An Open Letter to University Students
Regarding Your Choice to Become Vaccinated (and Your Personal Responsibility to
Become Well-Informed)
By Ron A. Rhoades, JD, CFP®[i]
July 25, 2021
This communication
represents the author’s own views, and are not necessarily the views of any
institution, organization, firm, clan, tribe, gang, cult, nor motley group of
characters to which the author currently belongs or has ever been kicked out
from.
I urge all readers of
this article, who remain unvaccinated, to fully explore the evidence (from
multiple sources), and to discuss the issue with their family physician.
FROM USA TODAY, JULY 21, 2021: “IT’S TOO LATE” – A
PHYSICIAN HAS TO TELL PATIENTS.
An Alabama physician glumly says she is
making "a lot of progress" in encouraging people to vaccinate – as
she struggles to keep them alive.
Dr. Brytney Cobia, a hospitalist at
Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham, wrote in a recent
Facebook post she is treating a lot of young, otherwise
healthy people for serious coronavirus infections.
“One of the last things they do before
they're intubated is beg me for the vaccine," she wrote. "I hold
their hand and tell them that I'm sorry, but it's too late."
In her post, Cobia wrote that when
a patient dies, she hugs their family members and urges them to get
vaccinated. She said they cry and tell her they thought the pandemic was a
"hoax," or "political," or targeting some other age group
or skin color.
"They wish they could go back.
But they can't," Cobia wrote. "So they thank me and they go get the
vaccine. And I go back to my office, write their death note, and say a small
prayer that this loss will save more lives."[ii]
CONSERVATIVE MEDIA AND POLITICAL LEADERS CHANGING
THEIR MESSAGE – “GET VACCINATED.”
· Fox News launched a public service announcement urging
people to get the Covid-19 vaccine this past week.[iii]
· Sean Hannity, on Monday, told his viewers to “please
take Covid seriously – I can’t say it enough.”[iv]
· “U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is
calling for more Americans to get vaccinated, [stating:] ‘These shots need to get in everybody’s arms
as rapidly as possible or we´re going to be back in a situation in the fall
that we don’t yearn for — that we went through last year … This is not
complicated.”
· “Utah’s Republican governor, Spencer Cox, encouraged
people in the state to get vaccinated and blamed conservative media for stoking
vaccine hesitancy. ‘We have these talking heads who have gotten the vaccine and
are telling other people not to get the vaccine,’ Cox said, according to The
Hill. ‘It’s dangerous. It’s damaging. And it’s killing people. It’s literally
killing their supporters and that makes no sense to me.’ When asked about Cox’s comment, [Senator
Mitch] McConnell urged Americans to ‘ignore all of these other voices that are
giving demonstrably bad advice.’”[v]
· Several “Republican governors also redoubled their
efforts to get their constituents vaccinated, including Missouri's Mike Parson,
West Virginia's Jim Justice and Florida's Ron DeSantis.”[vi]
THE DELTA VARIANT OF COVID-19 “IS A DIFFERENT DISEASE”
AND SPREADS FAR MORE EASILY
“’This
is a different disease. This is much worse,’ Dr. Clay Marsh said during the
state [of West Virginia] COVID-19 briefing. “The more I learn about this, the
more I’m worried … Marsh said people infected with the delta variant have
1,000-times more virus in their airways, compared to the original COVID-19
virus. That high concentration, he said, allows the variant to easily spread
from person to person …..”[vii]
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AT FAR MORE RISK OF INFECTION FROM
THE DELTA VARIANT
“Mississippi's “recent sequencing data of 231
Delta variant cases show the variant spreading among young
Mississippians:
- Those
ages 39 and under make up 65% of Delta variant cases
- Of that
group, those ages 1-17 account for almost 34% of Delta variant
cases””[viii]
DEATHS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS AMONG THE YOUNG ARE MORE
COMMON FROM THE DELTA VARIANT, AS IS THE OFTEN SEVERE LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS
CALLED “LONG COVID”
“Just
how many deaths will occur as a result of the recent uptick in transmission is
still unclear. Even if they die at lower rates than older adults, some of the
younger adults hospitalized in recent weeks will still die. But cases only
started rising in the past few weeks, and it can take people with Covid-19 that
long to die, and another few weeks for their deaths to be recorded.”[ix]
“Even
though treatments are better than they were originally, a larger share of
patients are ending up in intensive care, and the fatality rate for those
patients remains high, experts said. ‘That’s just indicative of the more
virulent quality of the delta variant … It will make people sick, even people
that are young and would not have felt any consequence from the original wild
variant.’ Frighteningly, he said, far more children are being hospitalized,
which was very rare until recently.”[x]
“The
UK's top doctor has warned that more young people will get 'long COVID' as the
Delta variant, which is now responsible for most of cases in the US, pushes up
infection rates … One in three people who get symptomatic COVID-19 develop long
COVID, defined as at least one self-reported symptom lasting for more than 12
weeks …”.[xi]
WE EACH HAVE PERSONAL CHOICES – AND A RESPONSIBILITY
TO MAKE A WISE, INFORMED CHOICE.
As of July 21, 2021, new
infections of COVID-19 nearly tripled over the past two weeks,[xii]
and even higher rates of infection will occur soon. A “fourth wave” of COVID-19
has started. Unlike previous waves, more and more younger people are becoming
infected.
Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic
situation throughout 2020 and early into 2021, each of us individually
possesses the freedom to make a choice – whether
to get vaccinated or not. Individual decisions should be made using a
cost-benefit analysis.
With the freedom to make
choices also comes responsibility – to make decisions that optimize our own
health outcomes. And that personal responsibility also includes to consider the
well-being of others around us. A society benefits from prudent
decision-making, by individuals, who carefully consider the choices they face
to optimize their own outcomes, but also considering the impact of their
decisions upon their family members, friends, and the greater community.
In this communication, I seek to gather
the insights from many different sources, so that you – university students
around the United States - may better make an informed decision. I caution that
I am not a physician, nor am I trained in public health. Yet, I seek to relay
facts and figures gleaned from those who are researching and communicating
about COVID-19.
It is my sincere hope that you, the
reader, will carefully consider these facts, and undertake your own additional
investigations in order to make an informed personal decision.
Furthermore, I urge you to
discuss your investigation, and any tentative conclusions you may reach with
your personal physician.
EXPLORING VACCINE HESITANCY. We should not dismiss, outright, the hesitancy of
those to becoming vaccinated. But those who are hesitant to receive a vaccine
against COVID-19 should, in turn, carefully research and explore the facts, and
undertake a cost-benefit analysis (which is set forth below).
There exists a lot of
erroneous facts and opinions about vaccinations for COVID-19. In May 2021,
Kaiser-Permanente Health Monitor Survey reported that approximately two-thirds
of the unvaccinated believed at least one erroneous fact about the vaccines;
many respondents held multiple inaccurate conclusions.[xiii]
Please permit me to briefly
explore some of the major reasons for vaccine hesitancy:
· A large reason for vaccine hesitancy appears to be
distrust of the government, which has increased substantially over the past
five decades since Watergate.[xiv]
And, for some, a distrust of “science” also exists.
o
Yet, the reality
is that “very few Americans actually oppose vaccines. For instance, only a tiny
proportion of parents forgo vaccination for their children. Prior to the
pandemic, vaccination rates were generally high and stable for very young
children and those of school-entry age. For example, 95 percent of children
were vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella with the MMR vaccine in the
2018–19 school year. Pockets of hesitancy remain and improvement is needed on
some vaccines, but we should not confuse the visibility of a small number of
anti-vaccine activists with sentiment toward vaccines in the broader
population.”[xv]
o
Politico reports:
“Many people are turning down Covid vaccines because they are angry that
President Donald Trump lost the election and sick of Democrats thinking they
know what’s best.”[xvi]
Yet, Trump rightfully launched the programs that led to rapid development of
the vaccines, and Trump has been vaccinated. Trump has also urged others to
become vaccinated. “Sean Hannity and other Fox News reporters earlier this week
suddenly changed their tune, as did many Republicans on Capitol Hill, calling
on their viewers and constituents to sign up for the vaccine.”[xvii] Emotions in politics run high, but
might I suggest – whether you are Republican, Democrat, Green Party, other
political party, or independent – that you focus on the cost-benefit analysis
for your health and life, personally, as well as upon the effect of COVID-19
upon your community. Are there better ways to make a political statement, that don't endanger yourself or others?
· There is a belief, especially among those who are ages
18-24, that they are invincible.
o
This belief was
similar to that seen in the late 1950’s. “When the Salk vaccine came out, parents
were very keen to have their children vaccinated, but young adults were not
convinced that they were at risk and did not get vaccinated. Only after
additional epidemics showed that that they too could die or be paralyzed by
polio did adults turn up to get vaccinated.”[xviii]
o
As discussed
below, young people – even very healthy adults – are at some risk of death, and
at a great risk of long-term symptoms, from catching the Delta variant of
COVID-19.
o
For those
attending colleges and universities, if you are not vaccinated and are exposed
to a person with COVID-19, you may be forced to quarantine (and miss classes)
for ten days, or longer. And if you catch COVID-19, a similar period of
quarantine will occur – and you will likely have days (or even weeks) where you
are unable to effectively keep up with your course work (due to symptoms from
which you are likely to suffer). Of course, there is even the possibility of
severe illness, hospitalization, and even death, as explained below.
· Some members of minority groups have particular
aversion to medical treatments.
o
“Dark and tragic
episodes from the past, such as the Tuskegee syphilis study, remain deeply
rooted in the consciousness of minority communities. In the 40-year experiment,
Black men were misled about the research and forced to suffer from untreated
syphilis, despite the availability of penicillin. Present-day problems, such as
the lack of access to adequate health care and insurance, persist in minority
communities.”[xix]
o
Lacking a
personal perspective on these issues, I can only urge members of minority
groups to discuss the issue of reluctance to take a COVID-19 vaccination with
their family physician, members of the clergy, or others that they may trust
for guidance.
· There exist concerns among some that the vaccines may
have long-term adverse effects.
o
Having seen
advertisements from personal injury attorneys pursuing cases against
pharmaceutical companies for medications that turned out to have greater
adverse effects than advertised, the concern about long-term effects from any
medication should not be surprising.
o
Yet, vaccines are
highly, highly unlikely to possess long-term adverse effects.
§ “It’s true that reports of new side effects can
sometimes take months to emerge as a vaccine goes from populations of thousands
in clinical trials to millions in the real world, encountering natural
variations in human responses along the way. But more than a hundred million
Americans have already passed that point in their vaccinations and the first participants
in the clinical trials are now beyond a year.”[xx]
§ “Side-effects nearly always occur within a couple of
weeks of a person being vaccinated,” says John Grabenstein, director of
scientific communication for the Immunization Action Coalition. He adds that
the longest time before a side effect appeared for any type of shot has been
six weeks. “The concerns that something will spring up later with the COVID-19
vaccines are not impossible, but based on what we know, they aren’t likely,”
adds Miles Braun, adjunct professor of medicine at the Georgetown University
School of Medicine and the former director of the division of epidemiology at
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.[xxi]
§ “A key reason for this limited window of side effects
is the short time all vaccines stay in the body, says Onyema Ogbuagu, an
infectious diseases specialist at Yale Medicine … Unlike medicines that people
take every day or week, vaccines are generally administered once or a handful
of times over a lifetime.”[xxii]
§ “The mRNA never enters the nucleus of the cell, which
is where DNA lives, so it does not affect a person’s DNA.”[xxiii]
· The fact that the vaccines are “provisionally
approved” has increased hesitancy among a small percentage of adults.
o
However, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration is widely
expected to grant full approval this fall, faster than the time line for
full approval for other medications.
· It is about personal choice and freedom.
o
Yes, it is, in most instances.
- Our society must, necessarily, balance personal freedom with protection; we elect representatives to legislate the rules by which personal choice and freedoms might be curtailed, subject to Constitutional protections. For example, the right to drive a car is not absolute - there are many regulations that require we drive in a manner that makes it safer for ourselves and for others.
- It is also about
a responsibility to take charge of
one’s own health future, as well as a responsibility
to the communities in which we work and live.
o
There is no
federal law that mandates vaccines for all citizens. However, states and
employers[xxiv]
generally have the right to require vaccination.
§ The courts have upheld vaccination requirements in the
past (such as the many K-12 school districts that require vaccinations, or even
vaccinations required of all citizens in a municipality[xxv]),
and most recently have also upheld Indiana University’s requirement for its
students to be vaccinated.
o
Hopefully we will
not see massive shutdowns of businesses. Yet, some businesses will suffer,
particularly in areas with low vaccination rates (where the Delta variant is
likely to cause higher rates of transmission). While not as severe as 2020, we
will likely see reduced economic activity, and the loss of some jobs, due to
the Delta variant’s impact. We can lessen this impact by each of us carefully
considering the issue of vaccination.
o
Any society, to
thrive, also requires individuals to think about people other than themselves. The
problem with the “personal choice” argument – taken to an extreme – is that
“this is an infection where it’s not only about you. If you don’t get vaccinated,
it’s not only you who takes the risk. You risk a lot of people around you,
including people you like and love.
THE DELTA VARIANT IS CAUSING A FOURTH WAVE OF
INFECTIONS. We are all more than
tired of COVID-19 and the restrictions our society has endured over the past
year-and-a-half. Yet, the troubling “fourth wave” has arrived in the form of
the Delta variant. The daily count of new cases of infection, here in the United
States, has risen from an estimated 80,000 cases per day (the “confirmed
number” was only 11,000 or so) in mid-June, to about 235,000 (reported number
is, again, lower) on June 23, 2021.[xxvi]
Projections from the IMHE indicate that the number of daily new infections will
likely rise to 300,000 by mid-August, and that such number will likely continue
through the fall of 2021.[xxvii]
DAILY DEATH TOLLS ARE INCREASING. The IMHE estimates that the daily death toll in the
United States will return to over 700 a day by the beginning of September.[xxviii]
STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE THIS FOURTH WAVE. The IMHE states: “We believe there are two main
strategies to respondto the Delta surge that each state should consider.
[REDUCE VACCINE HESITANCY.] First, every effort should be taken toM reduce vaccine hesitancy and increase
the coverage of mRNA vaccination. This likely should include targeting communities where vaccine hesitancy is
high for messaging, outreach, and
enhanced access.
[WEAR MASKS – EVEN IF VACCINATED.] Second, based on the evidence from around the world,
we estimate that mRNA vaccines are 81%–83% effective in preventing Delta
variant infection. Johnson & Johnson may prevent only 64% of Delta variant
infections. Vaccinated individuals may be playing an important role in
transmission. Mask mandates for the unvaccinated and vaccinated should be
considered in communities with rapid increases in transmission.”[xxix]
THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS. In this chart I
present a discussion of the issues – with answers discerned from sources judged
to be reliable – that I hope will inform your decision.
|
ISSUE
|
IF YOU ARE UNVACCINATED
|
IF YOU ARE FULLY VACCINATED
|
|
The
likelihood of catching COVID-19
|
Says Carlos
del Rio, an infectious-diseases doctor and executive associate dean of Emory
University School of Medicine in Atlanta: “If you’re not vaccinated, you are
really in trouble because it’s likely you will get infected.”[xxx]
Some
unvaccinated people have caught COVID-19 for a second and third time. “[P]eople
who go unvaccinated after catching COVID-19 are more at risk of catching it
again. The reasons are the length of natural immunity from the infection is
believed to only last a short time, and different variants circulating
increase the risk.”[xxxi]
Some media
have reported statements by political leaders and even physicians that
everyone who is not vaccinated will eventually catch COVID-19, at least once.
While the risk of catching COVID-19 for the unvaccinated is always extremely high (and ongoing), I could
not find any medical evidence that suggests that catching COVID-19 is an absolute certainty for the
unvaccinated.
|
As “of July 12, out of 159 million fully vaccinated people, the CDC
documented 5,492 cases of fully vaccinated people who were hospitalized or
died from COVID-19, and 75% of them were over age 65.”[xxxii]
For the Delta variant, the “[d]ata so far suggests efficacy rates of
more than 67 percent for the J&J vaccine, 72 to 95 percent for the
Moderna vaccine, and 64 to 96 percent for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.”[xxxiii]
“Even in those with good immunity, vaccine protection is likely to
wane over time, though researchers aren’t sure yet of the speed at which that
occurs.”[xxxiv]
“On Thursday, the CDC presented data to its panel of vaccine advisers
indicating that immunocompromised people comprise about 2.7% of adults in the
US.
When immunocompromised people are infected with coronavirus, the data
showed they are more likely to get severely ill. If they are vaccinated, the
data showed they are more likely to have breakthrough infections. A study in
the US found 44% of hospitalized breakthrough cases were immunocompromised
people, while a study in Israel found a rate of 40%.
’Emerging data show there is an enhanced antibody response after an additional
dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in some immunocompromised people … While early
data show some potential benefit to administering an additional dose, more
evidence is needed to determine safety and effectiveness in immunocompromised
people.’ ‘[xxxv]
|
|
The
likelihood of death from COVID-19, in the United States
|
While the
official number of confirmed deaths in the United States due to COVID-19 has
risen to 610,000, evidence exists that the actual number could be 1,000,000
or more. Out of an estimated 330,000,000 Americans, that means that the risk
of death, overall, is likely at least 1 in 300.
However, as
noted below, the risk of death from COVID-19 does vary by age and underlying
medical conditions.
|
After the receipt of a vaccination against COVID-19, the risk of death
among those vaccinated is extremely low.
While vaccinations are highly effective at preventing death and
serious illness, even for the Delta variant, the protection is not 100%
absolute.
Moreover, the effectiveness of a vaccination may wane over time. By
Fall 2021 it is expected that those at greater risk (over age 65, or with
underlying health conditions) may be recommended to receive booster shots.
|
|
The
likelihood of “severe illness” from the Delta variant of COVID-19, generally
|
“[U]nvaccinated
people account for virtually all recent COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths
in the U.S.”[xxxvi]
“Unvaccinated
individuals account for virtually all — 97 percent — of the COVID
hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S., health officials said in a July 22
news briefing.”[xxxvii]
Other
variants have triggered more traditional COVID-19 symptoms that resemble the
flu, such as the loss of smell, fever, shortness of breath, or persistent
cough. However, the Delta variant appears to present more like the common
cold, causing upper respiratory symptoms such as a sore throat or runny nose.[xxxviii]
“Serious
illness” is typically defined to be when hospitalization occurs. And for many
this means confinement to the Intensive Care Units, a horrible array of
symptoms, and at times intubation (which is very, very uncomfortable, and not
something you ever want to endure).
|
“Real-world studies in Israel, the U.K., and the U.S. showed that mRNA
COVID-19 vaccines are over 96% effective in preventing hospitalization and
death, and about 90% effective against infection in real-life conditions.”[xxxix]
“Current data indicate most COVID vaccines authorized for use offer
protection against severe illness caused by the most common variants, with
some inoculations—in particular the so-called mRNA vaccines made by Moderna
Inc., and Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE—providing a stronger
defense than others. Research suggests that achieving maximum immune
protection requires receiving a full course of vaccine—usually two shots
spread across intervals that vary from 2 to 12 weeks apart, depending on the
product. And it takes time for the vaccine to take its full intended
effect—about two weeks from the last dose, though the protection from some
vaccines may build steadily over some months.”[xl]
|
|
The greater
risks posed to those who are older or possess health conditions
|
“[T]he
likelihood of dying of COVID-19 varies greatly between individuals, depending
on factors such as age or underlying health conditions … death increases with
age. Adults aged between 30 and 39 years old are already four times more
likely to die than people aged 18 to 29 years old. The likelihood of dying
increases up to 600 times for those aged 85 and older.”[xli]
“Certain
medical conditions, such as heart and respiratory conditions, weakened immune
system, cancer, diabetes, or obesity can increase a person’s likelihood of
dying from COVID-19, regardless of their age. Pregnant people are also more
likely to get severely ill ….”[xlii]
|
“Some individuals may not mount a robust response to the vaccine,
meaning they fail to generate sufficient levels of virus-blocking antibodies
and the T cells that hunt down and kill virus-infected cells. Of special
concern are older people and those who are immunocompromised, meaning they have
a weakened immune system because, for example, they have a disease that
affects it such as AIDS or are taking immunosuppressive drugs after a
transplant or to treat cancer.”[xliii]
NOTE: Booster shots
may become available in the fall of 2021.
|
|
The
likelihood of death from COVID-19, in the United States, for younger persons
|
“ ’We do
know that in our ICUs, we are seeing younger people intubated who are very
sick or who are on the floors and are very sick,’ said Jeanne Marrazzo,
professor of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
‘That should be a gigantic wake-up call.’ ”[xliv]
“Although
children and young adults are less likely to die of COVID-19 compared to
older age groups, there is no group that experiences the absence of risk.”[xlv]
“Children
with COVID-19 can develop a condition called multisystem inflammatory
syndrome (MIS-C). In MIS-C, inflammation can develop in any of several body
parts, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or
gastrointestinal organs.”[xlvi]
|
It is extremely rare for
younger persons (absent significant preexisting health conditions) to have
received the vaccine and then catch COVID-19 and become so severely ill that
they die.
“Israel, which by early 2021 had given more COVID vaccines per capita
than anywhere else in the world, recorded almost 400 hospitalizations among
fully vaccinated patients by late April. Of those, 234 suffered severe COVID
and 90 cases were fatal. A careful review of almost half the hospitalized
vaccinated people found their risk of developing a severe illness was
magnified by pre-existing ailments, such as high blood pressure, diabetes,
and heart failure, as well as medical conditions that weakened their immune
systems.”[xlvii]
|
|
Risks of
side effects from vaccination versus the risks of “long-term COVID”
|
While death
and serious illness (including hospitalization) are risks of COVID-19,
another risk is long-term adverse health consequences from those who catch
COVID-19.
“It’s young
adults who are seeing a little more of the long-haul COVID, which can
interfere with your quality of life massively.”[xlviii]
“Growing
evidence indicates that long COVID causes considerable loss in quality of
life and is a serious health concern. An international survey published in July
2021 in the scientific journal The Lancet found that 22% of the 3,762
recovered COVID-19 patients involved in the study reported to be unable to
work seven months later, and 45% of them required a reduced work schedule.”[xlix]
“Among the
most common were complications affecting the kidneys and respiratory system;
neurological and cardiovascular problems were also reported. These complications occurred across age
groups, including in young and previously healthy individuals.”[l] An increasing number of studies find that greater than one fourth of patients have developed some form of long COVID. (In one study from China, three quarters of patients had at least one ongoing symptom six months after hospital discharge, and in another report more than half of infected health care workers had symptoms seven to eight months later.) Initial indications suggest that the likelihood of developing persistent symptoms may not be related to the severity of the initial illness; it is even conceivable that infections that were initially asymptomatic could later cause persistent problems. For some, symptoms have now continued for many months with no apparent end in sight, with many survivors fearing that they will simply have to adjust to a “new normal.” More and more sufferers have not been able to return to work, even months after their initial illness. While the number of patients with persistent illness remains undetermined this early in the pandemic, estimates suggest that millions of Americans may enter the ranks of the permanently disabled.
A recent
analysis published in JAMA Network Open highlights just how common new or
persisting symptoms are in people recovering from COVID-19. Across 45
studies, more than 70 percent of COVID-19 patients, most of whom were
hospitalized for the illness, reported a range of symptoms — 84 in total —
months after their initial diagnosis. Shortness of breath, fatigue and sleep
disorders were among the most commonly reported symptoms. Anxiety and
depression were also up there. What’s more, previous research has found that
long-haul symptom are common in people who had mild or asymptomatic
cases of COVID-19.
A recent
analysis published in JAMA Network Open highlights just how common new or
persisting symptoms are in people recovering from COVID-19. Across 45 studies, more than 70 percent of
COVID-19 patients, most of whom were hospitalized for the illness, reported a
range of symptoms — 84 in total — months after their initial diagnosis.
Shortness of breath, fatigue and sleep disorders were among the most commonly
reported symptoms. Anxiety and depression were also up there. What’s more,
previous research has found that long-haul symptoms are common in people who
had mild or asymptomatic cases of COVID-19.”
|
As noted previously, vaccinations are not 100% effective against
catching COVID-19, but they remain highly effective, even against the Delta
variant.
While vaccinations are highly effective in preventing serious illness
and death from COVID-19, there are side effects. Younger persons, in
particular, can suffer from flu-like symptoms for a day or two, especially
after receiving the second dose. However, the risks of long-term COVID
(discussed at left) far outweigh the risks of temporary symptoms from the
vaccine.
“Over 339 million vaccine doses were given to 187 million people in
the US as of July 19, 2021 … There are three deaths that appear to be linked
to blood clots that occurred after people got the J&J vaccine. Since we
now know how to correctly treat people who develop these blood clots, future
deaths related to this very rare side effect can be prevented.”[li]
“Since April 2021, there have been more than a thousand reports of
cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis
(inflammation of the lining outside the heart) happening after receiving the
Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccines in the United States,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Considering
the hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses that have been
administered, these reports are very rare. The problem occurs more often in
adolescents (teens) and young adults, and in males. The myocarditis or
pericarditis in most cases is mild and resolves quickly.”[lii]
“There have been 100 reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome out of the
12.8 million people who have been vaccinated with the one-dose Johnson &
Johnson vaccine. Most of the cases occurred in men over the age of 50 around
2 weeks after being vaccinated. Most people who develop Guillain-Barré
syndrome recover successfully after being treated in the hospital … People
who have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome and want to receive a COVID-19
vaccine should talk with their doctor, as there are two other vaccines —
Pfizer and Moderna — to choose from.”[liii]
|
|
(Risk of catching COVID-19 a second time
|
“’We know
that the level of antibodies one gets from natural infection varies depending
on the severity of their infection,’ said Mercedes Carnethon, an
epidemiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. On the
other hand, ‘we get a more robust and consistent response from the vaccine.”
That makes it a better bet “for immunity over a long period of time,’ she
said.”[liv]
“It’s also
unclear whether the antibodies you developed in response to a coronavirus
infection will be able to recognize other variants of the virus.”[lv]
“Even if
you’ve had COVID-19, getting those shots is well worth it. Scientists have
found that even
a single dose of vaccine gives
the immune system of a COVID-19 survivor a big boost.”[lvi]
If you are
immunocompromised, see discussion above.
|
|
Should the
lack of 100% effectiveness of the vaccine deter you from becoming vaccinated?
|
No.
“No vaccine
is 100% effective, and COVID-19 vaccines aren’t an exception. However, this
doesn’t mean we should reject them, just as we wouldn’t reject a parachute
before jumping from an airplane just because they don’t open in 100% of the
cases.”[lvii]
|
|
On the necessity
to wear masks
|
While
vaccination is the best and far most effective way to guard against COVID-19,
masks (especially N-95 masks, properly worn) are the next best means to
reduce the risk of transmission.
In recent
days, the advice to wear masks has returned. From an article from UC Davis
Health: “My advice is to continue masking. Even if you’re vaccinated,
definitely avoid large indoor gatherings – begrudgingly, again – and mask in
grocery stores, drug stores and other locations that don’t verify vaccination
status,” said Tuznik. “Socially distanced outdoor activities should be fine,
but if you might come into close contact, even briefly, with a stranger, then
mask up just in case.”[lviii]
From the
same article: “I’m fully vaccinated and I still wear a mask at the grocery
store or even outdoors in a crowded situation like at the farmer’s market,
because many unvaccinated people are choosing to go unmasked and I’m not
comfortable with that,” Blumberg explained.[lix]
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SOME PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS
The 2020-21 academic year was tough. Being older and at more risk of
serious illness from COVID-19, I chose to teach exclusively online. While I
undertook a great deal of preparation to better prepare my instructional
techniques (having never taught online before), I was not entirely pleased with
the results. Many students, especially freshmen, benefit greatly from the
exchanges with professors and their peers that occur in the classroom.
Being fully vaccinated, myself, I look forward to returning to the
classroom in August 2021. Yet, as the Delta variant continues to surge cases, I
will take precautions. Wearing a mask. Washing my hands frequently. Trying to
engage in social distancing (although such will be difficult in a classroom
with 30-40 students).
It is my hope that, after viewing this article, any students who have
not yet received vaccination will consult with their family physician, stop by
a vaccination site and confer with a health care provider, or just go ahead and
get either the Moderna or the Pfizer 2-dose vaccination shots.
It is further my hope that very, very few college students will have
their studies interrupted from COVID-19, or even worse suffer from severe
and/or long-term health effects from COVID-19 (or even die from same).
The college experience can be wonderful. It is a time of increased
personal freedom. But with that freedom also comes many responsibilities – to
one’s self, and to others.
The response to the pandemic requires each and every one of us to think
critically, to examine all of the credible evidence, then make an informed and
rational decision, and then act on that decision.
[i]
Associate Professor of Finance, Western Kentucky University. Again, this article represents the personal
views of the author, and are not necessarily those of WKU nor any other
organization or firm with whom the author is associated.
[xi]
Business Insider,
https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-variant-long-covid-young-people-chris-whitty-2021-7
[xiv]
David Brooks, appearing on PBS Newshour, July 23, 2021.
[xxv]
On February 20, 1905, the Supreme Court, by a 7-2 majority, said in Jacobson v.
Massachusetts that the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts could fine residents
who refused to receive smallpox injections. In 1901, a smallpox epidemic swept
through the Northeast and Cambridge, and Massachusetts reacted by requiring all
adults receive smallpox inoculations subject to a $5 fine. In 1902, Pastor
Henning Jacobson, suggesting that he and his son both were injured by previous
vaccines, refused to be vaccinated and to pay the fine. In state court, Jacobson
argued the vaccine law violated the Massachusetts and federal constitutions.
The state courts, including the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, rejected
his claims. Before the Supreme Court, Jacobson argued that, “compulsion to
introduce disease into a healthy system is a violation of liberty.” On February
20, 1905, the Supreme Court rejected Jacobson’s arguments. Justice John
Marshall Harlan wrote about the police power of states to regulate for the
protection of public health: “The good and welfare of the Commonwealth, of
which the legislature is primarily the judge, is the basis on which the police
power rests in Massachusetts,” Harlan said
“upon the principle of self-defense, of paramount necessity, a community
has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease which threatens
the safety of its members.” https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-the-supreme-court-rules-on-vaccines-and-public-health
[xxxiv]
Jason Gale and Bloomberg, “This is why vaccinated people are still testing
positive for COVID-19,” Fortune (July
22, 2021).
[xl]
Jason Gale and Bloomberg, “This is why vaccinated people are still testing
positive for COVID-19,” Fortune (July
22, 2021).
[xliii]
Jason Gale and Bloomberg, “This is why vaccinated people are still testing
positive for COVID-19,” Fortune (July
22, 2021).
