If that title is confusing, then good. That makes it appropriate.
I’ll narrow it down for you. Those with immune compromise, the elderly, and hospital workers who are frequently in contact with either of those should probably get a third dose.
The evidence is strong that the long term efficacy of the vaccines is actually pretty good, but only for the B and T cell immunity. The circulating immunity that lowers the likelihood of symptoms, and therefore may confer benefit against spread, seems to wane over time. So after time passes, those who have received the vaccine seem more likely to have symptoms from COVID, but also seem to remain protected against serious illness. They may also have less symptoms making them more likely to be asymptomatic or mild symptomatic spreaders.
Those 3 groups of people are at risk of early viral loads and potentially overwhelming their immune systems before they could mount a sufficient immune response, or in the case of the hospital workers, of endangering the lives of their patients who are in those demographics.
Rhetoric around it is concerning, as it has been for everything during the pandemic. Authoritarian jerks are looking at the signs of lessening active immunity against COVID as proof for their reason to institute lockdowns to ruin lives and force masks on small children in school, as well as to shut down any business or fire any worker that refuses the vaccine. They want all of the shots to be mandatory with zero exceptions. The liberty minded, like myself, find that very offensive and many of those like me are refusing the vaccine simply on those grounds. There are some who have overtly stated they believe the vaccines are safe and effective, and they still won’t get it simply because of the coercive nature of those imposing it on others.
I like the latter group of people, and would even if I thought COVID was super deadly to everyone, which it isn’t. They are also less likely to disown me or unfriend me when they learn I was vaccinated.
The former could just as soon remove themselves from me, my family, my community, my state, my country and my world. They won’t be missed and those that tolerate their authoritarian ways are complicit in furthering the greatest cause for massive death our world has ever known.
Those who claim to be looking for the truth, no matter where it may lead, have to admit the vaccines are incredibly safe, though not without any risk. They also have to admit they are effective, though not perfect. They cannot do this and deny that the autonomy of people to choose what is best for them is also incredibly important. As the autonomy of a patient directly affects their behavioral health and that component of their health is just as important as their physical health.
Telling people they have to get a vaccine for the health of someone else is rich, especially coming mostly from the group of people that support abortion on demand. Similarly, denying a responsibility to take on some risk in order to protect others is pretty entertaining coming from the mostly pro-life side of that argument.
Vaccines are different, but we have made the discussion so bitter and disenfranchising that we can no longer talk to each other about it.
If you are in one of those risk categories I mentioned, you should probably get a 3rd dose, or a booster, or whatever you want to call it. If you aren’t, and you already had COVID, you MIGHT benefit from a single dose of one of the mRNA shots, or any of the others. If you aren’t at risk, and you haven’t had COVID, good for you! You probably don’t need the vaccine at all, but you would likely benefit from it. If you are closer to those at risk communities, your benefit likely outweighs the risks.
If you are under 30 and in good shape with no underlying conditions, I’m not sure that holds true.
No matter where you are on that list, or how you identify, it should be your choice and no government should have the power to punish you for not choosing the way they want you to.
These are the kinds of nuanced discussions that have been forbidden from our culture, though. Those that place cultural relevance above actual truth are willing to split families and lose friends over belief in the lies of whatever echo chamber they ascribe to.
Shameful.
Don’t be one of them. Join communities and build relationships with people who understand politics are irrelevant to those who provide real value and care about you. Surround yourself with those who care about you, and not whether you did or did not get a vaccine.
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