But many more people were kept alive by the covid vaccine than died, despite anti-vaxxers claiming that many people have suffered harmful after-effects.
Personally I've never suffered any serious after-effects from vaccines, and I've had loads of vaccinations in my 77 years on the planet - flu, shingles, tetanus, covid, and all the childhood vaccinations for things like measles, mumps and rubella.
But I know of people who've developed long covid, which is about two million people in the UK. Fit and healthy people have suddenly become bed-ridden and their lives have been drastically curtailed.
Long covid doesn't follow vaccination though, it only follows an acute covid infection. In fact a covid vaccination tends to limit a covid illness and prevent long covid. So refusing to have a vaccination is irrational.
Of course you can say that if I myself had developed long covid I wouldn't be so enthusiastic about vaccinations. Maybe so, but all I can say is that I was vaccinated and luckily I had only very minor after-effects.
Objecting to vaccinations seems like throwing out the baby with the bath water.
Bit puzzled by this post. The people I know who have got Long Covid developed it AFTER they had had "actual" Covid, and not after they'd been vaccinated. There is some thinking around that conditions like Long Covid and ME may be related, and it sounds pretty complicated, way above my pay grade to understand, anyway!
ReplyDeleteWhat is ME?
DeleteJenny: It looks as if I misunderstood. I gather there's a link between getting acute covid and then getting long covid. So a covid vaccination could actually prevent long covid.
DeleteJenny: I've rewritten the post to correct my misunderstanding.
DeleteUnfortunately, I think the Covid vaccine is where the vaccination program went downhill. It was pushed through quickly and we were told that it would prevent infection, which was completely untrue. They then backpedaled and said it would prevent serious complications, but it really only hurt those with preexisting conditions to begin with. I had 3 jabs and have had Covid twice and can assume I will keep getting Covid, much like the common cold. Even my doctor said there was no point in getting the booster shots yearly.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: ME is myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. I was never told that a vaccination would prevent infection, only that it was protective.
DeleteRejection of vaccines is natural selection in action.
ReplyDeleteInfidel: I assume you mean that those who have been vaccinated are more likely to survive than those who haven't?
DeleteYes, exactly. There are diseases which have almost vanished now which routinely killed millions of people before vaccination against them became widespread. Vaccination makes a huge difference in favor of survival, not just a marginal one. Rejecting such protection when it's easily available, or believing the nonsense about vaccines posing dangers comparable to the diseases they protect against, means flunking an IQ test and, very likely, suffering the consequences.
DeleteInfidel: Sheer stupidity at work here, plus naively believing internet rubbish.
DeleteI had no reaction to the Covid vaccination at all, not even a sore arm. I've had all of my vaccinations since I was a kid. I made sure my daughter got all of hers too. So many people aren't getting their kids their childhood vaccinations and that's why pockets of measles, mumps and chicken pox end up popping up. It's terrible.
ReplyDeleteMary: Not getting your kids' vaccinations is quite irresponsible. An estimated 107,500 people, mostly children younger than 5 years of age, died globally due to measles in 2023.
DeleteI had one day of not feeling well after the first covid shot. After that, no problems. It's beyond my understanding how so many people don't listen to science. Their neighbor, their preacher, some guy on tv or radio knows more.
ReplyDeleteSandra: Why are people ready to believe some stranger talking nonsense rather than a health expert who actually knows the facts?
DeleteBecause they've adopted an attitude of resentful disdain toward higher education and expertise, and prefer to listen to people they consider "relatable", especially if the latter are legitimized by religion. I don't know about the UK, but in the US this is a widespread attitude in the less-educated parts of the country. It's a form of stupidity, but a very specific form.
DeleteInfidel: Distrust of experts isn't a common attitude in the UK, it's more that people want the experts to get off their bums and sort out the economy and public services.
DeleteWell, it WAS an academic and physician (Andrew Wakefield) who started all the anti-vax nonsense in the ‘90’s.
DeleteBijoux: Yes, I've read all about Andrew Wakefield. For a physician to spout such nonsense is outrageous.
DeleteMy husband's disease meant that he could not take vaccines of any sort...as his specialist made clear. I was told not to have the Covid vaccines due to the risk of 'shedding' immediately afterwards which risked provoking an attack in my husband.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I would not have taken those vaccines in any case...dodgy trials and rapid production did not seem to me to ensure their safety.
Fly: I think in general covid vaccinations have only produced very minor after-effects like headaches and tiredness. But obviously in your case you didn't want to jeopardise your husband's health.
DeleteHad I not had that worry I still would not have taken the Covid vaccines. Those we had as children had been properly trialed...clearly these had not.
DeleteFly: You think the same as Kylie, that the covid vaccine wasn't properly trialed. I don't have the knowledge to make a judgment one way or the other.
DeleteI think many people became a bit apprehensive on vaccines after Covid. My understanding is a vaccine is a substance introduced into someone’s body to prevent them from getting a specific disease. Even with the vaccine, many still get it. I always go on the advice of my physician.
ReplyDeletePaula: Since the covid vaccine has saved many thousands of lives, it's a bit irrational to suddenly be apprehensive about vaccines.
DeleteAgreed. The polio vaccine is a great example of what vaccines are for, to prevent the disease. I just am able to understand why some people weren't sold on the Covid shot. Most people I know certainly believe in the vaccinations, just not the Covid shot.
DeletePaula: I still don't understand why so many people are sceptical about the covid vaccine. I guess some of them are surprised how quickly the vaccine was developed, and think it can't have been tested properly.
DeleteI have every faith in vaccines, and mostly take them. Recently I had a respiratory infection, and one of the anti-vaxxer residents told me I got it from the Covid shot. I let it go. Then she got the current norovirus (my diagnosis) and then her companion got it and now has pneumonia. He's ninety something and frail. Also, no pneumonia vaccination. Glad I believe in the shots.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: A good example of the risks you take by NOT being vaccinated. And the covid vaccine won't give you a respiratory infection.
DeleteMy doctor recommends annual flu shots and all the covid vaccines so I have them all. I still got Covid once but it was mostly like having a bad head cold. Dave's sister got Covid which turned into long covid but her primary symptom was loss of smell and taste for months. We were both in our 70s but did not get seriously ill.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Linda: Sorry to hear about the long covid. The British government pays little attention to long covid, even though it affects so many people.
DeleteToo young to be offered the flu or Covid jabs at the moment.
ReplyDeleteWow, I am TOO YOUNG for something!!! How thrilling.
Anyhow - my issue is with the pillock who stabbed me in the wrong place with the needle, told me my arm was too thin, and gave me a frozen shoulder. Grrr.
Sx
Ms Scarlet: A frozen shoulder is a big nuisance. Did you recover from it okay?
DeleteAfter about 18 months of agony it did indeed thaw, thank goodness.
DeleteSx
Ms Scarlet: You must have been mightily relieved when it finally went away.
DeleteNick, long covid is in general the result of covid. Saïd and I are for vaccines and we know how vaccines can save life.We saw so many persons die in our work all over the world . Here in Germany we .have a quite big number of parents refusing to give the jab (not covid , but for children illness) for their children when they go to the kindergarden or school, for me an egoistic behaviour because some children cannot be vaccinated for health problems. Without the covid vaccin the number of death people would have been much higher.Of course some persons may react to the jab in not a normal way, but this is the same for a lot of other things. People are smokng and drinking and seem not to be aware that maybe they can die of cancer. And you can still buy tobacco and alcohol everywhere. And for us older people it is always better to get the jab against flu , pneumonia and other troubles.My post is not very clear , but I know you will understand
ReplyDeleteHannah
Hannah: Yes, refusing to give your child vaccinations is utterly irresponsible. As you say, consider the children who can't be vaccinated but can catch an infection from unvaccinated children. Indeed, people are oblivious to the health risks of things like alcohol and cigarettes and carry on regardless as if they're immortal.
DeleteNick, you're kidding yourself. You're too old to have had measles, mumps and rubella vaxes.
ReplyDeleteI had the mandatory covid jabs because I wasn't employable without them but make no mistake, I did not and will never believe they were properly tested for safety or efficacy.
Covid is a corona virus and nobody has ever succeeded in making a vax for the most common corona virus, the common cold. Many other diseases have never been vaccine preventable even after decades of trying. If you're not suspicious of a vax that was developed in under a year, you'd believe anything
Kylie: I couldn't vouch for those particular infections but I certainly had a lot of childhood vaccinations. Clearly you know more about vaccines and viruses than I do. But I do believe a vaccine can be developed to an accelerated timescale as many of those involved insisted that the speed-up was possible for a number of reasons.
DeleteKylie, you're for sure the typical ant-vaxxer and the way you respond to Nick is not very polite.It was perfect that we have the covid vaccination.By the way we cannot test the safety of life too.I know that vaccines saved many many lifes.
DeleteHannah
Hannah: Thank you for that. If the covid vaccine was really dangerous, surely the government would have banned it because their reputation would be ruined by all the casualties?
DeleteKylie's an old friend of mine by the way (I've met her a couple of times) so she doesn't have to be polite!
Haha thanks for calling me an old friend, Nick. I probably was less than polite but I think we have known each other long enough to speak directly
DeleteKylie: Yes indeed.
DeleteOk Nick, sorry but I'm always a bit irritated when a person starts to be harsh. Of course if she is a friend this is different.
ReplyDeleteShe can of course defend her opinion it's the way she did it .
Hannah
Hannah: No worries, you're entitled to your opinion too.
DeleteHannah you jumped to judge me. I am not anti vax, I just think the covid vaccine was rushed and I didn't mention any other vaccine.
DeleteYou're also talking about me in my presence
Kylie, I'm sorry and apologize. I was to quick in my reaction about your comment.
DeleteHannah
And the likely happenings regarding vaccinations in the US are particularly scary.
ReplyDeleteOh and I have every vaccination they offer me!
ReplyDeleteLiz: Yes, there's going to be a lot more illness in the USA if there's a general anti-vaxx consensus.
Delete