Unvaccinated? Be terrified!

“Fear of future side effects” from COVID-19 vaccination has been the predominant rally call of the unvaccinated. Vaccine history, however, teaches us that negative reactions to vaccines develop in the first weeks to two months. And, now we have hundreds of millions of vaccinated “guinea pigs,” many for six to 10 months, to observe.

A very significant percentage of those who contract COVID experience “long-haul” side effects; even those who initially suffered only mild illness. It’s real and it’s known and occurring in otherwise healthy people. Many of those hospitalized with the delta variant are partially or fully vaccinated, which screams to the virulence of this form of the virus. But, overwhelmingly (approximately 90 percent), the unvaccinated are those requiring ventilators and/or body bags. The most populated Maine county of Cumberland now has astoundingly lower infections per capita than Somerset and Franklin counties. Cumberland County is approximately 80 percent vaccinated while the other two are below 60 percent.

And now, near New Year’s Eve, the omicron variant is exploding. Estimates are that omicron is four times more infectious. Omicron’s deadliness may be less than delta but is another unknown. Sadly, early reporting is showing a 20 percent increase in hospitalizations of young children.

Delta and omicron mutations present terrifying unknowns. The world’s leading medical researchers and practitioners are uniformly pleading (not mandating) for all to get vaccinated. I am far more worried about my family thriving and surviving the near future (2022) rather than a distant, speculative future they may never reach.