Vaccines

 The current conflicts over vaccines in my opinion were a direct result as to how the Government handled the pandemic. The thesis of the Government leaders was that mRNA vaccine was a sine qua non, it worked, prevented getting the virus and prevented the spread. Unfortunately that was based upon literally no clinical evidence,

mRNA vaccines were new, elegant and did have a modicum of effectiveness. Namely they may have reduced persons getting "infected", qua getting sick. It may not have stopped people from getting infected and being a carrier, I cannot find any trials demonstrating that. It did not stop transmission. Frankly we still do not really understand the transmission path. My guess it by aerosols and into the tear ducts. But that is at best an educated guess. Yes, there was no time for clinical trials but frankly the CDC should have been collecting data and making it publicly available, There is a mass of people who could be examining it.

Instead, one relied at best on shaky State data. In New Jersey for example the head of Dept Health was a politically connected RN. It was never clear to me that this individual had a modicum of confidence.

The major problem was the Government stating things which frankly were far from provable. Vaccines did not stop infection nor did they stop transmission. Once the public started to discover this there was a gross collapse of confidence. The CDC was never on top of the issue. 

Vaccines play a major role in health care. I had my small pox vaccine in 1944, and suspect it may very well still be effective. I had Polio vaccines, Rabies, Yellow Fever, and the list goes on. Flu vaccines are good for at most 6 months, COVID likewise. Neither is fool proof. They are mitigators. Polio and Small Pox seem to be effective and long lasting. 

But it is essential that the public be informed even if is a limited amount and that must be stated. Telling the people and absolute when their own eyes show otherwise destroys trust. No trust and you get what we see today.