Ignore the Noise – Vaccines are Safe and Effective
Vaccines were in the news a lot last week and were centered around the confirmation hearings concerning President Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). The hearings were conducted by the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. There were many questions about Mr. Kennedy’s stance on vaccines, and all of the old controversies, myths, and theories once again were in the news. It seemed that vaccines have become intertwined with politics and our freedoms, and I thought it would be important that I take a shot at separating the political rhetoric from these lifesaving medicines. But, before I do, I want to make sure you understand what Seniors Speak Out focuses on and what we do not get involved in.
It’s not our goal to campaign for people running for office or being confirmed for cabinet positions. I try very hard to be apolitical. Whoever becomes the Secretary of HHS will be running a large organization that could have a huge effect on our lives. Whether that is Mr. Kennedy or someone else, it is something we can’t control and don’t want to. Our organization hopes to work with whoever holds decision-making positions in our government that impact seniors’ healthcare. We are extremely interested in the rules and regulations that the new HHS Secretary will initiate and how she/he implements the laws of the land. As you hopefully have seen, I’ve never used this blog to tell anyone who to vote for, only that you need to exercise your right to vote. I have tried to explain what impact proposed legislation, rules, regulations, and executive orders will have on our healthcare. I have encouraged you and will continue to encourage you, to tell the lawmakers who represent you how you feel about a certain issue. Hopefully, that gives you a sense of our focus.
Much of the media’s discussion last week centered on Mr. Kennedy’s past statements concerning the COVID-19 vaccines, whether they were safe, whether they should have been given to children, whether certain employers should have required them, and whether businesses and schools should have been forced to close. The media also asked questions about his stance on vaccines in general.
As you may have ascertained from my past blogs, I’m a big fan of the freedom of choice. What I am not a big fan of is mixing that right with the validity of vaccines. Whether we should be forced to wear a mask or are only allowed to do certain things if we have been vaccinated has nothing to do with how efficient and safe the COVID-19 vaccines were. You have the right to your own opinion about vaccines, as does Mr. Kennedy, and you have the right to tell your Senators whether they should vote for or against his confirmation. I do think it would be helpful to revisit the facts concerning the COVID-19 vaccines and then look at the impact that all our vaccines have had on our lives.
The COVID-19 vaccine was developed, tested, and distributed in about 11 months, a task that historically takes 5 to 10 years. Many were leery that a vaccine developed that fast would be safe, the manufacturers did the necessary trials, and the FDA granted an approval. The vaccine proved to not only be safe but exceeded everyone’s expectations of its effectiveness. It is estimated that in the United States, the vaccine, in the first two years, saved 3.2 million lives and prevented 18.5 million hospitalizations and 120 million infections. Worldwide there were 20 million lives saved. There is no doubt that it took a little leap of faith in the early days of the pandemic to believe that this quick development time would not result in some problems. It is now evident, using perfect 20/20 hindsight, that the vaccine, by any measure, was safe. There have continued to be articles about the perceived side effects of the vaccine, with some saying the risks outweighed the benefits. One of the more common side effects discussed was the acute inflammation of the brain and spine, and the media was quick to expand on this seemingly scary side effect. In a study published a year ago using the results of 99 million people who received the vaccine, the risk of serious side effects from the COVID-19 vaccines was evaluated. The co-author of this huge study, Anders Hviid, said,
“We are also talking about very rare events . . . As an example, the association between the first dose of Moderna and acute inflammation of the brain and spine would, if causal, correspond to 1 case per 1.75 million vaccinated. It is only due to the sheer scale of our study, that we have been able to identify this minute potential risk. “
We need to remember how safe and effective these vaccines were and are.
Two final things. First, the vaccine naysayers—during and after the pandemic—have negatively impacted the other life-altering and lifesaving vaccines we rely on. We need to again remember how important and effective these vaccines are. Second, the science behind the pandemic vaccines, the mRNA that essentially serves as a blueprint for protein synthesis, has shown great promise for treating other diseases. There may truly be a silver lining to the pandemic.
I may be preaching to the choir about the importance of vaccines, since older Americans are the biggest age group to take advantage of all the vaccines that keep us healthy, but the abundance of references to vaccines last week could be confusing. Hopefully, I’ve helped you not let the often-contentious political rhetoric of the day diminish the value and safety of vaccines.
Best, Thair