Are you getting vaccinated?

You should get vaccinated, you old man, a young friend said. 

 Why did you get vaccinated, I said. 

 Out of solidarity, he said. 

 But what did you get vaccinated against, I said. 

 Against COVID-19 of course, he said.  

There are probably many who get themselves vaccinated "against COVID-19" out of solidarity. You trust the authorities who call for solidarity. 

If you do not want to trust the authorities blindly but want to decide on the vaccines yourself, it is difficult to find out enough facts about either COVID-19 and or the vaccines. 

Information is inconsistent. But we may still ask ourselves some questions. 

 1. Is there any point in getting vaccinated so far after the outbreak? Vaccine sounds like something that is taken for preventive purposes. 

 2. COVID-19 is not the term for a well-defined disease but for a multi-component syndrome. Is it possible to be vaccinated against a syndrome? It is SARS CoV2 that you are vaccinated against. https://justidag.info/en/covid-updates/covid-19-is-not-an-illness/

3. SARS CoV2 is the sole cause of COVID-19 in only 6 percent of cases. So the vaccine should mainly provide protection against some of the diseases that go by the name COVID-19. https://justidag.info/en/covid-updates/what-are-the-causes-of-death-in-the-pandemic/

4. Of those infected, only 1.4 percent die in Sweden - a lower percentage in some countries and a higher one in others - and thus about 0.08 percent (1.4 percent of 6 percent) of all infected people die from the virus itself. It is mainly these deaths that the vaccine can protect against. (Death statistics 14 May 2021 - https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality )Is it worth getting vaccinated for this insignificant risk? 

 5. It is unclear how much the vaccines protect even in cases where SARS CoV2 is thought to be the sole cause. That is, what percentage of those who get vaccinated become immune to SARS CoV2? The information varies depending on source. Of course, nobody knows yet. One example: “Singapore health officials said that of 28 airport workers who became infected, 19 were fully vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, the only two approved for use in Singapore.” NYT 14 May 2021

6. It is unclear how long the vaccine protects those it protects, i.e., how long the immunity lasts. The information varies depending on source. Of course nobody knows yet. 

 7. It is unclear whether the vaccine protects against the new mutations that have already occurred. And what about future mutations? 

8. It is unclear which vaccine is best. There are several hundred under development. https://justidag.info/en/covid-updates/observations-regarding-covid-19-vaccines/ The authorities say you should not choose! But it is not just a question of different brands as with many other products that we consumers have to choose from, but also completely different ways of working and completely different risks. Not all vaccines can be equally good, can they?

9. Now some authorities say that we have to start vaccinating children and that you have to take additional rounds of the "vaccine" regularly, perhaps annually or more often. Against which virus? A future mutation of SARS CoV2? Against the same virus? Against new mutations? Against new viruses? Or against the syndrome COVID-19 or a new future syndrome, COVID-22?

10. No vaccines available today are evaluated but are injected according to exceptional disaster laws. The permit is given as an emergency measure. Emergency use authorization. https://www.fda.gov/media/144412/download The minimum requirement for obtaining a permit for an emergency measure is "that the known and potential benefits outweigh the known potential risks". https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/what-is-emergency-use-authorization.html This is repeated as a mantra by all authorities - that the benefits outweigh the risks. But do we really know either? 

11. In spite of more than a year of constant international scare mongering in media, many people still choose not to get vaccinated. The authorities are now putting extra effort into propaganda. The same horror stories this spring 2021 as last spring 2020, but with other thematic - long-term COVID, COVID for children, new mutations, new symptoms, and not least other countries, such as India.  https://justidag.info/en/covid-updates/new-horror-stories-are-created/ -  COVID-19 registered deaths in India have risen slightly but are still at a low level, 18 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants compared to Sweden's 135 and Britain's 191. India has a mortality rate of only 1.1 percent of all infected while Sweden has 1.5 and the UK 2.9. What is true, however, is that many people die in India because of the high population of the country which gives good headlines.  

12. Since the fear mongering does not seem to work well enough, the authorities also hand out all sorts of favors and rewards for those who get vaccinated and threaten that those who do not get vaccinated will be punished by the others receiving the benefit of a vaccination pass. 

In the United States, those who get vaccinated are offered cash rewards, free drinks and tickets to sporting events. In Ohio, there will even be a chance to earn millions for those who agree to take the jab. 

“As demand for the coronavirus vaccine plummets across his state, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is dangling attractive incentives to convince Ohioans to get vaccinated: $1 million prizes and full-ride scholarships to public colleges. DeWine announced in a Wednesday statewide televised address that five vaccinated adults would be chosen at random to each receive a $1 million prize as part of the “Ohio Vax-a-Million” lottery. Drawings for the winners, conducted by the Ohio Lottery, will be held over five consecutive Wednesdays starting May 26, DeWine said. Only Ohio residents who are at least 18 years of age and have been vaccinated before the drawings will be eligible to win. “The pool of names for the drawing will be derived from the Ohio secretary of state’s publicly available voter registration database,” the governor said, adding that a webpage would be made available for people who are not on the database to sign up for the lottery... 

…DeWine said a separate incentive would be made available to Ohio children who are vaccinated. Starting on May 18, vaccinated 12- to 17-year-olds will be able to put their names down via an electronic portal for a chance to win four-year scholarships that will cover tuition, room and board, and books at any of Ohio’s public universities, DeWine said. The state will give out five scholarships in all. The first will be awarded on May 26.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ohio-vaccine-lottery-scholarships_n_609c5b96e4b014bd0ca753aa

There are other benefits as well: “Some states, including Michigan, Kentucky and Oregon, promise that fully vaccinated people can go out without a mask. But the mask mandate is still in effect for New York, New Jersey and California.” New York Times, May 15, 2021.

13.  A reason why the fear mongering does not work as well as it used to is that fatalities in COVID-19 are steadily declining. This is mainly because many doctors have learned to use the medicines that work best and no longer believe the mantra from authorities that “there are no medicines for COVID-19”.

When I was vaccinated as a child, it was once and for all. Now it seems to become a recurring need.

These are some of my reasons for not taking the jab. In addition, I have found out which drugs cure COVID-19 and also learned preventive measures for strengthening the immune system against COVID-19. 

I'm therefore not afraid of COVID-19.