I made a few people I greatly respect mad at me for offering up what I tell friends of small kids on the vaccine. Twitter makes it hard to have a nuanced conversation, so I am going to put this here for everyone with the opening caveat that I am not a doctor. I do, however, know a lot of doctors. Based on conversations with the same immunologists, epidemiologists, virologists, and pediatricians that led me to get my teens vaccinated and to encourage my audience to do the same, here is where I am on vaccines for pre-teens.
I think the biggest public health policy mistake is to call anything that only provides some level of protection, or improved immune response, for the "current version" of a virus (so not just COVID, but also influenza), a "vaccine" is a mistake.
There is a lot of support for vaccines that provide long term protection (if not lifetime) for highly infectious/dangerous viruses.
Yes, COVID is currently more dangerous to people than the flu...but neither is "the Plague", or event the "1918 Flu".
It waters down the effectiveness of public health policy to call things "vaccines" that only do a good job of dealing with "this year's" version of something.
Some viruses evolve FAR faster than we do. That's why the flu is with us every year. COVID will be too. At least, it appears that way now with different strains appearing so quickly.
It's been a long time since a version of the flu wiped out a significant portion. of humanity.
Hopefully, we'll get to the same place with COVID (eventually).
But we should STOP calling the shot (or Jab if you're really hostile to it) a vaccine.
Erick, I'd love to see more of your read on how countries like China are taking advantage of COVID to advance their national agendas. That's what I feel is the real risk to not better controlling the impact of COVID on us.
It will be interesting in 5-10 years when the truth and mistakes will be very evident of how this was handled here in America, If we survive as a country until that time.
Erick, you call yourself a conservative, and then this, "In short, I think it is bad public policy to make kids get a vaccine because the adults are too irresponsible to get it." Seriously? You're shaming people who haven't taken the vaccine, including those who may have had COVID and very likely have stronger immunity to the virus than the vaccine provides. Wow, and wow!
A fair assessment, though I am a lot stronger on the negative of anyone under the age of 18 who is healthy getting this shot. Adults should do as they please.
I think you strike the perfect tone on this. Absolutely no reason to get ore-teens vaccinated other than the exceptions you mention…now just wait for the government to tell us otherwise, cause you know it’s coming.
I know folks that are still hunkered in their house, scared to come outside! I hope for their sake that this kids vaccine will now get us past the COVID scare! It's time we ALL starting living again! Take the mask off, open everything up and live again! Faith not fear!!!
I think the biggest public health policy mistake is to call anything that only provides some level of protection, or improved immune response, for the "current version" of a virus (so not just COVID, but also influenza), a "vaccine" is a mistake.
There is a lot of support for vaccines that provide long term protection (if not lifetime) for highly infectious/dangerous viruses.
Yes, COVID is currently more dangerous to people than the flu...but neither is "the Plague", or event the "1918 Flu".
It waters down the effectiveness of public health policy to call things "vaccines" that only do a good job of dealing with "this year's" version of something.
Some viruses evolve FAR faster than we do. That's why the flu is with us every year. COVID will be too. At least, it appears that way now with different strains appearing so quickly.
It's been a long time since a version of the flu wiped out a significant portion. of humanity.
Hopefully, we'll get to the same place with COVID (eventually).
But we should STOP calling the shot (or Jab if you're really hostile to it) a vaccine.
Erick, I'd love to see more of your read on how countries like China are taking advantage of COVID to advance their national agendas. That's what I feel is the real risk to not better controlling the impact of COVID on us.
It will be interesting in 5-10 years when the truth and mistakes will be very evident of how this was handled here in America, If we survive as a country until that time.
Very well stated, Erick.
Erick, you call yourself a conservative, and then this, "In short, I think it is bad public policy to make kids get a vaccine because the adults are too irresponsible to get it." Seriously? You're shaming people who haven't taken the vaccine, including those who may have had COVID and very likely have stronger immunity to the virus than the vaccine provides. Wow, and wow!
A fair assessment, though I am a lot stronger on the negative of anyone under the age of 18 who is healthy getting this shot. Adults should do as they please.
I think you strike the perfect tone on this. Absolutely no reason to get ore-teens vaccinated other than the exceptions you mention…now just wait for the government to tell us otherwise, cause you know it’s coming.
I know folks that are still hunkered in their house, scared to come outside! I hope for their sake that this kids vaccine will now get us past the COVID scare! It's time we ALL starting living again! Take the mask off, open everything up and live again! Faith not fear!!!