Medical science has come a long way since the 14th century but epidemiology is clearly no science.
700 years ago the best advice was to avoid the infected, wear a mask and burn the dead. During the early part of 2020 hopes rested on herd immunity being achieved. Advice on masks was ambiguous and contradictory. Social distancing was the new buzzword. Only the elderly were at risk. If older citizens were vaccinated and the younger people developed immunity through survivable infection then herd immunity could still be reached. Then the pharmaceutical community produced a dizzying range of vaccines and convinced the politicians that mass vaccinations were the way to go. Billions were poured into mass vaccination programs. But vaccinations seem to be addictive.
So we got our first shots (Astra Zeneca) in April 2021. Two shots were needed of this vaccine so we got our second shots in June 2021. We practiced social distancing. We avoided large gatherings. We wore our masks. We didn’t meet with friends and family. But herd immunity was not achieved. The virus was a step or two ahead and kept mutating. Mutating sufficiently to make any vaccine less effective. The Delta variant took over. A “booster” vaccination would do the trick said the epidemiologists. So we got our 3rd shots (Pfizer) in December 2021. ( I took my usual flu shot as well).
And now Omicron is here. None of the vaccines can prevent infection by the Omicron variant but apparently, they still do help in keeping the effects milder.
So we are waiting for shot number 4 – perhaps in March/April 2022?
And we can expect Numbers 5 and 6 later in 2022.
Yes, indeed! Vaccines do work. Three shots per year against Covid for the foreseeable future. And keep avoiding the infected and wear a mask as they did against the Black Death 700 years ago.
But don’t abandon healthy skepticism. Don’t put uncertain, speculative “science” on a pedestal. Don’t believe everything the medical pundits say and keep a large bucket of salt handy if you are listening to epidemiologists.
Tags: covid-19, Delta variant, Omicron variant
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