My personal experience and views. You are welcome to disagree but I will respect your views and I hope you will accord me the same respect. I dodged COVID for almost 3 years through the pre-vaccine phase of the pandemic, took 2 initial shots, took the 1 st booster (3rd shot) 6 months after my first round. Skipped the mRNA 2nd booster (4th shot) as it was clear that the same old mRNA vaccines targeted against spike proteins of the original Wuhan virus would not be effective due to so many virus mutations. I have been leading a fairly normal life without masks the last year+ with lots of travel etc. No issues, never tested positive for COVID in 3 years.Amber G. wrote:
Solid evidence that the bivalent booster elicits a strong and broadened neutralizing antibody immune response.. but less than 27% of Americans 65+, the have had it (poor uptake across all age groups).
IMO: They made a really good decision to update the vaccine (but science communicators didn't understand that)
But finally, I took my omicron specific 2nd booster (4th shot - all Pfizer) late September. Figured the new modified booster will help me avoid catching the mutated virus for a few more months. Lo and behold I tested positive this past weekend. Down hard with chills, fevers, bad throat, cough for 48 hours. With all the 4 doses of vaccine including one barely 8 weeks ago can hit a healthy, fit adult with NO other chronic conditions so hard then I wonder if the vaccines are effective at all ?! beyond a placebo. I am 52 so I had the Dr. call in the Paxlovid prescription. 2 doses of that anti-viral has made me feel better and the fever hasn't come back since i started on the anti-viral. So I believe the anti-viral is most effective than the vaccine.
Moral of the story - as much as we should trust science, we have to have a healthy dose of skepticism about the narrative from people that make, govern public health policy. I have always been against firing flight attendants, nurses, fire fighters, policemen etc that refused to take vaccines arguing they already had COVID and recovered and even if they didnt they took risks to serve people when the rest of the world shut down and played it safe. But the vaccines or bust dogmatic scientists and twitter mobs destroyed 1000's lives, families and put them out of jobs just for having an alternate view point. In hindsight the skeptics have been proven correct IMO i.e. among healthy adults natural immunity is probably the only defense but the vaccines may be a must for high risk/older population. Why fire and excommunciate, ostracize the people that risked their lives on the front lines where there were no vaccines ?
I respect science and scientists but I have lost all respect for the CDC and NIH (lead by Dr. Collins and Dr. Fauci who I think is retiring in a few weeks). The thing that has crossed my mind the last couple of days is - this person Dr. Fauci was in charge of deciding who to grant $billions in tax payer $s for R & D and there is no doubt in my mind that his funding of the Wuhan lab and Dr. Shi Zheng Li through Dr. Peter Dzacak and Eco health alliance resulted in the gain of function research that created this virus and destroyed millions of lives. And to think of the fact that he is getting away scot free while pontificating, posturing and BSing his way through the pandemic is infuriating !