So death is the only metric? Long COVID isn't a metric? Just missing two weeks of work isn't a metric? Because we don't get flu vaccines because we're worried about dying from the flu, we get them because we want to avoid getting the flu and avoid the worst symptoms if we do. And that's even true of other vaccines. The polio vaccine wasn't about stopping death, it was about stopping the crippling effects of polio. Sort of similar to the crippling effects of COVID.

[–] Shake747@lemmy.dbzer0.com -3 points 2 years ago

The worst symptoms are death. I see your point about extending the metrics, and maybe I should consider more than just dying, but I think it's a strong factor in why this whole thing seems over blown in the way mandates and restrictions came.

For polio, it was about stopping death, paralysis is a death sentence in most places in the world.

[–] Shake747@lemmy.dbzer0.com -2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Especially if we're going to use a tech in a vaccine that we've never used on large amounts of people before

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Ok, so you have no problem with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine that was not based on mRNA, right?

[–] Shake747@lemmy.dbzer0.com -3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Lol you mean the one they took off of the shelves because of blood clots? From a lack of testing?

I said "especially with new tech". Still need to test the waters with the old one clearly.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You mean the handful of blood clots vs. the millions successfully vaccinated?

Please name a vaccine with zero side effects.

[–] Shake747@lemmy.dbzer0.com -2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

There obviously isn't one, that's part of weighing the risks - which we didn't have enough time or data to do for covid and it's vaccines. Part of the whole informed consent thing.

Thankfully we can all now choose, and see better data

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/natural-immunity-protective-covid-vaccine-severe-illness-rcna71027

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (2 children)

You know you have to get COVID to have natural immunity, right? So what should we do, have COVID parties like parents used to have chicken pox parties for their kids?

[–] Shake747@lemmy.dbzer0.com -2 points 2 years ago

You're going to get covid. Vaccine or not.

Get the vaccine if you're elderly or have underlying risks, otherwise doing 3 shots a year to stay up to date doesn't look very beneficial anymore.

We didn't know how ineffective the vaccine was in the beginning, but our leaders still said things like "This will protect you. Fully. Everyone needs to have it". I'll provide links if you didn't see any of that going on.

It was a lot more political than it was scientific, which is a huge red flag.