First, I was really pleased that the kerfluffle I expected in the wake of last week’s Health Tip asking (no, begging) Dr. Joseph Mercola to stifle his anti-vax stance never materialized. He, of course, does have his disciples. Otherwise he wouldn’t be coining $110 million a year.
But a good number of our readers are done with his unscientific drivel and said so in comments. It’s worth noting that Mercola is a licensed osteopath and should know better.
My mentioning this is not meant to impugn the osteopathic profession. Just the opposite. The education a doctor of osteopathy (DO) receives and her scope of medical practice is essentially the same as an MD’s.
Nevertheless, osteopaths often feel they need to explain this to the general public. And thus after the Mercola piece I received a couple of emails from osteopaths who felt embarrassed by Mercola’s existence and wished he would just go away.
Enough about that. Anyone who succumbs to Covid because they followed the antivax advice from Mercola’s website (and many others) may be a simple example of Darwinian natural selection.
No, I take that back. That’s unkind.
Children hit by Covid Delta variant and still adults don’t vax
The current delta surge, with 99% of cases occurring in the unvaccinated, is hitting children especially hard. Totally innocent, the kids are unaware of the parental complicity in their illness.
In Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and Florida, among other states, pediatric ICUs are filling up. At the same time, Florida’s governor on Friday announced he plans to issue an executive order to stop schools from requiring face masks.
Neighboring states are loaning hospitals both extra staff and extra ventilators.
It seems that across the US almost half the country is not being vaccinated against an illness that can kill or leave you with a lifetime a symptoms, including chronic heart, lung, brain, and nerve problems.
Sunday’s New York Times has a lengthy article about just who chooses to remain unvaccinated and why they are doing so.
The authors divide the unvaccinated into two main groups, the Undecided and the Never. Most of the undecided are “waiting to see how COVID pans out” or “waiting for full FDA approval” or “watching for the long-term effects of vaccines on others.”
The Never group are a different breed altogether. Statistically less educated than the first group, there’s a literal disbelief in the virus itself (“a hoax”), bizarre theories about the vaccines (“microchips,” “DNA shifts”), a bit of magical thinking (“I won’t get Covid”), or simply a lifetime of being uninvolved with anyone other than their family, church, and a few neighbors.
In case you missed this story, the lede says (almost) everything:
A Tennessee lawmaker who battled Covid-19 for nearly eight months is encouraging the public to “consider getting vaccinated.”
After 55 days on a ventilator Republican Rep. David Byrd’s liver began to fail. He was lucky enough to receive a transplant in June. This after downplaying the seriousness of Covid in 2020.
Unvaxxed patients talk to me
About a quarter of the patients I see every day have chosen to remain unvaccinated. Of course when an unvaccinated patient comes in, both of us wear a mask. The person sitting across from me might be a carrier soon to develop symptoms. Unfortunately, according to recent data from the CDC, the same could apply to me, but the odds are 1/100th of hers.
After we review the reasons for making the appointment, I say, “Do you mind my asking why you’ve chosen not to get vaccinated?”
And for me, here’s the best part. There’s never been a single moment where what I wanted to do was slap my forehead and shout “That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.” Not once. No, quite the opposite—these are legitimate concerns.
Read this list of the type of responses I hear:
- “I’m really concerned about side effects. I’m very sensitive to meds. I’ve been wiped out by flu shots.”
- “My friend was laid up for two weeks after his Covid shot.”
- “I’ve got (names her own chronic illness) and worry that the shot night cause a flare-up.”
- “I don’t like the way this whole thing is being rushed.”
- “I just don’t believe I need it. I’m one of these fortunate people who never gets sick.”
- “I’m not saying I’ll never get the shot. I’m just waiting until I see if it’s completely safe.”
In response, I first try to address the specific fear, pointing out that, fortunately, serious side effects from the jab are very rare considering the tens of millions of doses that have been administered. And that as a group vaccines are among our safest medicines (far safer than, for example, antibiotics) despite the lies of the antivaxxers.
Most important, we could rid the world of Covid altogether if enough of us get immunized against it, but it will take 90% for us to reach herd immunity. I believe that issuing vaccine passports for travel, concerts, and other activities are positive steps in this direction.
When I was a kid, there were 50,000 cases of polio a year, leaving some of my playmates paralyzed for life. In 1954, Dr. Jonas Salk administered the first polio vaccine, “The shot heard around the world.”
Polio vanished. Smallpox has vanished.
Covid could vanish too.
Be well,
David Edelberg, MD
One cannot reach so-called “herd immunity” from #mRNA or DNA injections. It is scientifically impossible as these injections provide instructions to the body to create the very spike-protein that is considered toxic and is on the surface of the “virus.” They do not stop infection or transmission, they only reduce a symptom. If one goes to the actual Moderna and Pfizer EUA studies they will see that the “endpoint” for the study was not to prevent hospitalization or stop infection. There were only two “endpoints” (1) one less positive PCR test (2) one less symtpom (e.g. fever, cough, etc.). That’s it. Please do not believe me, look into it yourself. It is time that people investigate this on their own, similar to how they investigate a new car seat for an infant or a new iPhone for purchase. People have the ability to judge and reason, and it doesn’t take much science knowledge to read a learned-journal article.
Additionally, the USA data is in stark contrast with the UK and Israel data. The reporting methodologies are different. Makes you question the CDC data. In the UK and Israel, two of the most injected countries in the world, they are reporting that many injected people are in hospitals and dying. In the UK 63% of those deaths are in the injected. How could there be such a strong difference between USA reporting and UK reporting? Let’s investigate together as humanity and see what is going on. Link here–> https://theconversation.com/most-covid-deaths-in-england-now-are-in-the-vaccinated-heres-why-that-shouldnt-alarm-you-163671
All the best,
John
John Elligott
Two weeks ago my friends held a vaccinated only party. Proof of vaccination was required upon entry. Though the event was held indoors, people beloved they were safe because they didn’t allow any unvaccinated people. Within a few days over 100 of the 150 people in attendance had come down with active symptoms and tested positive for Covid. I have heard similar reports from others around the country. Given these real world experiences, how is the message continuing that only 1% of Covid cases are in the vaccinated?
LB Barrack
I was done with Mercola near the beginning of this covid virus when he revealed that he was an anti-masker! I was appalled that a doctor could be so ignorant and I decided then and there that he was most likely wrong about a lot of other things too. I don’t read anything he published anymore. He definitely has his own agenda and its not about looking after what’s best for you and me!
JoAn
you did not address the concern about the “flare up” this is why I have remained unvaccinated I had terrible fibromyalgia for years it ruined my life I was cured with magnesium and exercise and menapuase! I would like to know if anyone at all who got the vaccine has return symptoms of this horrific disease??? Or will they be mocked and suffer in silence and ignorant people say “its not a real disease anyway” 🙁
T
Just curious – Any idea what the cost of 55 days on a ventilator and a liver transplant for Republican Rep. David Byrd might be? Does the insurance company pay for that or we the tax payers? Was he lucky to obtain a liver transplant without using any special privileges? And I hope he didn’t pass on the virus to others prior to his arriving at the hospital and especially any hospital personal while requiring their care.
Joy Malnar
I’ve had Covid 12/2019 and was a long hauler for 16 months. Developed POTS from COVID-19. The worst 16 months of my 58 years of life. The vaccine erased all my symptoms and I no longer have POTS or the psychosis caused from the virus. My husband and three adult children had the vaccine to keep me safe. It would be nice if everyone thought to keep the most fragile people safe.I still wear a mask in public to protect the unvaccinated.
Dawn Barajas
I just happened to click on this article as it arrived in my email inbox. I guess I’m at a loss for words. What a propagative push from this doctor. Just as he’s discovered headlines on COVID hitting children hard, and that some people are facing difficult recoveries well… Vaccinated people in the UK are being hospitalized at the same rate as the unvaccinated. Women in my pregnancy charting group (showing BBT) are clearly and visually (through their chart) missing their periods for months after getting the shot. I’m not saying that either way is the best route (vaccinate or not), but the pushiness of this article without weighing arguments from both sides, nor looking deeper into the bio individuality of each person to determine the best route is scary. I would never see this doctor.
Kerstin