For The Hesitant

When it comes to deciding between getting a vaccine or risking catching the Covid-19 virus, we have to chose from the devil we know versus the one we imagine.

This is what we know. Covid-19 not only kills some of its victims, but it also maims many of the survivors. In addition to the 577,000 deaths from Covid-19 in the US, according to the University of Washington about 33% of patients who were never sick enough to require hospitalization continue to complain months later of symptoms like fatigue, loss of smell or taste and “brain fog.” Of the total number of people in the US who have tested positive is 32 million, that’s 10 million long-term sufferers. Another study published in JAMA found ongoing myocardial inflammation in 60% of Covid-19 survivors. Long term lung damage is also well documented. Those are important known risks to weigh even if you survive the major effects.

Having Covid-19 is also dangerous for pregnant women. According to the Mayo Clinic, pregnancy increases the risk for severe illness and death with COVID-19. They are more likely to be intubated. Also, sick women are more likely to have premature birth and cesarean delivery, and their babies are more likely to be admitted to a neonatal unit.

As for what we know about vaccines, 45% of the US population has had at least one shot and 1/3 of the population is fully vaccinated. There is a website to report adverse reactions to the vaccine. Johnson & Johnson’s rollout was halted after six people had reported clotting. After thorough review, the FDA reaffirmed their emergency approval. There hasn’t been any long-term side effect of the vaccines observed.

Pfizer is expected to be approved for 12-16 year-olds in the coming week. People are rightly concerned for children, but consider that Covid-19 has already proved to be damaging for children as well. According to the Mayo clinic, most children who become infected with the COVID-19 virus have only a mild illness, but in children who go on to develop MIS-C , some organs and tissues — such as the heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, digestive system, brain, skin or eyes — become severely inflamed.

It’s also import to keep in mind other mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have been safely tested for for longer periods if that’s is your concern. mRNA vaccines have been studied before for flu, Zika, rabies, and cytomegalovirus (CMV). They do not cause cancer or change the DNA of adults or their offspring.

The longer you wait to avoid the risks of the vaccine the longer you continue gambling with your chances of getting the disease and being injured or passing the virus on to others.

None of the vaccines are 100% effective. According to the CDC in April of 2021, out of 75 million fully vaccinated Americans, 5,800 still got COVID-19, and 74 died. For breakthrough cases, the disease is often reduced in severity. Statistically, there is still a much smaller risk of contracting the disease if you are vaccinated.

As of May of 2021, 10% of the US has had a positive Covid-19 test. What we don’t know is how many untested people have been exposed at this point. Up to forty percent still haven’t been either vaccinated or had a positive test. That means as many as 132 million Americans are still at risk.

Natural immunity has been promoted as superior to getting a shot, but it too is an unknown factor. Will virus pop up again? We know that people who have had Chicken Pox are at risk later in life to suffer from Shingles. Herpes can come back again and again, HIV alters the human immune system.

Many people are worried about possible long term effects of the vaccine, but the alternative at this point is demonstrably worse. Please consider your friends and family who would like to see more of you in the coming years. Getting a shot is not fearing death, it’s facing it and saying, “Not today.”