TO BE OR NOT TO BE - Vaccinated for COVID !

 TO BE OR NOT TO BE - Vaccinated for COVID !  - Courtesy: S. Sankaran 

Have been reading about the vaccine in almost every group including a dozen professional doctors only groups. I wanted to share my perspective as a doctor on this hoping that it might be of use to some.

When COVID was running amok and spreading like wild fire every one of us were praying for a vaccine.... As early as possible. Even now it’s in its 2nd peak in many countries like USA & UK. But suddenly we hear from almost every Whatsapp university certified specialist question the speed with which some vaccine was approved. I guess that’s basic human nature where in when we are starving we might eat anything but when the same hungry person is given a choice then he forgets the hunger and starts analysing which of the choice is better. The human mind always wants more, isn’t it!

Suddenly everyone knows about phase 2 or phase 3 vaccine trials and starts comparing the efficacy rates, complications incidence and ADI.... adverse drug events . Such information is purely in research scientific domain but unfortunately today it’s become Whatsapp time pass.

Whether you WANT to be vaccinated or NOT is purely YOUR CHOICE. That’s the only FACT that you need to know. Every thing else is relative.

Your choice doesn’t depend on the vaccine, it’s effectiveness or side effects but on your assessment of your RISK OF DYING FROM COVID. If you feel fairly comfortable with the assessment that you will not DIE OF COVID THEN YOU DONT NEED ANY VACCINE . Every medicine you and your family have taken so far INCLUDING YOUR PARACETAMOL has so many side effects including irreversible KIDNEY FAILURE. Every antibiotic you have taken could’ve caused Allergic reaction that could have killed you. Every anaesthesia that someone in your family had before surgery could have caused complications like Paralysis of the breathing leading to death .

Mind you THESE ARE COMPLICATIONS KNOWN TO DOCTORS FOR SO MANY YEARS.... yet we chose to give you these treatments . More importantly any child who got the measles vaccine could have become permanently a VEGETABLE DUE TO A CONDITION called SUB ACUTE SCLEROSING PAN ENCEPHALITIS- SSPE ... yet your Peadiatrician gave your precious children this vaccine .

Does it sound intriguing to you that your own trusted doctor gave you something that could’ve potentially killed or paralysed you permanently ? Wake up people. No medicine is 100% safe.

Every treatment offered by your doctor is done in EXTREME GOOD FAITH to make you better.  We doctors operate on a principal of RISK VERSUS BENEFIT. If the potential benefit outweighs the risk considerably then we give this in good faith.

The reason we follow this approach is that we are NOT GOD, and we are still very very far from giving 100% safe treatment for EVERY DISEASE.

Coming back to the safety of the COVID VACCINES ...

ALL THE VACCINES HAVE BEEN APPROVED ON AN EMERGENCY USE AUTHORISATION ONLY.  This means that the scientific community have not had ADEQUATE TIME to analyse the safety and effectiveness of all these currently available vaccines Inspite of the best of their Efforts knowledge and resources.

So it’s upto you to realise whether YOU ARE IN AN EMERGENCY OR NOT.  All governments around the world know that YOU ARE IN AN EMERGENCY that’s why you are offered THE OPTION FOR VACCINE .  How did the government know that is by looking at the millions of deaths caused by COVID IN just 1 year.

If you in your WHATSAPP UNIVERSITY EDUCATED PHD MIND feel that you are not in any emergency then you deny yourself that vaccine .

But you take that extra risk which your neighbours hasn’t taken. That’s the bottom line. If you feel you are a safe DRIVER WHO DOES NOT NEED A HELMET AND CAN STRICTLY FOLLOW THE 3 important steps - mask , 6 feet distancing & Hand hygiene- that will 100% protect you , then you probably can stay away from the vaccine until you are convinced. But that’s a decision ONLY YOU HAVE TO TAKE , not look for advice from WHATSAPP UNIVERSITY.

A herd immunity is the only SURE SHOT WAY TO ELIMINATE COVID from the world we live in. The reality is each one of us is part of this herd & It’s in each one of our hands to help reach the herd immunity as soon as possible.

Either get infected or get Vaccinated.... or stay forever in a bubble distanced from other people . THE CHOICE IS YOURS.

*Is the vaccine the solution for this COVID pandemic?*

In my opinion any vaccine including all the COVID vaccines are A PART OF THE SOLUTION. No vaccine can protect against any disease 100% of the time. This I state from our experience with viral infections like POLIO , MEASLES, INFLUENZA AND HIV.

*A good N95 mask worn with 6 feet social distancing and hand hygiene can protect you 100% from COVID. *

Unfortunately we are tired of following the above after 1 year of trial. The most difficult thing to implement is the 6 feet SOCIAL DISTANCING because we are SOCIAL ANIMALS. We like to meet with fellow humans all the time. We cannot live in isolation or lockdown for much longer not because of the economic impact but more so due the MENTAL DISTRESS THAT IS CAUSED BY SOCIAL DISTANCING.

The vaccine is an easier way of attaining the HERD IMMUNITY than the natural infection caused by corona virus .

Any COVID vaccine is safer than getting infected with the virus and fighting for survival in an ICU with a ventilator in your throat.

A vaccine is an additional safety like a helmet for a 2 wheeler bi rider but has to be used with safe driving practice.

The best helmet cannot save you if you are a rash driver but can protect your head from an accidental fall.

Look at the COVID vaccine as an additional safety measure along with MASKS, SOCIAL DISTANCING AND HAND HYGIENE, not as a replacement.

This we have to accept until the world develops HERD IMMUNITY from COVID just like SMALL POX OR POLIO.