Vaccine reluctance & General COVID Discussion

We will all be getting it when we can. My med school lad has already had both doses. Having a 28 year old son who is a long hauler and an otherwise “fit” uncle who likely died from it colors our opinion, plus there’s no harm in the vaccine from what we see. In addition, if it gives somewhat lifelong immunity, when we get older and more at risk we’ve got better odds.

I live in an area where people won’t get it. Some mention the possible two deaths linked to it. I don’t get that at all - 200,000+ Covid deaths - and more than two in their age group without underlying conditions, but the two that aren’t even definitively linked to the vaccine outweigh all the others. Another points me to an article in our local newspaper where a vehement Covid is overplayed believer says he can guarantee within the next few years we’ll see commercials saying those who received the first doses “may be entitled to compensation.” His views are more believable than anyone else even though he has absolutely no science or medical background.

I’m with a PP and feel that once everyone has had the opportunity to be vaccinated, I’m not going to worry about spreading aside from the rare cases with immune compromised people. We’re already careful around them due to other possible contagions.

If people’s minds are made up and often on unreliable data or sources - such is life.

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As with covid precautions…different folks have different tolerances for risk. Everyone in our family will get both shots ASAP. But I have friends who prefer to wait for a one dose regimen. I have other friends who have no intention of getting this shot right now.

I hope she did well with the vaccine. Thank her from me for her hard work and sacrifice during all of this.

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According to CDC, of the 196 deaths (as of 1/24) post vaccination they examined, none seems to be linked to the vaccines.

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I got the first dose a couple weeks ago. It was just like a flu shot. My arm was sore for the next day or so, but that was pretty much it. I expect the second dose won’t be any different. I asked Moderna if the vaccine would work on the other COVID strain, they said there’s a strong likelihood. There have been a few people who have had negative reactions, but such is the case with any vaccine. At worst, it’s a placebo. At best, it’s 90% effective. That’s good enough for me.

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Just read in todays paper that Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA) tested positive on Friday despite having had the double dose of the vaccine. It also said he is asymptomatic. Hmm.
Articles like this make it even more difficult for normal folks not in the medical field to determine what is the best course. Thinking of someone in your family whose had the vaccines, then you find out they are actually contagious.
Things that make you go, hmm.

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This is one of the reasons hospitals were scheduling departments over a number of days, not scheduling the entire radiology department at once, for example, or asking the staff to get their vaccinations just before they had 2 days off.

Glad your wife decided to get hers, Admin_Jon.

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I don’t get why he’s being tested if he’s had the vaccine AND is asymptomatic, but this is what the vaccine is suppose to do! If you’ve been vaccinated and still get covid, then your symptoms are supposed to be low and not require hospitalization.

To me, this means his vaccination worked.

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The vaccines have been shown to be effective at preventing serious illness and death. There is no significant data yet to show how effective they are at preventing asymptomatic infection or transmission. This article does not do anything that challenges any of the aforementioned facts.

How would the article make it difficult for folks to choose the “best course”?

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Not the way the article was written. Lynch is currently in quarantine. If he’s asymptomatic and Covid positive then he can pass it along. I don’t know why he was being tested. You can google it. There are many articles.
From my vantage, if someone in my household had gotten two vaccines, I’d consider them “safe” IF they, then becomes asymptomatic then we are back at square one. Yikes.
I don’t think most people who take the vaccine think it’s so they get lesser symptoms. Most take it because they think they won’t get Covid at all.

The mRNA vaccines become fully effective only after about two weeks from the second dose. People can still be infected during that two weeks.

Even after the two-week period, there’s still a 5% chance getting infected (and probably even higher chance of infection by the new variants).

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my BIL was going to wait for the one-dose variety, but then he’s <60 so he was waiting anyway. That said, positive covid test yesterday; due to a digestive issue, he’s starting the regeneron cocktail tomorrow.

I’ve also read that the goal of the vaccine was to limit the incidence of severe disease not to prevent infection completely, which is why masking and social distancing is still required until a large portion of the population is vaccinated. The miscommunication seems to be that people are expecting the vaccine to grant absolute immunity (i.e. no infection) where the reality is it provides a reduction in symptom severity and likelihood of dying.

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I know an Anesthesiology resident who was scheduled for the vaccine on a Monday except that she tested positive the day before, Sunday.

So wearing protect equipment and being aware of how to be safe didn’t work. If you know any residents, I am positive that she was not doing much other than work and home. Maybe the grocery store occasionally lol!

Really glad your wife decided to get the vaccine

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I could be wrong but I think that some House members that were gathered during the Capitol incident were tested as a matter of course. Because they had information that someone in the room they were in had tested positive for the virus.

As far as I know, the original person who was positive during their time being sheltered was not identified but several democratic house members did test positive later.

@twoinanddone

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The number of infections will be reduced by vaccination. Whether that number still increases or not depends on the number of people who are vaccinated and the transmissivity of the virus (which can be controlled by wearing masks, social distancing, etc.) If enough people are vaccinated (“enough” is determined by the transmissivity of the virus), the number of infections will decrease gradually, and eventually approaches zero (full immunity).

Reduction in severity due to vaccination is another but separate benefit.

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They are as safe as they can be. They are not likely to get a bad case of Covid. That’s what the vaccine is for. It’s why the older folks are generally getting the vax before the younger folks unless there is a medical or work reason for the others.

The vaccine doesn’t confer absolute immunity and we can’t trust that folks who still get “Covid Lite” won’t be able to transmit the virus to others. It’s why everyone is saying vaccinated people need to continue wearing masks until everyone (who wants to) is in the safe realm - aka - fully vaccinated.

People may think what you’ve written, but they’re wrong. Unfortunately the message isn’t getting through to enough folks.

It’d be sad if people opt out of the vaccine because of misinformation when the information is out there - they’ve just misunderstood it.

We want FIL to get the vaccine (he wants it too, but has been unable to find it) so he’s safe. We want it for ourselves so we’re safe. When we both get it, it’s a win/win. Until then we’ll need to be careful around him after he gets it. Now we’re all careful. Med school lad will be tested before he returns home to us too. He’s safe, but wants to be as safe as he can coming back to us so we don’t get it from him.

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Rep. Stephen Lynch Tests Positive for COVID-19 – NBC Boston says that he was tested “after a staff member in his Boston office tested positive earlier in the week.”

The apparent timeline:

1/20 or before: Lynch receives 2nd dose of Pfizer vaccine
1/20: Lynch attends inauguration
1/23-1/29: staffer in Lynch’s office tests positive
1/29: Lynch tests positive

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Well, I obviously missed that it doesn’t prevent the disease. I’m not in the medical field and I think a lot of the information hasn’t been clear. I’m likely one of many millions who “expect” a vaccine to prevent oneself from getting a disease. Thanks for the clarification. Though I don’t appreciate the tone I am glad I learned the facts.
I believe that you might be in the medical field and so your understanding is going to be different from someone else. Maybe you could be more patient in your approach to sharing the information or correcting someone else’s misunderstandings. Not everyone is going to be glued to continual programming on Covid (7/24).
I can certainly tell you that I’d bet very few folks know the difference between how the vaccine protects. Maybe folks on this thread completely understand it, but I’d guess the majority do not.

I’m interested in hearing how you feel @Creekland’s tone was inappropriate or how she could have been more patient in her response. Perhaps you can give an example of how her message could have been different so that we all can learn what is offensive to those who are hearing accurate info about the vaccine for the first time. I think this could be really helpful for everyone.

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