If you’re still not convinced about getting vaccinated, or still believe that we need restrictive mandates to fight COVID, then you should take a look at the latest study by the CDC, highlighted by director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
The agency looked at 1,228,664 people who were vaccinated between December 2020 and October 2021 …
- Of those, 2,256 developed COVID, or 0.1%
- Of those, 189 had a serious outcome, or 0.01%
- Of those, 36 died, or 0.0029%
- Roughly 28 of those who died had four or more comorbidities, including immunosuppression, diabetes, and chronic kidney, cardiac, pulmonary, neurologic and/or liver disease.
In short, if you’re vaccinated, the risk of death, or even hospitalization, from COVID is infinitesimally small. Like being-struck-by-lightning-in-your-lifetime small.
Headlines blared that there were a record 145,982 people in hospitals nationwide on Tuesday with COVID-19. It is likely that 50% of them were admitted because of an underlying condition rather than COVID primarily. But what is more important to note is that the vast, vast majority of those people are unvaccinated. We think they were foolish, but they made that choice, they took that risk.
The numbers do not reflect a national crisis. It represents the decisions of a minority of Americans.
So it is ridiculous to hobble society and hurt the majority of people who are vaccinated, most of whom face even smaller risks because of age and overall health. The unconscionable closing of the Chicago public schools wasn’t based on science. Neither are the ridiculous rules about wearing a mask for that 30-second walk to a restaurant table, where you promptly take it off. It is all farce.
The CDC has made plenty of mistakes of late, particularly in its messaging. But kudos to Walensky for at least trying to push back against the panic being offered by far too many politicians and members of the media.
When can the rest of us have our lives back?
