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Why I Decided to Get Vaccinated

(Refuting Covid Antivaxxers)

Part Three

By Gary F. Zeolla

This four-part article is continued from Why I Decided to Get Vaccinated (Refuting Covid Antivaxxers) Part Two.

AstraZeneca Vaccine

      Many stories of negative side effects from the Coronavirus (CV) vaccines you might hear are not about the three vaccines in use here in the USA (Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J). They are actually stories coming out of Europe in regard to the AstraZeneca vaccine. And it is true that vaccine seems to have greater side effects than the ones being used here. That is especially the case in regard to blood clots, with the AstraZeneca vaccine apparently having a greater risk in that regard than the J&J vaccine.

      But that is the very reason why the AstraZeneca vaccine is not approved for use here in the USA and why many European countries have rescinded their approval for its use. That lack of approval here and rescinding of approval over there demonstrate that our and their health regulatory agencies are careful about what they approve and do not approve.

      At least a dozen countries including Germany, France, Italy and Spain have now temporarily suspended their use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine after reports last week [of 3/15/21] that some people in Denmark and Norway who got a dose developed blood clots, even though there’s no evidence that the shot was responsible.

      The European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization say the data available don’t suggest the vaccine caused the clots and that people should continue to be immunized (AP. Explainer).

      In time, the AstraZeneca vaccine might be approved here, if it is shown these adverse events were not caused by the vaccine. That again takes us back to the difference between correlation and causation, and the FDA is carefully considering that question before giving its approval to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

      AstraZeneca is expected to apply in the next few weeks [from 3/22/21] for emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine in the US, and if and when it does, advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will likely have questions.

      Lots of questions.

      In interviews with CNN, several vaccine advisers to the US government did not cast doubt as to whether AstraZeneca’s vaccine would ultimately gain emergency use authorization from the FDA. They did, however, say the company’s application will likely bring up issues that didn’t arise when the three Covid-19 vaccines currently used in the United States -- made by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson -- were considered for their own emergency use authorizations.

      “It’s clear more questions have been raised about the AstraZeneca vaccine than about any of the other vaccines which are now authorized in the US,” said Dr. Arnold Monto, acting chair of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which reviews vaccine applications and advises the FDA on whether they should be authorized (CNN. FDA).

      The preceding quote is from an article written on March 22, 2021. Later, on April 7, 2021, the following happened:

          Europe’s drug regulator on Wednesday found a possible link between AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine and rare blood clots in adults who had received the inoculation.

      The announcement is a fresh setback for the vaccine, which is sold at cost, for a few dollars a dose, and is by far the cheapest and most high-volume launched so far (Reuters. EU).

      Given this development, I doubt the AstraZeneca vaccine will be given emergency use authorization here in the USA. And besides, we really do not need it, as we have more than enough vaccines with the three that are currently in use here.

Emergency Use Authorization

      Covid antivaxxers will seize of the phrase “emergency use authorization” (EUA) seen in the preceding CNN block quote. They will harp on the fact that the three vaccines in use in the USA only have such, not full FDA approval. Covid antivaxxers thus dub the vaccines “experimental drugs.” But that is a misleading designation.

      The “experimental” period occurred during the months of trials on tens of thousands of participants for each vaccine. Each vaccine received the EUA after that extensive testing showed each vaccine was safe and had great efficacy.

      The FDA can give emergency authorization for medical products to address a public health crisis, in this case the pandemic, as long as the benefits outweigh the risks. In order to receive an approval for emergency use, vaccine manufacturers are required to conduct clinical trials on tens of thousands of people, submitting follow-up data for review (AP. Video).

      The Food and Drug Administration’s quick review and approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has nothing to do with its safety and effectiveness, Commissioner Stephen Hahn said Saturday [12/12/20] while rejecting news reports that a White House official had threatened he’d be fired over the speed of the agency’s actions.

      “I will absolutely take this COVID-19 vaccine, pending availability and distribution, because I have complete trust and confidence in the FDA’s career staff’s evaluation,” Hahn said during a press conference, reports CBS News.

      “Efficiency does not mean any cutting of corners” (Newsmax. FDA’s).

      That safety and efficacy has been repeated in the now six months of use in the general population, with tens of millions of doses each of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines having now been administered. As a result, both of those companies have applied for full approval by the FDA. Most likely, both will receive that full approval within the next few weeks, and that will take away this EUA talking point of Covid antivaxxers.

Timing of Side Effects Versus Symptoms

      Another factor in my decision to get vaccinated was that I could schedule the two doses of the vaccination at a time when it would be relatively convenient for me to not feel well the next one or two days afterwards. I could not do that if I waited to get infected.

      Specially, I was able to schedule both shots for a drive-thru clinic at a shopping mall just 15 minutes from my home on two Thursdays, three weeks apart. I work out on Thursdays but not again until Sundays. That way, I knew I could get my Thursday workout in, then, if I experienced negative side effects, those would be passed before my next planned workout on Sunday. As such, I would not miss any workouts. I was also able to schedule those appointments shortly after my most recent powerlifting contest, before I got back into hard training, so it would not disrupt my training.

      However, if I were to wait to get infected, that infection could happen anytime, and with me being sick for possibly a week or two or even longer, I would miss multiple workouts. And that infection could conceivably happen shortly before a planned contest, ending those contest plans.

My and My Dad’s Experience

      Due to my health situation, I rarely leave my home. As stated previously, I stay productive and am able to continue to train for powerlifting due to having a home office and home gym. When I do leave my home, I try to schedule to do so on Fridays. I use that schedule, as Saturdays are my day off from working and working out. That is important, as very often, I will feel terrible the day after I go out. That is due to my MCS flaring up, as when I go out, I will inevitably be exposed to something I am sensitive to. That exposure will in turn cause one or more of my other health problems to flare up.

      Specifically, I probably won’t sleep well that night due to my RLS or one or more of my other health problems I have not mentioned flaring up. Then if I do get any sleep, when I wake up, my fibromyalgia might flare up, in that I will be in pain all over and very fatigued.

      The worst is my SPS can flare up, so that I will be almost completely paralyzed, especially in my legs. As a result, I will have a hard time even getting out of bed and making it across my bedroom to turn on the light. That fatigue, pain, and stiffness can then last for several minutes to several hours. Sometimes, I will barley be able to function the entire day.

      These problems can also result from me eating or consuming something I am sensitive to, such when trying as a new drug or supplement. But an important point is very often, the first time I am exposed to something I am sensitive to, I am okay with it, but the second time I can have such reactions.

      That is why I initially scheduled to get the one-shot J&J vaccine. With just one shot, that would lessen the chance of me having a serious reaction. But that got changed to me having to get the two-shot Pfizer vaccine. I explain the situation and my frustration thereupon at: Coronavirus Trib Live News Articles Commentaries: April 2021, so I won't go into details here.

      But here, both of my Pfizer appointments were later in the day on Thursday, so I was able to work and work out before the shot. That way, I figured that would leave me two days to recover before I needed to work out again, just in case I had a serious reaction.

      After my first dose, the only reaction I got was slight soreness at the injection site. However, after my second does, all of the preceding occurred. I barley slept; then when I did, I woke up in pain, fatigued, and very stiff. The stiffness and pain lasted until about noon, while the figure lasted all day. There was also great pain at the injection site, which added to my inability to sleep. But I was back to normal by Sunday and was able to work and work out as normal.

      However, I never had a temperature and only had minor chills. That is important, as it probably means if it were not for my unique health situation, I might have had only minor symptoms.

      My dad had a similar experience with his first shot, having just minor soreness at the injection site. However, after his second shot, he had significant pain at the injection site that also kept him from sleeping that night. Then the next day, he had a 102.8-degree temperature, significant chills, fatigue, and a headache all day. But by bedtime and after taking some Tylenol, he was almost fully recovered. He slept fine that night and was back to normal the next day. That is more the normal reaction.

      The important point is, in both of our cases, we only experienced side effects for 24-48 hours and that was it. And again, we were both able to schedule when that would happen, at a time that was relatively convenient. If we had waited to get infected, the symptoms might have started at the worst possible time and lasted much longer. But it is actually good we experienced side effects from the vaccine:

      Some scientists say those who reported more severe side effects or systemic side effects have slightly better immune responses. That doesn’t mean someone with mild side effects doesn’t develop a good immune response to COVID-19. But someone with a fever and chills might have high levels of antibodies (WHYY. PBS).

      Now that we are both fully vaccinated, we will never know how serious of a time we would have had with a CV infection, as we are both unlikely to get infected. And if we do, we most likely will have a much easier time with the infection that if we had not been vaccinated. And that leads to the next section.

Effectiveness of Vaccines

      On the previously linked to Commentary page, I present evidence for the effectiveness of the vaccines. In a nutshell, cases, hospitalization, and deaths lowered in each new group a few weeks after that group was eligible for the vaccine. Another evidence was reported on May 13, 2021 on KDKA radio (CBS news affiliate here in Pittsburgh and the world’s first radio station).

      A study at the nearby Cleveland Clinic looked at 5,000 hospitalizations for Covid from January to April 2021. It found that 99.7% of the hospitalizations were among those who were unvaccinated. That means just 0.3% had been vaccinated. That is rather strong evidence of the effectiveness of the vaccine.

      The next day, it was reported on NBC Radio News (found on iHeartRadio) that Bill Muir tested positive for the CV, despite having been fully vaccinated. It was also reported that some sports figures also tested positive, despite having been fully vaccinated. However, the key words here are “tested positive.” That happened due to routine Covid tests being conducted. Otherwise, they would have never known they were positive, as they were all asymptomatic.

      All of this confirms what was said previously, that you are very unlikely to get infected with the CV after being fully vaccinated. But if you do get infected, most likely, you will be asymptomatic or at worst have mild symptoms. Your odds of having serious consequences are minimal.

      The reason is, the viral load by which you are infected will be very low. That also makes it very unlikely you will transmit the virus to someone else. I explain this whole issue of viral load and its relationship to mask wearing in my three-part article Does a Mask Protect the Wearer from the Coronavirus?

      Here, that is important, as it is why the CDC lifted its mask and social distancing guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated on May 14, 2021. Those who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks nor to socially distance, as they are unlikely to be infected with a sufficient viral load to even display symptoms. For the same reason, they are unlikely to infect others.

      The CDC director says there was new science in recent weeks that supported easing the advice on masks and social distancing. She said there was new evidence that covid-19 vaccines work in real-world settings, are effective against virus variants and prevent the spread of the virus. In announcing the new advice, she also cited the drop in infections in the U.S., the wide availability of vaccines and the expansion to ages 12 and up for the shots.

      “I want to be clear that we followed the science here,” she said at a White House briefing (Trib Live. AP. Confused).

      “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 [infectious disease expert Kristen Englund, MD] 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” (Health Essentials).

      The preceding quote is from an article published on April 28, 2021. It was due to the CDC finalizing this research by mid-May that led to them issuing their new mask guidance.

Late Wednesday evening [5/12/21], Biden’s White House learned from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that vaccinated Americans could safely shed the face masks that have become a staple of their wardrobes in almost all occasions….

While it appeared abrupt, the decision was the result of weeks of mounting evidence on the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines collected by the CDC. The agency has erred on the side of caution throughout the pandemic, drawing criticism for doing so even as the number of vaccinated Americans soared.

Just six weeks ago, Walensky warned of “impending doom” amid a rise in infections, hospitalizations and deaths. But then a string of research began streaming in, showing that public health experts’ worst fears weren’t materializing…

“The CDC is a science-based organization. They accumulate data and they make decisions based on the data,” Anthony Fauci told MSNBC on Friday. “As more and more data come in, it becomes clear how spectacularly effective these vaccines are.”…

On Thursday, Walensky cited research — from as early as March 29 and as recently as May 6 — showing good news in three main areas. First, the real-world effectiveness of vaccines was holding up, showing that their protections weren’t lower outside of a clinical trial setting.

Secondly, Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine was found to offer protection against two variants of the virus, a string [sic] sign that mutations wouldn’t substantially circumvent the protection.

Finally, one study showed lower viral loads in cases where vaccinated people did get sick, and another showed no secondary transmission among vaccinated people who contracted covid-19. Those results allayed fears among health officials who had worried that vaccinated people could still spread the virus (Trib Live/ Bloomberg News).

      It should be noted, the only reason Muir and the sports figures tested positive is because the CV tests are very sensitive, picking up even the smallest amount of viral load. That has been a reason for criticism, as it means many of the reported positive cases throughout this pandemic might have been of people whose viral load was so low so as to fall into this category. It is said they really should not be counted as “cases” as they were not really sick and were unlikely to transmit the virus to others.

      Whatever the case there, here, what matters is the fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks nor to socially distance as there is little risk from Covid to themselves nor they to others of virus transmission.

Healthy Habits and Supplements

      Many people think they do not need to get the vaccine as they follow healthy habits, and those healthy habits will prevent them from getting infected with the CV or at least from suffering serious consequences from a CV infection. And it is true that following healthy habits will reduce your risk. That has been a theme throughout my CV writings. It is also why I wrote my books God-given Foods Eating Plan and Creationist Diet: Second Edition, to aid people in adopting healthy lifestyles, especially in regard to their eating plans.

      Similarly, many people think they are taking specific supplements that will keep them from getting infected or at least will keep them from having serious problems with a CV infection. And it is true you can reduce your risk with supplements to some extent. But a full discussion of supplements, which to take and in what amounts, will require a full article to address. I hope to do so for the next issue of FitTips for One and All, to be published the first week of August, 2021..

      But now, I will say, the key phrase here is “reduce your risk.” You cannot eliminate or even virtually eliminate your risk through healthy habits and supplements, as you can by getting the vaccine. Moreover, there is one risk factor you cannot change—your age.

Age and Covid Risk

      The first case of Covid was recorded here in Pennsylvania on March 6, 2020. On the one-year anniversary of that date, my local newspaper ran an article titled “1 year later: The coronavirus response, missteps and what we have learned.” One thing we learned was that advancing age increases your risk. Actually, we knew that from the start of the pandemic, but the statistics reported in this article confirmed that fact:

      There have been 24,262 deaths in Pennsylvania since the beginning of the pandemic a year ago. Deaths by gender split equally but a look at deaths by age and race show more difference. Here are the totals through March 5, 2021.

20-39: 0.57%

40-49: 1.30%

50-59: 4.54%

60-69: 13.34%

70-79: 23.35%

80-89: 31.88%

90+: 25.01%

African-American 12.05%

Other 3.30%

Asian 1.61%

White: 93.04%

About 52% of Pennsylvania’s covid-19 deaths have been associated with nursing/personal care homes (Data through March 5, 2021; Trib Live. 1 year later).

      That data end date is important, as it is before the vaccines would have significantly affected these percentages. It is also before the UK variant began circulating in PA, which would also have affected these percentages, as will be discussed shortly.

      Also, I will address the race division in my forthcoming article about supplements and Covid risk. But here, doing the math, 98.12% of CV deaths occurred among those 50 and older. That means just 1.88% have occurred among those under 50 years old.

      Note especially the 80-89 age group. It had the highest percentage. Of course, that is because there are few people in the 90+ category. But still, that 80-89 category is where my dad is and why I was so concerned about him from the start of the pandemic and why I was so relieved when he got fully vaccinated.

      I was 58 when this first death occurred in PA. I am now 60. It can be seen that there is a big jump from the 50-59 to the 60-69 category. That is why I was not too concerned about myself back then but become more so after I passed my 60^th birthday.

      Moreover, it was a day after my 60^th birthday that my dad passed the two-week mark after his second Covid shot and thus was now fully protected. That is another reason I turned my focus from him to myself at that time. He was now safe, but I knew that no matter how much I took care of myself and no matter what supplement I might take, my risk was increasing as my age increased. I also began to think about my history with the flu, as discussed previously. That is when I decided to schedule to get the vaccine.

This four-part article is concluded at Why I Decided to Get Vaccinated (Refuting Covid Antivaxxers) Part Four.

References:

See Why I Decided to Get Vaccinated (Refuting Covid Antivaxxers) References.

Creationist Diet
Second Edition
A Comprehensive Guide to Bible and Science Based Nutrition 

Why I Decided to Get Vaccinated (Refuting Covid Antivaxxers) Part Three. Copyright © 2021 by Gary F. Zeolla (www.Zeolla.org).

The above article was posted on this website May 21, 2021.