A variety of pundits have made a point that goes something like the following:
If you are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 you are supposedly protected against catching it. As such, you shouldn’t care whether others choose to be vaccinated or not. They can’t give you the disease and if they get sick or die from it that’s their problem.
On the other hand, if they get sick and can give you the disease, then your vaccine doesn’t work. That means they are right to choose not to be vaccinated.
What is wrong with that reasoning? Answer, not all vaccines are created equal. Some vaccines, like that for polio, seem to be essentially bullet-proof. If you’re vaccinated, you simply don’t get the disease.
Other vaccines merely improve your chances of avoiding the disease, as the influenza or flu vaccine does. Sadly, the Covid-19 vaccines fall in this latter category.
Much evidence shows they greatly reduce your likelihood of getting the corona virus, but do not eliminate it entirely. So-called “breakthrough” cases of Covid will occur. And there are a few individuals who react negatively to almost any vaccine.
With either flu or Covid, existing vaccines are not a guarantee you won’t get the illness. They do dramatically improve your chances of avoiding or surviving it.
I like my chances with the vaccine, as does the other DrC. We had our annual flu shot earlier in the month, and will get the Moderna booster when it’s authorized.
You will decide to do whatever you choose, but I’d rather most folks got the shots so there will be less of both illnesses out there being unintentionally ‘shared.’ We vaccinated do have a vested interest in others being vaccinated.
