During this ongoing COVID19 pandemic, some popular “complaints” espoused by many anti-vaxxers – and, to a lesser extent, the legitimately vaccine-hesitant – are, “If the vaccinated can still get infected, then what’s the point of getting vaccinated?” or “I’m fully vaccinated, so why do I still need to wear masks?” or “First they said masks, then no masks, then masks again, then booster shots… The health experts keep changing the rules! Fuck ’em all, they’ve been lying to us!”
To be fair, the WHO, CDC and other medical professional groups and individuals have done a lackluster job of effectively communicating their reasons to the masses during these uncertain times. However I don’t blame the CDC, because they likely have unrealistically high expectations of the education level and rationality of the General Public. That has proven to be a terrible mistake, a mistake fatal for nearly 5 million now-dead victims (over 720,000 in the USA alone) of the SARS-COV-2 virus and all its strains.
This article is an attempt to give a “brief” explainer (and mini-rant), which I hope helps the vaccine-hesitant understand a bit more. Once one understands how this stuff works, the subsequent concerns should be easier to assuage.
So here goes.
Vaccines Train the Immune System.
They basically “supercharge” and “pre-trains” your immune system. As such, vaccinated vs. unvaccinated is like the difference between a trainer runner vs. a sedentary or light-exercise person: if both suddenly have a run a serious marathon, who will fare better?
Vaccinations Lower Overall Risk
This is a simple breakdown, just basic escalation and mitigation of risk by being vaccinated:
– IF you ARE exposed to the virus, your immune system can fight off mild exposures, without you even knowing it (“asymptomatic”).
– IF you DO get symptoms, they’ll likely be mild (“just walk it off”).
– IF you DO have major symptoms, you’ll likely just recover on your own, without being hospitalized (“completely manageable flu-like symptoms”).
– IF you ARE hospitalized, you’ll likely not need a ventilator or anything major
– Lastly, even IF you DO need a ventilator, you likely will NOT die from COVID19.
See that escalation? If vaccinated, each “step” is less and less likely.
In other words, it’s all about LEVELS OF RISK.
Analogy: car accidents happen daily, yet people STILL wear seatbelts. We don’t say, “Well people still have car accidents and get injured, so what’s the point of wearing a seatbelt?” No, we wear our seatbelts, knowing that they reduce risk and save lives.
Vaccinations reduce virus spread
If you’re vaccinated and happily asymptomatic, you STILL breathe out the virus, albeit at far lower levels than the unvaccinated. THAT is one reason that – vaccinated or not – we should still mask up when close to other people. At least until we achieve herd immunity.
Spreading the virus far and wide means giving the virus more opportunities to evolve and mutate into a more evil strain, making life difficult for EVERYONE. Again, we “mask up to slow down” this natural evolutionary process.
No vaccination on Earth is perfect
Yes, people CAN get infected, sick, hospitalized, or dead even after vaccination due to the sheer level of exposure to the virus, or – as is more often the case – a host of other pre-existing conditions, including age.
However, for vaccinated people the OVERALL RISK is EXTREMELY LOW – and that is why, IF and when Breakthrough Infections occur, news media covers it excitedly, because it is rare and abnormal. This is entirely by design. Think about it: News media doesn’t cover common events, they cover RARE and ABNORMAL events. News media will not bring attention to the tens of MILLIONS of people who have gotten vaccinated without any side effects, to protect themselves and others. Never forget, new media are naturally biased… and in this scenario it is not necessarily a bad thing. They are doing their jobs… that is, the ones reporting factual news, not opinions.
That is to say, part of the Scientific Method involves “Changing Conclusions and Recommendations Based on New, Better, or More Data”. I think THIS part – about change – is the part with which most people have difficulty. Especially – but not limited to – people who were raised with Religion.
This is an important subsection, so lemme go on a slight tangent-rant.
You see, most theist scripture, especially as interpreted by the most popular, charismatic, and biased religious leaders, deal in absolutes, unchanging “commandments”, and unquestioning “obedience” even if it means denying Reality itself. This mindset is incompatible with a world that, by natural design and sheer necessity, continuously changes. Therefore, many people around the world, especially the education-challenged, simply have a hard time understanding and accepting the fluid and self-correcting nature of Human Scientific Progress.
To wit: at the start of the pandemic, when this BRAND NEW VIRUS was isolated and identified, the CDC and other independent medical experts around the world issued guidance based on what they knew AT THE TIME. Later on, when more and better data came in, they analyzed it (again, independently), peer-reviewed it, and changed their recommendations to match the new knowledge.
We should expect that from our collective world’s scientists! They’re not trying to deceive or hurt anyone, this is just how science and technology advances, y’all!
Perhaps it’s because my broke-ass, tree-climbing, spear-chucking, AlterNative African self has “Privilege of a Basic Education Which Included Critical Thinking”, but I don’t understand why this concept – “New Information Breeds New Conclusions” – makes people so angry. Yet, these same people are perfectly fine with ingesting other foods, drugs, or other bullshit that are experimental or even recalled. For example, almost every year, “experts” flip-flop on the nutritional value of various food products… yet no one is issuing death threats to the food experts or distributors.
This issue of “following the science” and “trusting the experts” could be a huge topic all by itself, so I’ll stop here for now.
The Vaccines Manufacturing Was Not “Rushed”, But Expedited
You see, temporarily unshackled from the chains of Capitalist bureaucracy and Excessive Regulations, the vaccine manufacturers took advantage of every time-saving tool they had, to develop and manufacture vaccines in a fraction of the normal time.
Even though I am being my natural self, I’ve been accused of using awkward “White People Language” or, in the case of other West African people, “Blowing grammar, to insult them” (HUH???)… so let me attempt to rephrase the above:
The vaccine labs and manufacturers were allowed to pursue life-saving solutions, with as much money as they needed, and WITHOUT most of the standard but non-essential regulations and “speed bumps”. They also used research that was already in progress, and data that already existed. That is to say, they did NOT have to start from scratch. They “stood on the shoulders of giants, to jump over the wall”.
These factors combined, made it possible to bring to market a highly effective, life-saving COVID19 vaccine in such a relatively short time.
Using the USA Defense Production Act to implement “Operation Warp Speed”, is one of the few things that the “45” administration did right!
No Medicine Is Perfect!
This is worth repeating. No technology, treatment, cure, or system made by mankind can be “perfect”. It’s simply not possible in this reality or timeline! Despite our best collective and individual efforts, living creatures WILL get sick and even die… that is NATURE. No vaccine can prevent death! All they do is massively reduce risk! Anyone looking for perfection might wanna relocate to the MCU, DCEU, or Narnia 🙂
Anyway… hopefully this basic explainer helps someone out there… Oh who am I kidding, most likey no one will read this. Even if they do, this article probably won’t “sway” anyone who wasn’t already on-board with Following the Science for Sake Of Self-Preservation and Public Health… but, at least I got this of my chest.
Please feel free to forward this article to anyone and everyone.
Till next time, stay safe, and be kind to one another.