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Of course, we don't know how we'll react when it happens - after all, if it takes two or more years to develop, the main scare may have passed, or so many people may have been infected that we'll have that "herd immunity."
I can't remember the last time I received a vaccine of any kind, especially the flu vaccine. Probably been at least 8 years since my last tetanus shot, yet I know I've sliced my hand on some rusted/greased piece of metal, on average, at least once every other month and I haven't gotten lockjaw yet.
From the CDC: "Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are used to make the vaccine."
I do believe that built immunity works. (And I'm not saying that I'm against all vaccines either.) I've worked in a lot of unclean places with a lot of unclean people. It seems like that the only time I get sick is when my body relaxes/rests or if I find myself in a solitaire situation and rejoin the populations - or severe changes of weather. Being around people that have the virus also causes antibodies to develop in the body.
Also - I've been out and about since this whole thing started. Work has just made masks mandatory last week, but I've never stopped coming to the office and have the paper to show the police if I were ever questioned. I've had congestion for the past 2 months, but no worse than any other spring for the past 20 years (and probably has more to do with other health issues caused by past work-related contagions.)
Also, my mother is a nurse and a flu vaccine is mandated annually. She seems to have a worse reaction every following year. Whether that's because of her age, or because of what is placed in the vaccine, I don't know. She is healthy despite the vaccine. It seems like a vaccine, that is supposed to help you, shouldn't be hurting you especially if given annually.
This all to say - I have more suspicion and skepticism towards a vaccine, especially if given/offered quickly (this year).
It's all about minimizing risk, for me. I'm assuming that you don't mean this is a fully-vetted vaccine, but rather something that comes out in the next 18-24 months that *seems* to be safe after being administered to less than 10 million trial cases or something. Also assuming that it goes into massive mass-production and is available to all ages and risk levels equally. Also assuming that it is cheap or free. Also assuming that it is completely optional and there is no national vaccination campaign (which is unlikely, I'm sure an actual vaccine would be encouraged). In that case:
I would encourage my 70+ year old parents to get it immediately. Their chance of dying from COVID-19 is >5%.
I would not give it to my children for at least 2-3 years, to ensure that there are no long-term side-effects from it. Their chance of dying from COVID-19 is basically nil. I might reconsider giving them the vaccine, or even trying to acquire COVID-19 antibodies from an infection, if it were required for school. The decision between vaccination and actually acquiring the disease would be a difficult one. I would have to closely study and discuss with their pediatrician and many others, the known and potential side-effects from an incompletely-tested vaccine as well as the observed outcomes and the % of those that are serious, of COVID-19 in children.
I would not take it, myself, unless there was an economic or personal reason to do so (for instance, if it was required for my work or in order to travel.) My chance of dying from COVID-19 is around 0.05%. I would take it if it was required in order to, say, be able to do leisure travel, go to a sporting event, or the like.
I would consider taking it out of civic duty as part of a national campaign to eradicate the virus.
...or so many people may have been infected that we'll have that "herd immunity."
Like Influenza?
How's that working out for everyone? It works out real well for the 35,000 to 60,000 that die every year of Influenza.
If herd immunity is real, then why is there a Flu Season? There shouldn't be one and yet there is.
In fact, why does Influenza exist at all? If herd immunity was real, then Influenza should have died out decades ago.
Why is there no herd immunity for the common cold?
Herd immunity is a hypothesis, not a theory. It's not been proven and it has never been demonstrated to rise to the level of theory.
You'll never get a vaccine. Best case scenario is you get a corona shot, like the flu shot, that you'd have to take every year for the rest of your life, and which only protects 60% and will cause some people to get COVID-19 from the shot.
If you're really, really lucky, a corona shot just might be as effective as flu shot for H1N1, which is 72%. That's certainly better than 60%, but you'd still have to get one every year for the rest of your natural life.
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If you're really, really lucky, a corona shot just might be as effective as flu shot for H1N1, which is 72%. That's certainly better than 60%, but you'd still have to get one every year for the rest of your natural life.
I'm not sure that's correct.
My understanding of why "regular" flu vaccinations are not more effective is that they are produced before we know exactly which strains of the flu are coming.
In the case of Corona, the exact strain or strains are already known.
Pent up frustration. Once the pharmaceutical industry does develop an effective vaccine they’ll jack up the price to astronomical levels just like they do with every other life saving drug. The politicians and the corporate elites will have the resources to pay, the rest of the unwashed masses will just have to develop herd immunity.
To me, the "Game Changer" will not necessarily be a "preventative vaccine", but rather, an "effective treatment" that will minimize the effects of the virus. If, for instance, the odds of death or debilitating injury from Covid-19, could be greatly reduced from current (especially if almost no one would have to be intubated from it), the fear of getting it would be greatly reduced, and "herd immunity" could be established much earlier, there would be much less need for a preventative vaccine at that point.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if this horrible event resulted in the production of antiviral drugs that worked across the board to lessen the effect of ALL viral-borne diseases? Diseases like HIV, Ebola, Corona, Flu, even the common cold would be much less feared.
Hey, I can dream, right? By the way, I also want Oreos that taste exactly the same, but with only two calories each, and with all the antioxidants of broccoli.
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