Covid-19 Vaccines — The Lack of Credibility and Collaboration
The Giant Monster Stormed Our Neighborhoods
America was under attack from a killer virus. We scrambled to hoard supplies, distance from one another and consume information as quickly as we could.
People got sick. People died. Medical professionals were overwhelmed with patients and never-ending workloads. We were scared for ourselves and our loved ones. We turned to one another in this time of need.
We Got a Weapon to Fight the Monster
Miraculously, drug manufacturers were able to use the brilliance of scientists who used known vaccine methodology and discovery of Covid-19 vaccine material to produce vaccines for all.
Droves of people lined up to get the vaccine. People camped outside of vaccine-providing facilities — sometimes overnight — just to get protection against the airborne killer. To avoid the stampede of people seeking a vaccine, state and federal government agencies established a vaccine-giving schedule based on people’s age ranges.
State and federal government agencies, health organizations, and other groups promoted the vaccines and encouraged the public to get vaccinated. It was the patriotic, right thing to do.
Some Rejected the Weapon
Some people were concerned about the vaccine effects. Some people remembered how the government infected people with sickness and drugs to study the effects. People cited the Tuskegee experiments as rationale for not wanting the vaccine. Some people politicized the vaccine and cited that their political party affiliation as the reason why they didn’t want to wear masks or get vaccinated.
Many people who flaunted their refusal to wear masks or get vaccines died. Many people lost loved ones to the virus. Parents felt helpless as their kids laid in hospital beds - some needing ventilators - hoping that their little ones survived. Businesses had absent employees because of quarantines and sickness. Some schools offered virtual learning. Other schools created mask mandates or vaccine mandates.
Hundreds of thousands of deaths later, state and federal agencies, health organizations and other groups emphasized the need to get vaccinated. People held firm to their beliefs, even when their loved ones and favorite celebrities died of Covid.
The virus flourished and variant strains became emboldened. The Delta variant has attacked our country and scientists fear that an even stronger, more vaccine-resistant strain will evolve — because that’s what viruses do. Without using the vaccine to stop the spread, our country is at the mercy of the viral variants.
But, in time, some previously undecided people determined they would get the vaccine. Others held fast to their doubt of what the pro-vaccine groups were saying.
We Were Enticed with Carrots and Sticks
Celebrities took sides in promoting the need for vaccines and the rejection of vaccines. Shows were moved or cancelled, based on the venue’s position regarding masks and vaccines. Some companies and businesses required masks and vaccines. Some customers resented this and did everything from rubbing their faces on people’s arms to spitting at employees. Employees held firm in their vaccine beliefs, even when their jobs were on the line. Some didn’t want to return to their workplace and some couldn’t wait to go.
States offered lottery entries for those who got vaccinated. Companies offered bonuses and free products for those who got vaccinated.
We Discovered the Need to Fortify the Weapon
Months passed and some vaccinated people started getting ‘breakthrough’ infections. Countries like Israel and a major vaccine manufacturer studied this phenomenon and realized the vaccines lose their efficacy in time. They reached the same conclusion — booster shots were needed months after the initial doses.
This wasn’t shocking because we get other vaccines, like the flu vaccine, annually. This is because we know the vaccine doesn’t last. So needing additional shots isn’t a precedent — it follows suit of similar vaccines.
In August, American government officials including Anthony Fauci and Joe Biden announced the need for booster shots and, based on the information given to them, said that likely everyone would need booster shots months after receiving the initial doses. The President said the American public could expect more information about how to get booster shots on September 20th. We were going to work together to reduce the damage from this past wave of Covid cases and deaths.
The CDC released its “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report” that showcased a drop in the Pfizer vaccine’s ability to prevent virus-related hospitalizations. Instead of expecting a 91% likelihood of preventing hospitalization, after 6 months, it would drop to 77%.
Just Whose Side is the FDA On?
Other than the World Health Organization (WHO) stating that no country should give booster shots as long as there were countries who hadn’t had their first shots, everyone seemed in accord. The WHO’s opinion wasn’t clinically based; it was about providing the world with vaccines.
Days before the Federal government’s booster shot campaign kick off, on September 17th the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted on the need for booster shots. The FDA voted against providing booster shots to people aged 16 and older. They voted unanimously to authorize vaccine booster shots for healthcare workers and others at high risk of severe viral infection and people aged 65 and older.
Why? Countries, health agencies, drug manufacturers and worldwide statistics show spikes of breakthrough infections months after vaccination. Why did the FDA fail to support the review and opinions of these entities who fully recognize the need for Covid vaccine boosters?
People Run to or From Things — Will Medical Bills Make a Difference?
The days of free Covid-19 care are over. Other than free Covid-19 testing and vaccinations, Americans who live in states and territories other than New Mexico or Vermont must pay for their Covid-19 hospitalizations.
Given that many hospital ICU wards are at capacity and people have to travel to hospitals far from their area in order to get admitted, people with insurance may find they are using “out of network” coverage. This may mean higher bills for patients or their estates. For people who don’t have insurance, this can be a financial catastrophe for them and their families.
Maybe money talks louder than all the rhetoric, posturing and misinformation swirling around our country.
Is It Worth It?
Considering the risk to health and life, is it worth being so passionate about receiving the vaccination or not getting vaccinated? Are we so willing to risk getting sick or sickening loved ones? Weeks into the school year, students and staff had to quarantine; so is it worth the delay of in-person education? Businesses and venues that do not require masks, social distancing or vaccines risk the health and lives of customers and employees. Is it worth slowing our nation’s economic recovery?
I am losing faith in our ability to accurately assess our situation and solutions. So I offer my sympathies to everyone who lost or will lose a loved one due to Covid-19 or its variants. All the rhetoric, posturing and misinformation in the world can’t possibly be worth the losses we are shouldering.
I could just cry. For a country that prides itself on its excellence, why aren’t we pulling together to rise from this situation? What is wrong with us? Why are we doing this? What are we getting that is worth the price we are paying?
