We used to hear a lot about it. We need to get a combination of natural immunity and vaccinated immunity up to XX% of the population to protect the herd. But now, all I hear about is vaccinations, and the “unvaccinated” (those evil people!) aren’t divided into “had Covid” and “haven’t had Covid,” which seems like a pretty important thing. (Also, “unvaccinated” means “not fully vaccinated,” so some of them have had one shot, or have had both and it’s been too recent.)
It’s very suspicious to me that there isn’t more attention to the rate of natural immunity among the unvaccinated. If the goal is immunity, you’d think that would be an important figure. We’d also want lots of stats on which type of immunity — natural or vaccine — is more effective. (I’m bullet proof. I’ve have both!)
It seems clear the goal is arm jabs, and not necessarily because that’s the best path to herd immunity.
Why?
And why is nobody “following the money” on these vaccinations? They’re “free,” which means somebody is paying for it in some non-transparent way, which sounds like a great opportunity for corruption.
I’m very thankful for the strenuous efforts the drug companies went to to create these vaccines. But when money is being tossed around, somebody should be checking on it.
Also, I am absolutely not anti-vaccine. Get your stupid vaccine (unless you’ve already had it, in which case ask your doctor). But the way this story is playing out doesn’t make sense, and it’s no wonder people are suspicious.
Addendum: After writing this post, I did a little searching on whether vaccinated people are less of a transmission threat than non-vaccinated people, which seems to be the assumption of all the “protect the vaccinated from the non-vaccinated” talk.
Q: Can fully vaccinated people still transmit the virus to others, including other vaccinated people?
A: While it is possible, Dr. Cardona says that the ability to transmit COVID-19 may occur at a lower rate. (Source.)
May? We don’t know? The president sure seems to think he knows.
People who have received a COVID-19 vaccine and later become infected with the coronavirus tend to have a lower viral load according to a new study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Source.)
Tend. Great. One study says “tend.” But then …
Data from COVID-19 tests in the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore are showing that vaccinated people who become infected with Delta SARS-CoV-2 can carry as much virus in their nose as do unvaccinated people. (Source
I guess the problem is which agenda the source is supporting: the perpetual fear agenda, or the “everybody get vaccinated right now and don’t ask any questions” agenda.
Finally, here’s something that supports the president’s position.
A growing body of evidence indicates that people fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) are less likely than unvaccinated persons to acquire SARS-CoV-2 or to transmit it to others. However, the risk for SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection in fully vaccinated people cannot be completely eliminated as long as there is continued community transmission of the virus. (Source.)
It may be true that vaccinated people are less likely to spread Covid than the un-vaccinated. Then again, it may not.
Get your stupid vaccine. But please, people, let’s stop insisting on things that we don’t know are true, and please, please, stop calling your preferred opinion “the science.”