What's 100% Effective? Vaccine Arguments

 Greetings,

One of the complaints about the COVID vaccines has been that they are not 100% effective and they are not 100% safe. Well, I hate to be the person to tell people, but there is nothing in this world which is 100% effective and 100% safe, yet the same people use a variety of these products everyday of their lives. Further some of these things which they use can be dangerous, just as they claim that the COVID vaccines can be. Hell, I am not even just going to focus on the COVID vaccine, let's open this to all vaccines, and many of us had these when we were children. You know those shots that prevented you from getting things such as measles, mumps, rubella, Hepatitis B, tetanus, diptheria, tuberculosis and many more.

Don't Know What's In It

Most people don't know what's in most of the things that they consume. Most people don't read the packaging, don't understand what the ingredients are, and don't care. This goes as much for food as it does for medication. Unless you are a specialist in pharmacology, I challenge you to name the composition of any drug that you take on a regular basis. Let's go even more simple than that, name all the constituent chemical components of panadol or aspirin. Yet people will quite happily take these off the shelf and take them without any question about what's in them. Further, most people give no regard to the fact that they can also be dangerous if not taken as directed. 

They Can Be Dangerous

Yes, so can scissors if they are used incorrectly, or a knife, or any sharp implement you find in your home. For that matter if we are confining things to a medical nature, to go back to good old panadol. If you take more than the prescribed amount in the prescribed period, panadol can kill you, and if it does not kill you it can leave you with permanent liver damage. Indeed, if you already have liver damage from some other reason, it is advised that you don't take the stuff because it can cause further liver damage. This is "just" panadol.

They're not 100% Effective

There is a long list of things which are not 100% effective that we still use, in fact there is nothing which is 100% effective. Ask anyone who has been amazed that they have gotten pregnant after using contraceptive protection. Neither the contraceptive pill nor condoms are 100% effective, yet they are used. Parachutes are not 100% effective, there is always the chance that they will fail, this is the reason that they now include an emergency parachute, and even that is not 100% effective. The flu vaccine is not 100% effective, in fact it is usually only 75% effective protecting against three out of four strains of the influenza virus, but some protection is better than none in my books. Notice how you need a "booster" for tetanus every 10 years or so? Do you know why? Same reason we need boosters for the COVID vaccine, to maintain its effectiveness over time.

Things are improving...

Over time scientists will become more familiar with the COVID-19 virus, and its different strains, and they will develop better and more effective ways of dealing with it, and more effective vaccines. We need to be patient and follow what they say. Mistakes will be made, and the initial attempts will be not as effective as later versions, however it is important that the support is there.

More importantly each of us has an important role to play in spreading the right information. Properly sourced information, information which can be backed by science, not conjecture, not some half-baked theory of some amateur, but by scientists. Getting a vaccine doesn't just protect you, it protects your family and friends, you are doing something for your loved ones, and their loved ones. It is for the greater good that you do it, not just yourself. Look at the bigger picture for a change, rather than just yourself.

Cheers,

Henry.