[Rotary] Thoughts on Covid Vaccination

[John Cottle]

I have been asked by several of you to give useful and not easily found
medical information.  Others asked that this email list should be for
Rotary news only.  I will keep my online musings to a minimum.  If you
personally want more let me know, but let's not clog up everyone's inboxes.

Many intelligent persons think that the vaccine will end social isolation
for them, that travel will be safe, etc.  I had my 2nd vaccination a month
ago, and am still tested twice weekly due to my jobs.  However I STILL mask
and social distance, not perfectly but to a significant extent.  I will
continue to do so until case counts remain very low, like 1 per 5,000 of a
given population.  I always assume that reported case counts are
artificially low because we do not have widespread testing with required
reporting.

Why don't I trust the vaccine more than I do?

The Covid-19 vaccine is 95% effective, which is amazing given how fast they
produced it.  But realize what number means, that 1 in 20 vaccines fail to
protect the person, and there is no way to tell who that person is without
expensive, difficult to get antibody blood levels on everyone vaccinated.

The vaccine does indeed prevent severe illness, but CANNOT protect against
mild illness, or from one's potential to transmit the virus to
non-vaccinated persons.  Even mild illness can still result in long lasting
effects, which sound a lot like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with brain fog,
low energy, non-restorative or disrupted sleep, and more.  Estimates from
10-20% of those infected are being reported by respected researchers, but
there is no consensus yet.  It is simply too soon to know.  To be formally
diagnosed with CFS, symptoms have to persist for more than 6 months, and a
thorough search for other knowable causes must be completed.

I believe that vaccination is our best single tool in ending this scourge,
but it cannot end this alone.  Refuseniks abound, and mutated strains jump
borders quickly.  Get your vaccine, but PLEASE don't let it change your
behavior...yet.

Dr John Cottle
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