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How I’m doing months out

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How I’m doing months out

I tend to dislike being told what to do by the government.  I am okay with basic laws – such as driving on the correct side of the street or prohibitions against killing people.  After all, I am a conservative, not an anarchist.

I am very pro-vaccinations – but recognize that there are always downsides.  I am old enough to have seen the dreaded crippling – and occasionally deadly – polio get taken out by a vaccine.  I got – and my kids got – the traditional banks of childhood vaccinations.  We were required to get vaccinated before we could enroll in school.  That is not a new concept.

I get my annual flu shot and got the recommended Shingles shot.  When I travel overseas, I get the recommended shots and medications specific to the countries I will be visiting.

But vaccines do have side effects – some serious, even deadly.  Their has been concern because several women died from blood clots that may, or may not, have been caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine.   There was sufficient concern to temporarily halt the distribution of the vaccine in several countries – including the United States.  But the scientists tell us that such a small number of deaths is acceptable considering the greater good the vaccine provides.

It may be discomforting to some, but we always calculate an acceptable number of deaths in everything we do.  We would save tens of thousands of lives if we just reduced our maximum highway speed to 20 miles per hour.  We could save thousands more by banning all air travel.  But we do not.

The modern vaccines are even better than the old ones.  The old types were considered beneficial with an efficacy rate of 70 percent.  The new vaccines have an efficacy rate of 95 percent or higher.  Doctors are now saying that the statistics show that the vaccines are 95 percent effective in preventing a vaccinated person from spreading Covid-19 to others, as well.  That means – since I am fully vaccinated – it is EXTREMELY unlikely that I can get the virus or spread it to others.  For me, the Pandemic is over.

Despite all that good news, I have a concern.  Since taking the second dose of the Moderna vaccine, I may have had an unanticipated reaction – as did a friend of mine.

After a few days, there was a tiredness – a weakness.  Chills for approximately 24 hours. A loss of balance and brain fatigue. My friend’s staggering and incoherence were so severe that he had to go to the emergency room.  They found nothing and he mostly recovered in about 24 hours.

My reaction – if that is what it was – was less severe in the first round, but the mild form has returned periodically.  The episodes are not debilitating, but more like a decline in my mojo – have to struggle a bit more to get to the tennis court or focus on my writing.  If there is good news, it is that the symptoms seem to be weaker with each episode.

While I did not have these occurrences before the final shot, I cannot say with certainty that the vaccine is the cause.  Neither can my doctor – although he believes they are related since he has other patients with similar complaints.  I did learn from my own research that the statistics indicate folks are complaining a lot more about side-effects after the second shot.

Looking at the efficacy of the first shot – and the unlikeliness that I would contract the virus based on the statistics – I may have skipped the second shot.  But probably not.

Sometimes there are sensible reasons to avoid vaccinations – especially when we are dealing with one that has not gone through the complete rigorous FDA testing.  You need to remember that these Covid-19 vaccines were approved on an emergency basis.  The complete testing protocol is still going on.

Whenever we get too cocky about our wonder drugs, we should recall the “Thalidomide Babies.”  Half a century ago, thousands of babies were born with grossly deformed limbs and other birth defects.  It was caused by an approved German sedative called Thalidomide — prescribed to women to ward off the side-effects of pregnancy.

The decision on the Covid-19 vaccine should be based on the science, the statistics and the risks.  If someone put the question to me, “Should I take the Covid-19 vaccine?” I would say “yes.”  Despite the annoying side-effects – if that is what it is – the vaccine has liberated me from virtually all fear and concern.  I do not need to mask.  I do not need to social distance. I do not need to avoid crowds.  That makes getting vaccinated well worth a shot.

So, there ‘tis.

5 COMMENTS

  1. If one wants the shot, that is their own personal responsibility, but please do not scream on those who do not get it. There are too many health problems that have come up since the shot has been administered and it was pushed through to fast. Not wanting to be a guinea pig. It took over 5 years for the polio vaccine to be approved for safe administration. I also have a medical problem that I cannot tolerate shots because of their ingredients. The last tetanus shot I receive 5 years has left my left arm permanently damaged, along with my sister that got it the same time. It also affected my friend the same way. All people cannot take the same medication, so it is the same for shots and I do not want to be a statistic as every life is valuable and not to be a numbers game. Listen to the doctors who are warning about this shot. It is not a one way street.

  2. The “new vaccines” are not vaccines. They are experimental gene therapy. Animal and human studies have not been conducted. Therefore, we are the guinea pigs. And because those studies have not been done, approval cannot be granted by the FDA. The Emergency Authorization is not approval. Because it is an unauthorized experimental use, no one can be forced/coerced to take it. E.g. can’t get on a plane w/o it, or go to school w/o it). Doing so violates the Nuremberg Code of Health, the Helsinki code, the Geneva Convention, and I believe the U.S. Constitution. Here in Canada, it also violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Human Rights Code. And no, just because it is medical it doesn’t override those laws.

    It depends on what standard is used for effectiveness. The standard they used (95%) is probably the wrong standard. Another standard shows efficacy at 7%. Also, yes, you can infect other people, which is becoming quite common. Look up “vaccine shedding.” And not just with covid. Sterility, miscarriages, stillbirths, paralysis, seizures…. Plus, many people are getting covid about 2 wks after getting the shot. Deaths from the vaccine are beginning to rival the #s for covid itself.

    My daughter was brain-damaged and became autistic 10 days after her measles/mumps/rubella vaccine 43 years ago. My father became paralyzed for 3 days after the swine flu shot in the mid-50s. No more vaccines for me or my daughter I’m an ex-vaxxer now. As for the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, J & J: the risks far outweigh the benefits.

  3. And what if these “side affects” get worse as time goes on? The fact that they are recurring should scare the hell out of you, I know they would me! I am NOT an anti-vaxxer, but I sure don’t want to take any Covid vaccine right now. I think I’ll wait another few years – at least. I think I’ll feel better AFTER we know what affects these vaccines have on the unborn, or, heaven forbid, they have on a woman’s reproductive system. THAT will take several years to get and publish those findings.

  4. Yes, the decision to vaccinate & wear a mask should only be based on science, not “junk” science or feelings based on political agendas. In Illinois, they are still required to wear a mask while shopping, vaccinated or not. If your point about not having to wear a mask after being vaccinated were true in Illinois, I’m sure a lot more people would get vaccinated…

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