#15. I Want the Same as You Want.

I was asked the other day what I felt about the vaccine by someone who had eagerly just received it this week. I said I feel the same as you. I want to be healthy and do what it takes to preserve my well being during the pandemic.

And so, No, I don’t want to get the vaccine. Although 70 years old, I am healthy with a strong immune system and believe that is the best defense. For those you get infected, 99.5% recover. So I don’t want to compromise my immune system with a vaccine that has unknown complications, whether short term or long term. I do not want to be a guinea pig. I’m a great candidate to not take it.

But if I were more susceptible and had underlying conditions that would weaken my immune response, then yes, I would consider it and recommend it. But that is not me. I want to keep my health. Strengthen my immune system. I want the same as you, although it’s a different response.

To be clear, I am not against vaccines. I’ve taken vaccines for Yellow Fever and Malaria when traveling to Africa or India/Nepal. But those are proven remedies with years if not decades of supportive medical science. And I get a flu shot every year because of teaching high in close proximity with a school of 2,600 students. Proven vaccines have their place in public health.

So, yes. You made the right decision. And so did I. That’s common ground!