Peter wrote:
Interesting picture emerging in the UK – similar to what S Africa has been reporting for ages. Stratospheric infection numbers, but few getting seriously ill, very few dying, and a discovery that an Omicron infection delivers backwards-compatible immunity against all the previous variants, suggesting that this is the endgame for CV19 now – unless/until some new variant comes along. Public policy is to deny this but it’s been more obvious every day, for a week or two. The booster (the 3rd vacc) is strongly protective from bad symptoms, illness, or worse.
That’s obviously or at least apparently how these things go away in the end, and why previous similar episodes over history have gone away over time. Fighting mother nature directly is tough and we’re not so good at it, least of all politicians and medical technologists who chose to work for government. Mother nature generally wins… but in the end entropy takes over and she tires out on her own accord.
All this except the latter point does not exactly propel me towards getting the booster. Also, I also have an undiagnosed until recently, after Moderna dose #2, and generally benign heart issue (which BTW is not a major pilot medical certification issue). Given the possibility of heart swelling at full dosage, it makes one think before getting a third 1/2 dose, and also about where this is going long term… endless boosters without choice in some locales? That is, unless you are a politician. In their dictatorial splendor they don’t need to think much about that kind of health related stuff, and dismiss the benefits of proper one-on-one, patient with doctor health care.
Re the booster, UK data is that Pfizer or Moderna are much more effective than AZ for this job, and Moderna has significantly worse side effects.
I had AZ AZ Pfizer and would happily have Pfizer again, which just produces a sore arm in most people.
If I was you I would consider lying low for a month or two until this passes, and skip the booster.
I think the next few weeks will be the make or break – at least in the UK. The number of reported infections, and people legally skiving from work, will soon exceed the number of electrons in the known universe, so they won’t be able to count any more after that (yes; I know electrons don’t actually move). I am lying low, going skiing only in the TB20 
Peter wrote:
If I was you I would consider lying low for a month or two until this passes, and skip the booster.
That’s my current plan, except I’m not big on lying low. Not many do that here, its not in our value system 
Good input regardless.
Silvaire wrote:
I got quite bad side effects with the second Moderna shot,
If it’s any help, I had about the same side effects from the booster as I had after the second dose (none after the first). IOW pretty much down for the count the next day. Hey, at least the thing seems to do its job!
BeechBaby wrote:
The full vaxxed are now beginning to realise having been fed that the vaccine was the saviour, that in essence they have been had. Lied to, again..The un vaxxed are standing defiant stating well we did tell you.
I’m not sure I understand what you mean. The vaccines have been less effective in preventing the spread of the disease than we’d hoped (possibly ineffective for the omicron variant) but it is still clear that they give individuals ample protection from serious illness or death.
“Lied” is a strong word. To call something a lie, it must be a known falsehood. While the vaccines were being developed, there was no reason to expect that they would be less effective than other vaccines. They turned out to be, which was unfortunate, but that doesn’t mean we were “lied to.”
Or do you claim that antivaccers opposed Covid-19 vaccines on the ground that they expected them to be less effective than other vaccines!?
Airborne_Again wrote:
To call something a lie, it must be a known falsehood.
There are many politicians and scientists who stood and told their populations that a vaccine would resolve the spread of the Covid variants. This is a falsehood. It then became that one had to have two vaccines and a booster. This would halt the spread. No, another falsehood. They appear then to get out of the falsehood by stating new and more virulent variants are on the loose. The booster will deal with that. Then even last week, we will expect two vaccines a year to halt the spread. Problem with this is that almost everyone I know who is double, triple vaccinated is testing positive has a runny nose.
The hospitals are not over run. I was in two large hospitals last week. Seemed business as usual. Pretty overweight nurses, a lot of them, all milling around. Lax mask procedures to boot.
Airborne_Again wrote:
but it is still clear that they give individuals ample protection from serious illness or death.
Does it. Where is the empirical evidence to support this. I cannot find any.
Plenty of known falsehoods abound. For me I do not actually care, but I wish to be free to make my own choices and direction in life. I sit and watch folks be fleeced of hundreds of pounds to travel. Why?
My son is in Naples right now. A total of £216.00 in tests, two vaccines, to leave the UK, and no one in Italy that fussed. Masks yes, but again what are the dirty masks actually doing?
BeechBaby wrote:
There are many politicians and scientists who stood and told their populations that a vaccine would resolve the spread of the Covid variants. This is a falsehood.
In retrospect it was an incorrect statement, but that does not make it a lie. It was a lie only if the politicians and scientists actually had reason to believe that what they said was incorrect. They did not.
Or do you expect politicians and scientists to be prescient?
Airborne_Again wrote:
They did not.
Well that is a matter of opinion and again where we may have to disagree…Anyway, Novak was not interned or shot, just deported.
Now who was responsible for that wonderful little fiasco?
Just because some procedures have turned out to be ineffective doesn’t mean that other concurrently implemented ones must be too.
