions to perform?

But it is not the Thai Red Cross. It is part of the entire Red Cross organization... not a separate entity.

[Bim Smith]

Chair of Democrats Abroad..... Enough said. What he means is please can I take part in your clinical trial with your emergency use only jabbb from a disease I have 99 percent of not dying from so I can look all virtuous and blame Trump.

[iamariva1957]

10 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Why do Americans think their Embassy is a hospital. 

Because it is there to "support... inform... and help" it citizens in country.... like all foreign missions are tasked to do.

[StevieAus]

34 minutes ago, riverhigh said:

The strong arguement in favor of Americans living abroad is that they pay taxes on their worldly income and are obliged to live by the USA regulations. It's a two street: pay taxes, receive benefit.

I know two who don’t perhaps they don’t receive enough income.

[rangerboy]

12 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

He's right of course, embassies should be doing this for all foreigners but won't because they spend all day avoiding work

british embassy renowned for doing just that their view is you got yourself here get yourself out do everything yourself 

[wensiensheng]

Why isn’t he wearing a mask in the OP photo?

 

how about starting with that simple thing?

[placeholder]

12 minutes ago, iamariva1957 said:

But it is not the Thai Red Cross. It is part of the entire Red Cross organization... not a separate entity.

"The Thai Red Cross Society is a national charitable organization undertaking humanitarian activities in keeping with the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This organization, dynamic and innovative, has a vision to move forward to excellence and strictly follow its core values/missions – grievance relief, quality of life promotion, disease treatment and suffering eradication. It serves public benefit and can be relied upon by the public."

https://english.redcross.or.th/

[iamariva1957]

10 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Why do Americans think their Embassy is a hospital. 

We don't.  But it could be a vacination center like CVS or Walmart are... 

[iamariva1957]

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

"The Thai Red Cross Society is a national charitable organization undertaking humanitarian activities in keeping with the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This organization, dynamic and innovative, has a vision to move forward to excellence and strictly follow its core values/missions – grievance relief, quality of life promotion, disease treatment and suffering eradication. It serves public benefit and can be relied upon by the public."

https://english.redcross.or.th/

Exactly what I said!

[StevieAus]

12 hours ago, placeholder said:

I don't know what countries you're referring to, but I've been to the US embassy a few times and it didn't look like anyone was slacking off to me. I did get prompt, polite and consistently intelligent service and assistance from the employees. Same experience with the consulate.Just maybe, they don't have the time  or training to turn themselves into a health clinic.

It’s not the case with the Australian Embassy either always had good service.

Our Honorary Consul in Chiang Mai is great, since Covid the Outreach Visits from  Bangkok have been suspended but Ron has been receiving such things as passport renewals saving a visit to Bangkok.

[brianthainess]

11 hours ago, Thomas J said:

Not a problem.  Just put it on the menu at the fast food places and banks with drive throughs.  You can get a Big Mac and a Sinovac.  

 

You want flies with that?

[Lacessit]

33 minutes ago, starky said:

Pompous, self entitled ......

American exceptionalism ignored the virus, with horrific consequences. Still the world's highest death toll.

Now the same exceptionalism is saying their diplomats should be converting embassy staff into healthcare providers.

At the same time the Republican and Democrat posters are taking potshots on this thread at each other, I would have thought a united front would be desirable in this situation.

Honestly, on TV I sometimes don't know whether to laugh or cry.

[Lacessit]

12 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

It’s not the case with the Australian Embassy either always had good service.

Our Honorary Consul in Chiang Mai is great, since Covid the Outreach Visits from  Bangkok have been suspended but Ron has been receiving such things as passport renewals saving a visit to Bangkok.

Ron is good value, I found him to be very professional when renewing my passport pre-COVID.

[StevieAus]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

Ron is good value, I found him to be very professional when renewing my passport pre-COVID.

He did them for my wife and daughter about two months ago a great bloke

[Ventenio]

they said the number is 8 million.  maybe more.  definitely more.  can't just do billy bob.....gotta do all 8 million.

 

how could this change?  if, say, ONLY Thailand ex-pats really start dying.   then it makes news.  then there's the priority.  then they get the vac.

 

nobody in America is going to care about expats.   EX pats.  EX pats.   they think expats are super rich anyhow.

 

little do they know most expats have been using the same mask for over a year, dipped in his 20 baht soup over 28,000 times.  hahahahhaha

 

the worst pandemic of our lifetimes........over 15 months and still no solution for the expats....   amazing how slow this world works.  

 

i'm amazed some idiot created the wheel, computers, anything really...

 

i was told this thing would be under control in May, 2020!!!!  hahahahahhah

[bunnydrops]

8 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

American exceptionalism ignored the virus, with horrific consequences. Still the world's highest death toll.

Now the same exceptionalism is saying their diplomats should be converting embassy staff into healthcare providers.

At the same time the Republican and Democrat posters are taking potshots on this thread at each other, I would have thought a united front would be desirable in this situation.

Honestly, on TV I sometimes don't know whether to laugh or cry.

deaths per capita, where are you from?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/

[Lacessit]

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

Given that it's Trump supporters who constitute the vast majority of vaccine refuseniks, yours seems a case of false even-handedness.

IMO you just validated what I posted.

[Tracyb]

10 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Its better for this issue to be led by democrats abroad because democrats are in power now. So don't look a gift donkey in the mouth.

 

 

I have an idea. Expats could contact their stateside friends and relatives and ask them to contact their representatives. We all know out of sight out of mind but stateside people command more attention.

Or you could write to them directly by email, or call them on the phone yourself!

[eggers]

I'm an Australian & I've constantly been in touch w/ AUS Embassy + AUS Foreign Affairs Minister & Australian Dept of Foreign Affairs, asking will vaccine be available & have they contacted Thai Gov't about vaccine for foreigners. Had no positive 

responses!!

They really don't care about citizens abroad, as anor correspondent commented, "...They look for ways to avoid work..." V true!!

They're a bunch of overpaid, taxpayer funded, bludgers !!

Edited May 13, 2021 by eggers

[ftpjtm]

12 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Logistically not feasible.  What would an embassy do?  Set up a mass vaccination site on embassy grounds?  

What they could do is come up with a supply of vaccines, set up an on line reservation system, and contract with local private hospitals to administer the vaccine. 

 

12 hours ago, placeholder said:

I don't know what countries you're referring to, but I've been to the US embassy a few times and it didn't look like anyone was slacking off to me. I did get prompt, polite and consistently intelligent service and assistance from the employees. Same experience with the consulate.

Well at least someone did. I've been dealing with Bangkok Embassy staff for more than 30 years. I've never been treated with anything approaching courtesy once.

 

Latest example. The wife and I needed some sort of affidavit in order for her to change her name. I called and made an appointment. We arrived at the appointed time at about 10am. They told me the appointment was for me only. I told them both my wife (a US citizen) and I needed to sign the form, as was explained when making the appointment. After half an hour of stupidity they agreed to accommodate us, but only if we waited until 4pm as "punishment" for not pointing out to them that they should have written both names on their appointment schedule. 

 

Once inside they treated us as unwelcome intruders in their palace, like they always do.

 

In the days that I was selling machinery in Asia we lost countless orders due to US Embassies around Asia treating our customers with total disrespect. 

Edited May 13, 2021 by ftpjtm

[Lacessit]

Just now, bunnydrops said:

deaths per capita, where are you from?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/

If it makes you feel more comfortable to base your thinking on that statistic, that's your choice. 579,000 deaths in the USA is still leading the world. I'm from Australia, 910 deaths.

[GinBoy2]

6 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

American exceptionalism ignored the virus, with horrific consequences. Still the world's highest death toll.

Now the same exceptionalism is saying their diplomats should be converting embassy staff into healthcare providers.

At the same time the Republican and Democrat posters are taking potshots on this thread at each other, I would have thought a united front would be desirable in this situation.

Honestly, on TV I sometimes don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Dear God, sometimes I wonder if people can actually understand data.

 

Total deaths of course is the highest just because of population, but deaths per 1M of population is not.

 

USA; 1,797

UK: 1,872

Italy: 2,046

France: 1,638

Belgium: 2,155

 

...the list goes on

 

So just get over yourselves and this self righteous sanctimonious belief that anything American must be bad.

 

Very few Governments have covered themselves in glory throughout this, but in fairness, I don't think there was a playbook to play by.

 

As for the US Government supplying vaccines to overseas citizens. 

 

No, the choice to live overseas is a personal choice. We all accept that our medicare health benefits don't travel with us, so why on earth a covid shot would baffles be.

 

Your choices are wait for your country of residence to vaccinate you, or you can choose to get your a**ss on a plane and get it done in the US 

 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, ftpjtm said:

 

In the days that I was selling machinery in Asia we lost countless orders due to US Embassies around Asia treating our customers with total disrespect. 

You've reminded me of the film "Johnny Goldfarb, please come home" where the American ambassador presents a Muslim prince with pigskin suitcases. Apparently based on a true story. Apologies if off topic.