I have always stated that getting the COVID vaccine is a personal choice as are ALL medical decisions. That said, I have also shared evidence-based information with regard to several aspects of the pandemic. This does not make me “anti-vax” or a conspiracy theorist, it makes me a critical thinker trained in science who questions a forced narrative and the suppression of facts that are contrary to that forced narrative – I do this with the intent of helping others make informed decisions, something they are not getting from “official” sources and the media.
It is becoming apparent that there is a segment of those who have chosen to be vaccinated that are taking a misguided, uninformed, and sometimes arrogant position against those of us who choose not to participate. I have seen comments that are completely reprehensible – “I will avoid those who are not vaccinated like the carriers of the plague that they are”, “people who are not vaccinated should not receive treatment for COVID if they become ill”, and “then you will die if you contract the virus” among others. The last example is from a former friend of mine directed at me. This former friend actually called data that I cited from The Lancet, a highly respected, peer-reviewed medical journal, “inane” and “obtuse.” That’s where we are – evidence-based clinical research being called inane and obtuse. For that reason, I give up on people like him.
I am tested for COVID every week at work, I have an optimal serum vitamin D level, and my immune system has always been robust (I rarely get the flu, once every 5 or 6 years, so I opt out of that vaccine also). The bottom of my left ventricle is dead and I have moderate kidney damage, both due to my heart attack four years ago. There is no data on the long-term safety of the vaccines and the true efficacy based on absolute risk reduction is quite low (less than 2%). Too many people are having bad reactions to the vaccine, which IS NOT normal. For those reasons, I choose not to participate. I have been out and about since the initial lockdown and have not contracted COVID. Does that mean that I will not contract it sometime in the future? Not by any means, but I choose to live my life free of fear and free from government and societal intrusions into my personal liberty.
