There is a infinite amount of information circulating about the COVID vaccines, most of it coming from government agencies, drug companies, or selectively chosen for you by social media algorithms. If you have read this blog at all, you know that I am a 30+ year type 1 diabetic and as a natural questioner, I tend not to trust any of the mass media information fully since the incentives for the organizations publishing, releasing, or promoting the information are questionable at best. This post will focus on why I have chosen not to get vaccinated... yet... and the reasons why everyone should disagree with mandated anything as part of a civil society.

This post is not about politics or questioning whether you or someone you love has or has not gotten vaccinated. If you have been vaccinated "good on ya." If you have not been vaccinated, "good on ya." Take all of your emotion and politics out of the conversation, and digest it as information.

Viral Origination

As of the date this post was published, there has not been any definite explanation about the origins of the novel coronavirus. The original media explanation was that it came from a bat at one of the open air markets in China's Wuhan Province. Have you heard much about that recently? I haven't... but also have not ruled it out. For me, the most logical explanation is that it came from the Wuhan lab. The only question is whether it was released intentionally or by accident. I tend to lean towards the accidental side... Even the CDC website contradicts itself by saying We do not know the exact source of the current outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but we know that it originally came from an animal, likely a bat. It then says that Based on the available information to date, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low. Since the CDC says that this "originally came from an animal, likely a bat" through whatever means (ingestion, the air, bat guano, etc.), how can they say that the risk of animal to human spread is low?

From the smart people at MIT, A year ago, the idea that the covid-19 pandemic could have been caused by a laboratory accident was denounced as a conspiracy theory by the world’s leading journals, scientists, and news organizations. But the origin of the virus that has killed millions remains a mystery, and the chance that it came from a lab has become the theory that cannot be put to rest. Many things are labeled a "conspiracy" before they become adopted reality.

As I was writing this post, a flurry of news stories were published questioning the current narrative about the viral origination.

CNN

Washington Post

NBC

Since this originated in China and the Chinese government is very capable of controlling information flow for its own purposes, I doubt we will ever truly know what, why, and how this virus came to be...

EUA (Emergency Use Authorization)

Since the start of COVID, I have learned some new terms. For example, the word "jab" has always been associated with a boxing move. Interestingly, “jab” originated in American underworld slang around the turn of the twentieth century, specifically meaning an injection of narcotics. When the various forms of vaccinations came out, I heard the word "jab" used a lot on BBC stories, etc. and now it made its way across the pond where it started.

I also learned a new acronym, EUA. Which stands for Emergency Use Authorization. The Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) authority allows FDA to help strengthen the nation’s public health protections against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats including infectious diseases, by facilitating the availability and use of medical countermeasures (MCMs) needed during public health emergencies. In Lehman's terms, it means that the FDA can chose to authorize something for use outside of its normal FDA parameters for testing and approval if they deem that providing an EUA will help to contain or control what they deem to be an adverse health event that could have an adverse impact on a large scale. It also means they can be a pusher for a drug that has not been fully vetted.

Here are a few examples of how an EUA is different than an FDA Approval:

The issuance of an EUA is not an FDA approval (licensure) of a vaccine.

On December 11, 2020, the FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. On December 18, 2020, the FDA issued an EUA for the use of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. And on February 27, 2021 the FDA issued an EUA for the use of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. The issuance of an EUA is different than an FDA approval (licensure) of a vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization (EUA).

Until a long term study is released by an independent 3rd party, there is not a sound way to show long term benefits and/or side effects of any of the currently available vaccines. The only way to get that is for time to pass and studies to be done.

Narratives and Conspiracies

Conspiracy Theories often start as fringe ideas until they become reality. I am very cautious when the US Federal Government, International Groups, and mass media outlets agree on anything. COVID, vaccines, and the surrounding narrative seem to be unanimous. So yes, I will also look at alternative media outlets to see what else is being investigated. Just like any good legal case, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

The current narrative of "take the vaccine because you need protect society" is false. For me, insulin is required for life and vaccine's are optional if the benefits out way the side effects (adverse reactions) for those that choose to get jabbed. To tell me that vaccines and insulin are at the same level of medical necessity for my individual health defies common sense.

Here are a few good examples of several alternative news stories that over the past few days, have gained more traction in the media:

‍My Common Sense

In the mid 1990's, my grandfather (Dr. Jim Thrailkill - a small town general practice physician for almost 50 years) began ordering the Flu Vaccine for the entire family. For many years there after, I received a yearly flu vaccine. Around the age of 32-35, I decided not to receive a flu vaccine. This was my own trial and error. Since then, I have chosen to go against my doctors recommendations and not receive a flu vaccine. To my knowledge, I have never had the flu. I cannot prove that my body is immune, but know that I have been around other people that had the flu. Since my body has behaved the same whether with or without, I choose to not get vaccinated against the flu since I am unsure whether it is needed for my individual health.

Healthcare needs and wants are very different. Every human needs food, water, shelter, physical activity, and love in order to live a heathy, prosperous life. In my opinion, what we choose to put into our body is the most important aspect of a healthy life and sets an individual up for success for everything else. If you eat a "heathy" diet, your body and mind performs better, you can be more successful in your work/business, you have more energy for physical activity, your emotional well being makes you more attractive as a partner, and you'll likely be more financially well off to acquire shelter whether that's a van down by the river or a micro-mansion.

If you have a medical condition, you may need to add items to the "human needs" list from above. As a type 1 diabetic, insulin is on my list. If I do not take insulin, my blood sugar will rise rather suddenly, and if insulin is not reintroduced into my body, death will occur sometime in the not to distant future. This is not debated politically because there is causation (definitive), which differs from correlation (not definitive, but probable). A large percentage of the worlds population, the media, governments, etc. are treating the COVID vaccines like insulin without proper causation. "If you do not take this, you will die" or "if you do not take this, you are going to kill someone else." There is NO causation for either of the previous "if you do not..." statements. There can be correlation; however, since we do not know and will not likely ever know the viral origination, causation may never be proven.

My Common Sense is that everyone should be empowered to make their own decision about whether or not to receive a vaccine. If you have received a vaccine and feel great, that is awesome! If you have not received a vaccine and feel great, that is awesome! If you have another variation, I would love to hear about it over coffee or a beer. I have not and do not currently see a medically necessary reason to receive any of the COVID vaccines since the death rate is so small for my demographic that the benefits do not likely out way the consequences or side effects. As new data is released, studies are published in journals (not from drug companies or govt entities), and I am able to talk to friends that are also diabetic and have received a vaccine, I may elect to change my decision on whether to receive a vaccine... but am not there yet...

If you want to have a constructive conversation about this or anything else, message me, and let's grab coffee or a beer.

Have a good one,

Dan