I could not wait for my turn to get vaccinated as well as for my adult children to get theirs. Now I am glad I don’t have to make a decision on vaccination for children since we currently don’t have anyone in this age group in our family.
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The vaccines have been “around” for almost a year and a half, though obviously not in wide circulation that whole time. They were created in their current form almost immediately after SARS-CoV-2 was fully analyzed, and the rest has all been testing. So they’re not quite as brand-new as they seem.
I appreciate your sharing your family’s experiences. It’s a good illustration that as rare as something might be, if it happens to you, it happens 100% of the time from your perspective. In a vaccination campaign of hundreds of millions of people, even a tiny percentage of adverse effects will involve thousands of people. But on balance, as you seem to have concluded for yourself, vaccination is a far safer bet than letting Covid circulate freely.
It isn’t true that vaccination is yielding no real-world benefits, of course. In addition to greater comfort and safety in personal interactions, cities and states are rapidly relaxing restrictions expressly because so many people have been vaccinated. Without vaccination, that wouldn’t be happening.
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When you say only 15-30K were tested, are you referring to a single vaccine? Just from a cursory Google, I saw that Pfizer enrolled 43K in their late stage trials, Moderna had 30K, and J and J had 45K.
150 million just in the US have now had at least 1 shot. For those who consider everyone getting the vaccine to essentially be study participants, that’s an absolutely huge cohort. They are amassing a lot of information about these vaccines, and so far the verdict has been overwhelmingly positive in terms of benefit and risk.
But there is no such thing as a 100% effective vaccine, and I’m aware of few (if any) vaccines, medications, treatments, or surgeries that don’t carry some degree of risk. There are going to be people who cannot safely take the vaccine for various reasons. Many people are reserving judgment until more long term data is collected, so they have declined to be vaccinated until such data is available. I understand the rationale of those people.
And then there are those who decline it simply because they believe conspiracy theories, whether it’s the Bill Gates nonsense, Covid is a hoax, etc.
I view the last group I mentioned not as idiots, but as extremely gullible.
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I do think it will be private businesses that ‘force’ the reluctant to get vaccinated. Airlines, restaurants, hotels, sports venues are already doing it. We already have the rule here that if restaurants can show 80% vaccinated, no masks are required (indoors). At least one bar requires proof of vaccination.
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Yes, per vaccine trial. So total of less than 80k for the mRNA vaccines and 45k for J&J before EUA was given.
Caused by the vaccine or merely coincidental?
Examples:
- Toddler gets MMR vaccine. Toddler diagnosed with autism shortly thereafter.
- Elderly person in poor health in nursing home gets COVID-19 vaccine. Person dies shortly thereafter.
Here is a specific example from Offit on vaccines and autism | Virology Blog
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“Around “ for a year and half? That means from before Jan 2020. Vaccination of the public began Dec 2020 so we are just 6 months in from that. I appreciate that mRNA vaccine technology has been in progress for a number of years but these particular vaccines have not.
Those weren’t my family’s experiences. I just noted that I’d seen reports of the symptoms/side effects referenced on other websites.
As of 6 months worth of data that may be true. There are zero studies on long term risks. Because we only have 6 months of data.
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What I mean is that the mRNA vaccines themselves, not just the technology, were created around January 2020. They went through testing for many months after that, but the vaccines that the public started receiving in December are the same vaccines.
Sorry for confusing you with someone else on the family thing.
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I have 2 sides of my family that have 2 different viewpoints and have handled the pandemic based off of those viewpoints. One side has had almost everyone eligible already get vaccinated, while the other side of my family has only had about 1/3 get vaccinated with very few of the remaining unvaccinated family members planning to get vaccinated. Most of the unvaccinated are young and strong and quite a few have had Covid with little to no effects past the 2 week quarantine. But we have also had 2 older family members pass away from Covid and at least one of the younger family members showing signs of being a “Covid long hauler”. When I ask them about protection of others in the communities, they talk about individuals needing to protect themselves based on their own risk factors. Some of my older family members are still pretty distrustful of the vaccine and have said they will take their chances and social distance.
My immediate household has one last shot remaining and 2 weeks to go before we are all fully vaccinated. Among the unvaccinated, I have heard what I consider to be no reasoning, very bad reasoning, shaky reasoning, and good reasoning for not getting vaccinated and regardless of those reasons, I believe in people having the right to make that very personal choice. But I also understand that those folks may have to live with some limitations brought on by that status.
I see that about 4% of the world’s population is currently fully vaccinated, so I still shake my head at the 1st world problems that Americans will have to deal with in comparison to possible calamities that may occur in poorer counties who can not even vaccinate their medical personnel.
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@compmom
On the 4th day, I got severe vertigo. I lost all control of gait and balance and fell forward several feet until I hit the wall. Followed by nausea and cold clammy sweat. I was light headed and dizzy the next day. I thought I was having a stroke. This was very similar to my brother, which is why he spent time in the hospital being tested for stroke and other issues. My mom and sister had dizzy spells. My nephew had severe vertigo for a week. Maybe it’s something in our family dna, but definitely happened to all of us right after the vaccine.
I guess my problem is, I’m not an extremist in either direction. I respect Covid, I am cautious and safe but reading on this site I’m sure many here would say I’m selfish because I don’t wear masks outside. And I eat out safely both outdoors and indoors. I have been going to church since last June with all the safety precautions in place. I have friends, who all through Covid, blamed every medical condition on Covid yet they automatically dismiss all side effects as not having anything to do with the vaccine. I believe there’s a middle ground. I believe there are long haulers and there are significant issues with Covid, however, I don’t believe every single medical issue following a Covid infection is necessarily due to Covid.
I believe the vaccine is safe but I also believe there are some issues arising that could be related but are immediately dismissed.
I’ve been on at least 2 medications in the past that were FDA approved for years with little known issues, that were then pulled from the market for safety issues that came about years after approval. I don’t know how everyone can be so sure that this can’t happen with this vaccine. That’s why I respect everyone’s ability to make there own decisions based on their own medical history and concerns. That’s why I won’t pressure my adult children. They can make their own decisions. And their views may also change over time.
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I agree 100%. People should have the right to choose what goes into their own body. We all have different views and those should be respected. Fully vaccinated here but absolutely believe in the right for others to make their own decisions on their own timeline.
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That’s true, we won’t know. Just as you didn’t know with the medications that you were on that were pulled.
But for me, and for my sanity, I wanted to be vaccinated so that I can resume my life.
That an unknown problem, from a vaccine that has been in development for years, could happen. It could. But we’ve had other vaccinations for many years, and I believe in the power.
I read a lot, I listened to the experts and to those in my family that are in medicine. They all received the vaccine as soon as they could, months before I did. I saw how they were able to lose that fear of catching COVID.
That I wanted. To lose that fear. And frankly I wanted to help protect my family and my friends by being vaccinated.
If others don’t and are afraid of long term problems with the vaccine, then maybe when we all turn into zombies in a few years, they will inherit. 
I kid!
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One of my family members had vertigo 5 days after the first shot, and even longer after the second. Still some lingering vertigo at times, many weeks later. She has autoimmune issues and also a previous cerebellar TBI so we weren’t sure it those things were related. But vertigo is listed as a side effect. She is sure it was/is from the vaccine but thinks it is well worth it. She can now take buses, see friends, do her work.
We have all kinds of weird health problems. I had an attack of severe vertigo from someone’s cologne and ended up in the ER with continuous vomiting. They always think it’s a stroke. I basically told the docs I was fine and declined testing. Point being, we are used to not being healthy so maybe side effects are more alarming to those who are healthy 
I am starting to feel sick and sore from the shot. We’ll see what happens.
I am not going to pressure anyone but I really believe that the decision not to have the shot affects others, and public health in general. A hospice aide who refused vaccine just exposed my 94 year old mother.
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If memory serves, didn’t the vaccine trials begin in summer 2020? July maybe? So we should have 10-11 months of data?
I was hesitant early on, but made the decision to get vaccinated as soon as I was eligible because I don’t think I would have done well had I gotten COVID (underlying conditions). Might have made a different decision if I were young. Both of my Ds and their SOs have been vaccinated. Most of my friends and their adult children are vaccinated. Very few of my acquaintances have declined the vaccine, for various reasons. The most common is probably desire to resume pre-covid life. I don’t know anyone who has experienced any serious complications. Knock wood.
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2 family members who have died is not enough for family members to get vaccinated? SMH, I’m sorry
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Yeah, that’s my own thoughts, @CottonTales . For my older relatives against vaccination, it is mostly a lack of trust in a vaccine produced in record time. For my younger relatives, the best argument that I heard dealt with a relative showing me CDC data that more people in his age range died from pneumonia than Covid-19 (COVID-19 Provisional Counts - Weekly Updates by Select Demographic and Geographic Characteristics) and the odds of a healthy young person with no comorbidities who has already tested positive for Covid-19 with no symptoms (besides a loss of smell for a couple of weeks) was enough to keep on living without a vaccine that he does not completely trust. I took the vaccine because I wanted to protect those around me (more than I was worried about my own health), but he believes that those with higher risks need to take their own precautions. I am just happy that I will be able to see my unvaccinated Grandparents for the 1st time in a long time without the fear of killing them.
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My son just spent $1,180 on round trip airfare to get vaccinated in the US. People who take the opportunity for granted make me sad.
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So glad your S was able to get vaccinated, @MaineLonghorn! I’m looking forward to D getting her 2nd shot soon so she can be fully protected from covid.
Nearly all my loved ones are fully vaccinated, as well as the neighbors we are friendly with.
I didn’t word that correctly! He arrives on the US on July 4. He just bought the plane tickets yesterday. I will find a place where he can get J and J.