Hi friends and family,
This is in response to a friend of mine who I have now “unfriended” on Facebook for spreading false information about the Covid-19 vaccine (My opinion; not Facebook). The person is a Hospice Nurse and contracted Covid-19 last year. She claims that her doctor says she does not need the vaccine because, since her infection, she now has the antibodies.
She states that the reason she doesn’t want to vaccinate is that she doesn’t think the scientists did enough research to claim the vaccine is safe. I think she needs to read a little bit more about something as important as this, stay away from watching OAN and Fox News and get a reality check.
What really bothers her is that she may be singled out as “an anti-vaxxer” when she wears a mask in public while others who are vaccinated don’t need to wear a mask. I agree that this could be a real problem and lead to widespread discrimination against persons who legitimately cannot take the vaccine because of health concerns. That is a problem we have yet to identify and find a solution to. I myself will feel admiration for those who continue to care for their health and the health of others while at the same time wondering if they really have a legitimate reason for not getting the vaccination.
I believe there are many people who believe they have those health concerns and haven’t asked their doctor to weigh their health fears against the chance of contracting a disease that could kill them or feeling some short-term discomfort. Are they actually afraid to ask their doctor that question because they know in their heart their fears are unfounded? If you are one of those persons who believe you have a reason for not taking the vaccine, you need to ask your doctor who should be knowledgeable about the vaccine side-effects and is able to help weigh the benefits of vaxxing’ or not.
I was disappointed to read my friends post as this person is as dedicated a nurse as I have ever met. She is one of those heroes who stayed working her essential job while others stayed home. I have always admired her and can’t help feeling that she is making a mistake. And . . . she should refrain from giving advice to others who may be concerned about taking the Covid-19 vaccine.
Here is an article that I believe shows some clarity to the question many people are asking.
Thanks for reading. Please, please, stay safe. Wear a mask when appropriate. Don’t take any chances with your health and life and above all, the health and lives of your friends and loved ones. Please be smart about when to wear a mask or not and GET THE COVID-19 VACCINE OR SPEAK TO YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU BELIEVE YOU SHOULDN’T FOR HEALTH REASONS . . .
Love to all,
David T
p.s. Comments are very welcome. You can comment at the end of this article.
When Should You Get Vaccinated if You’ve Had COVID-19? – Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic
Saturday, May 15, 2021
7:58 AM
Clipped from: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/when-should-you-get-vaccinated-if-youve-had-covid-19/
Maybe you’ve been through the fever, coughing, and other symptoms of COVID-19 and successfully fought them off. Or maybe you tested positive for COVID-19 but were asymptomatic. Regardless, if you’ve already had coronavirus, you may think you don’t need to be vaccinated for it. After all, your body now has built-up antibodies against the virus, so you’re good, right?
Infectious disease expert Kristen Englund, MD says this notion couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Even though you’ve had COVID-19, it’s still very important for you to get the vaccine,” Dr. Englund says. “We know that a small number of people can get covid-19 a second time.”
She says even if you haven’t had COVID-19 a second time, it’s important you rev up your immune system in case you do see it again. And the vaccine will help you do that.
Aren’t antibodies enough to protect me?
If you’ve already had COVID-19, aren’t the antibodies your body built up to fight the virus enough to protect you in the future?
“We don’t know how long your immunity will last after you’ve had a natural COVID-19 infection,” says Dr. Englund.
She says recent research focused on how long immunity lasts after having COVID-19 is unclear, and scientists believe it could be up to eight months. But, she clarifies: “The study to determine that information included only 200 patients, so there’s not a whole lot of data yet. And the best way to ensure you’re protected is to get vaccinated.”
Dr. Englund notes that for those who’ve had COVID-19 and have long haul symptoms (also called “long hauler syndrome”), getting the vaccine seems to help them finally recover from those lasting symptoms.
“If you have long COVID-19 at this point in time, please consider getting the vaccine,” Dr. Englund urges. “It is not going to make you worse — and there’s a small chance that it might actually make you feel better.”
How long should you wait to be vaccinated if you’ve had COVID-19?
“The time frame that we recommend for being vaccinated after having a COVID-19 infection is as soon as you’re out of quarantine,” says Dr. Englund.
There is one caveat, however.
If you’ve received monoclonal antibodies, you must wait 90 days after recovering from COVID-19 to receive the vaccine. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), monoclonal antibodies are proteins made in a laboratory that mimic your body’s immune response. Dr. Englund says some people might not need to be hospitalized for COVID-19, but might receive these antibodies from their doctor as an infusion treatment to help fight the virus.
“If you’ve had that monoclonal antibody, it is going to keep you from being able to develop a nice, robust response to the vaccine. So that’s why we have to wait for 90 days until that monoclonal antibody has gotten out of your system.”
What are the chances of being reinfected with COVID-19 if you don’t get vaccinated?
If you’ve had COVID-19, what’s the likelihood that you could contract the virus a second time if you don’t get vaccinated against it?
“We’re not seeing very many secondary infections,” says Dr. Englund. But she says it’s also relatively early on in the pandemic. Scientists are still learning about coronavirus, and if you’ve had the virus and aren’t vaccinated, it’s unclear how long it will take before you can be reinfected with COVID-19.
“It’s much better to get yourself vaccinated. Then you don’t have to worry moving forward until we learn more about whether we need booster shots or not,” Dr. Englund clarifies.
Can you still pass the virus to others even if you’ve been vaccinated?
Researchers are currently studying whether someone who’s been vaccinated can carry the virus and pass it on to others.
“It’s looking like the vaccine actually cuts down on the transmissibility of the virus. So if you’ve been vaccinated, there’s much less likelihood that you’re going to get exposed to the virus and be able to pass it on to others.”
She clarifies that some of the early data has not been peer reviewed yet, although it has been published. So researchers are still finalizing this information. But she says early research indicates that being vaccinated for COVID-19 can make you 90% less likely to have an asymptomatic infection and transmit the virus to those around you.
“It looks like the vaccine truly is not only protecting you, but it is protecting those around you.”
I love reading your blogs David, have followed you for a long time. There are many that feel as this nurse does. I think the point was that she does not feel there should be mask mandates for those that chose not to get the vaccine for whatever reason. It does label people in a classification, and there are going to problems. Arguments, segregating people. It just becomes ludicrous.It needs to stop. So wear a mask if you want to and stay away from people if you are not comfortable.
Get the vaccine if you choose, don’t get the vaccine if you choose. Everyone’s entitled to their perspective.
I like the way you think, Sarah. Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I agree there will be problems with this transition.