What's the goal Vaccination or Immunization?
The sooner we settle this question, the sooner we will get on with our lives. Until then, let's follow Ted Lasso's advice "Be curious, not judgmental." h/t Walt Whitman
Very recently a dear friend of almost thirty-eight years was diagnosed with COVID-19. This came just five months after he was fully vaccinated back in March.
For me, it begs the question “What’s the goal - Vaccination or Immunization?”
It is “Herd Immunity or Herd Vaccinated?”
Thus far I have stayed very far away from any public discussion on the question “to vaxx or to not vaxx.” And believe me, I am not trying to wade into all the controversies around the pandemic. Most of them are cable news cat nip for the overly partisan.
What I see in the media and on social media these days is just about the most asinine approach to getting more people to become vaccinated from COVID-19. For the record, I am vaccinated and have had COVID.
In sum - volume doesn’t persuade. Listening does.
Remember Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People?
Be Proactive
Begin With the End in Mind
Put First Things First
Think Win-Win
Seek First to Understand and Then to be Understood.
Synergize
Sharpen the Saw; Growth
Friends, in all of my laps around the sun I have yet to see someone change their mind by screaming at them or ridiculing them on social media or giving them the side eye in the grocery store.
That includes our four children, my work colleagues, my wife, my parents, my friends, my constituents, my students, or even our dogs.
It. just. doesn't. work.
Instead follow Ted Lasso’s brilliant teaching moment for us with “Be Curious, Not Judgmental” via poet Walt Whitman. This is actually a really good mindset to adopt for all of you who purport to be a liberal or even open minded.
Take for example my family of seven - including the Marine son-in-law.
Five of us have been vaccinated. Five have had COVID-19.
The two that have not been vaccinated have had COVID - as have I. They are naturally immune.
Yes, I have had COVID. I waited until more vulnerable populations had access to the vaccine before I got mine in May. I don’t think I needed it since I had COVID back in February ,but I also don’t have any underlying conditions that would make me hesitant to get one. And the process was relatively easy. The vaccine, for me, was a safe move. Again - because I had already had the VID, I believe I was already naturally immune.
Thankfully, everyone in our family who has had COVID experienced relatively mild symptoms. Too many families weren’t so lucky and the stories are heartbreaking to say the least. And, yes, I know people who died from COVID and some who had very close calls as well.
Okay, back to my family.
My wife of thirty years, Michele, had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2017 due to an automobile accident that was not her fault. The end result was brain surgery in order to permanently drain the fluid off of her brain and into her belly. She had a shunt valve installed. Brain surgery.
Michele is an expert on brain health as a result of her experience and the TBI experienced by our daughter, Nora, in 2016. Nora, now 22, has had multiple concussions over the years. The final two were very bad and her volleyball career. She spent months in bed and barely graduated high school as a result. During that time, Michele did everything she could to get Nora back to health and eventually to college.
Nora graduated from Longwood with a degree in Recreational Therapy and now helps people recover from TBIs. God is good.
Michele learned a lot along the way. Several doctors think she’s an expert in brain health. Some have even told her that she knows more about brains than many doctors in the field. #SuperMomPower
Bottom line - she knows her brain stuff.
Michele is hesitant to get a vaccine when she is naturally immune and has the antibody tests to prove it. She has a legitimate concern about the proteins in the vaccine and what could happen to her brain especially in regards to inflammation in her autoimmune system.
Our youngest, John, now 19, developed an awful limp when he was twelve. At first we thought it was a bad high ankle sprain, but it never healed. Michele then took him to several doctors before we finally ended up with a diagnosis and a treatment path.
John had juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The doctor told Michele that he would be cured ONLY by chemotherapy - injecting into his growing adolescent thigh two drugs which I will not name here. But you have seen the adverts for at least one and have probably heard of the other. This “doctor” told Michele that DIET did not matter - only these drugs were going to cure our son. The doctor was not to be questioned - he knew.
John tried the treatments but the process of sticking a needle in his thigh was too painful and the results were not readily apparent. Michele had been quite leery of the chemotherapy and did research on more holistic methods of attack.
John and Michele decided that he should pursue a strict diet and supplement regime. After about four years, John was fully cured of his juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Cured. Gone.
The kid that could barely walk now plays college volleyball and has a vertical jump at almost 40 inches! He’s 5’9” and can grab a ten foot basketball rim. #WoodyHarrelson
John is also hesitant about getting vaccinated as he too has had COVID and is naturally immune. But you can imagine that he would be concerned about a vaccine triggering his arthritis and ending his playing career or ability to walk.
Do I think the vaccines are safe? For me, yes. I also think that they would be safe for John and Michele, but is it worth the risk if they are already naturally immune? To me, that’s their call.
Which gets me back to my original question.
Is the goal vaccination or immunization?
Just what are we trying to accomplish? Caring for others by being curious as to their reality with empathic understanding or feeling better about ourselves by broadcasting to the world that we know better with an ephemeral Facebook post or a Tweet?
I’m curious because I think a lot of people are naturally immune and we should make allowances for that while expressing inordinate gratitude that the United States, once again, has been able to be THE world leader in solving a human crisis not of our own making.
Yes, the vaccines are safe and I recommend them to those who are healthy with no underlying conditions. Those with underlying conditions should be given a bit more grace than what is currently being shamed upon them.
That’s not right and it should stop.
But what about the naturally immune who have already had COVID-19?
As to the question, “Just what is the goal here Immunization or Vaccination?”
I remain curious.
Sort of.