Originally Posted by Packer Fan
(Post 1895543)
I am specifically going to not reply directly to anyone here, but write a post based on reading the whole thread. Overall a decent discussion, but there were a few HUGE falsehoods too, one that was scarey in how off base it was. Please read my whole post before you comment. Let me preface by saying I am still working and own 2 houses in TV. I am 57 and have an Engineering degree and an MBA and my wife, who agrees with everything I am going to write is a nurse with 35 years of experience and now is a district nurse in a school system. We are both conservatives. My wife has been vacinated with the Pfizer vaccine, my CNA daughter with the Moderna, as well as my daughter in law who is a Dental assistant. I will get vaccinated as soon as I can.
I have read everything on the vaccines INCLUDING the entire scientific reports on the Moderna and Pfizer phase 1/2 and 3 studies. I will read the J&J when it is available. What's more important is I UNDERSTAND THE STATISTICS AND WHAT THEY MEAN. I have taught basic statistics at the college level in fact as an adjunct professor.
1. This virus is a real pain in the butt. For the VAST majority of people, it is no big deal(I have MANY employees that have had it, for most it was a headache or being tired a few days). HOWEVER, for some, especially the old, it kills them. It also does kill a small number of people you would not expect it to seamingly at random. For the most part it really does not hurt kids. Seriously, it is way less deadly to those under 25 than the Flu. People that are worried about their kids or grandkids should stop - worry about your elderly relatives in The Villages! I would rather get the vaccine than play russian roulette with my life.
2. These vaccines are effective and SAFE. The sample sizes in this study are HUGE. The p values are such that application of these statistics to conclusions about the population is basically a certainty. There are some side effects that pass quickly. The one side effect that happens in people with a history of alergic reactions can be treated with an Epi pen. NOBODY HAS DIED FROM THE VACCINE in the trials. Statistically, based on the trial data, it would be more likely that you have a car accident while being struck by lightning and having a heart attack all at the same time than dying from this vaccine.
3. Long term side effects- ok, seriously? What crazyperson have you been listening to that you got the video from your consiracy theory loving cousin in Facebook personal messenger? Come on, we all are getting this crazy crap. So here is the reality - there are hundreds of vaccines and ZERO have ever had side effects more than a few weeks out. That is why they insist the trials run for at least 2 months. Now, maybe you make the case that the new mRNA vaccines are new technology, so we are not sure. OK, then take the J&J vaccine when it is approved next month - that is OLD PROVEN TECHNOLOGY. On top of that, you do realize this is a few micrograms of material that can't replicate right? You should read the boxes you are eating your food out of and by WAY more worried about all the chemicals in that than in these vaccines.
4. Lots of people dying from the vaccine - please refer to number 2 above, but let me say that like 8000 people die every day in the USA, mostly the elderly but not exclusively. The chances of a few of those having had the vaccine in the past few days is just about certain since we are giving 1.3 million doses a day. EVERY ONE OF THESE is being publicized in the media, and they are all being investigated by the CDC. NONE have been found to be caused by the vaccine, and they won't be. This notion is as crazy as people who think vaccines cause Autism because some crazy actress said it did.
5. Masks and shutdowns. ok, so have you noticed that the places that have the toughest mask mandates and lockdowns have had the biggest spikes???? I can read a graph, Masks do zero. Lockdowns are effective, IF they are like the Chinese and you actually lock everyone down, but we don't do that and can't, so the virus keeps spreading. It makes our rulers feel good, but just hurts small business.
6. Tracking - here we get to it. We have laws in this country- a right to privacy, HIPAA, ADA that will prevent this. Also, I believe the vast majority including most of us who will be getting vacinated don't think it is good. It is tyranny and fascism. It is mainly being pushed by the "My body, my choice" crowd, but I guess this is somehow different when it actually IS my body? I think not. The difference between this and requiring vaccinations in schools to me comes down to this - if you don't want to get vaccinated, that is up to you, if you don't want to vaccinate your kids, that is hurting another human being- have you seen the results of getting polio? Not vaccinating your kids with proven vaccines that have been around for decades and been proven safe is just wrong. Sorry. Even that is pushing the line to some extent, but the line IS a grey one, we all know that.
7. Herd immunity- yes, this is important. Even the 20 and 30 somethings should get vacinnated so we reach herd immunity - the main reason is these annoying variants. If you have lots of people with Covid, lots of chances for variants, if not, less chances. Simple as that. The quicker we get to herd immunity, the better.
Here is my bottom line- If you have had Covid-19 with minor symptoms, I believe you should wait until at least the summer to get vaccinated - you have the antibodies and even if you get it again, probably won't be bad. Let others get vacinnated first. If you have not and are over 50, I think you are crazy not to get vaccinated unless you have serious allergic reactions to things. If you have concerns, get the J&J vaccine that should be available in March. If you don't, it's like playing Russian roulette, sorry, it is if you don't get vaccinated. ALL 3 vaccines have had ZERO people end up in the hospital with Covid after being vaccinated, it makes it non deadly. I do understand the people who are 30 that work for me saying they don't need it, but even most of them are going to get it after the older people do, so we can reach herd immunity and maybe we can get rid of it completely - we will see.
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