Of all the data on COVID infections, deaths, and vaccinations, one recent statistic is the most telling. 99.5% of the people dying of COVID in the U.S. were unvaccinated. Nearly all vaccinated people are protected even if they might rarely suffer minor or modest illness. Most of us know this, but some are still waiting for more evidence ruling out potential unknown future risks. Others are concerned about extremely rare side-effects that are not as prevalent or as risky as serious illness or death from COVID.
My intention was not to go on about this same topic again, but far too many people remain at risk. I believe that if saying something can save one person from the dangers of not being vaccinated, then there is an obligation to do so. Infections and hospitalizations from the highly infectious delta-COVID variant continue to rapidly climb. This increases the risks for all of us. Breakthrough infections even occur in vaccinated individuals. Thankfully, the vaccines are so far still effective in preventing serious illness and nearly all deaths from COVID. As mentioned in a previous post, there may be valid reasons for waiting or avoiding vaccination, but this is generally not the case.
The CDC and NIH provide a wealth of information with which to make an informed decision and I encourage those who are not yet vaccinated to view their sites. Aside from the few who may be intentionally spreading misinformation, most of us are trying to do what is best for ourselves, families, and friends. Please look at these sites to make a well-informed decision.
