NEED A TRANSPLANT? BETTER GET VACCINATED

[Jersey Girl]

So - is there nothing one can do to help these people stay alive?

I wish I had a good answer to this. I suppose that some people are influenced by stories just like Cam posted, or stories about a person their own age if they are younger, or a child if they are parents. I feel like so many people have probably just tuned out. Others, I am sure, are getting vaccinated right now due to workplace requirements.

We have family members who previously held no objection to vaccinations and whom I strongly suspect may have been heavily influenced by an anti-vax family they associate with. I'm completely shocked by this. When I first asked one of them if they knew how the vaccines were developed, the only answer I got was, "Too fast" and they shut down conversation. To this day, we have the sense that any discussion re:vaccinations are off limits. It's created an awkwardness and complicated feelings that are difficult to describe. One of these family members is high risk for severe complications or death. I can't tell you, as much as I have tried to set it aside, how much it worries me.

One family member, my sister with whom I travel and visit back and forth, has not gotten vaccinated. She says if she has to be vaccinated to travel overseas, that's when she'll do so. My hope is that the UK and Republic of Ireland will make it a long term mandate for travelers. If not, she'll never get vaccinated and that, too, worries me for a number of health related reasons she has.

I feel like it has to hit home to change a mind. I just pray it doesn't result in the death of one of my loved ones.

[Gunnar]

I have heard it suggested (perhaps, but not entirely tongue-in-cheek) that the surest way to get right wing conservatives who are still anti-vaxxers to change their minds and get vaccinated is for President Biden to announce that he has changed his mind about vaccination and now strongly condemns the vaccine and vaccine mandates. If this were to happen, we would probably see a sudden, frantic surge of these anti-vaxxers changing their minds and mobbing the hospitals, pharmacies and health clinics demanding to be vaccinated.

[Xenophon]

I have heard it suggested (perhaps, but not entirely tongue-in-cheek) that the surest way to get right wing conservatives who are still anti-vaxxers to change their minds and get vaccinated is for President Biden to announce that he has changed his mind about vaccination and now strongly condemns the vaccine and vaccine mandates. If this were to happen, we would probably see a sudden, frantic surge of these anti-vaxxers changing their minds and mobbing the hospitals, pharmacies and health clinics demanding to be vaccinated.

All jokes aside, I doubt this would move the needle. We've seen countless videos of GOP supporters suggest to crowds of speakers that they should consider the vaccine and be met with jeers and boos (we can ague about how strongly they supported it, the point remains that even partial support is met with derision). The ship has long sailed on that. in my opinion it comes down now to personal battles. Does an individual have enough weighing in favor of the vaccine to move them. Societal pressure, familial pressure, anecdotal concern, work mandates, etc. all stacking up within a person's life to push them over the edge. It is a battle with many fronts and all you can hope is your small piece of the puzzle helps an individual come to the conclusion that accepting the shot is in their best interest.

[Xenophon]

Whoa.

Care to elaborate? I'm almost always at a loss to one word answers.

[Gunnar]

I have heard it suggested (perhaps, but not entirely tongue-in-cheek) that the surest way to get right wing conservatives who are still anti-vaxxers to change their minds and get vaccinated is for President Biden to announce that he has changed his mind about vaccination and now strongly condemns the vaccine and vaccine mandates. If this were to happen, we would probably see a sudden, frantic surge of these anti-vaxxers changing their minds and mobbing the hospitals, pharmacies and health clinics demanding to be vaccinated.

All jokes aside, I doubt this would move the needle. We've seen countless videos of GOP supporters suggest to crowds of speakers that they should consider the vaccine and be met with jeers and boos (we can ague about how strongly they supported it, the point remains that even partial support is met with derision). The ship has long sailed on that. in my opinion it comes down now to personal battles. Does an individual have enough weighing in favor of the vaccine to move them. Societal pressure, familial pressure, anecdotal concern, work mandates, etc. all stacking up within a person's life to push them over the edge. It is a battle with many fronts and all you can hope is your small piece of the puzzle helps an individual come to the conclusion that accepting the shot is in their best interest.

Maybe you're right, but there seems to be a substantial number of Americans who resist doing something when told they must do it, no matter who is the authority figure who tells them they must do it. I get the impression that conservative Republicans are particularly prone to this tendency, sometimes even when the authority figure is a fellow Republican, for whom they voted. I think some of them would similarly rebel if they were ordered not to do something. Maybe being ordered by an authority figure to not get vaccinated would not "move the needle" very far for most of them, but I think it likely that the needle would move at least a little bit farther for some of them if our Democrat President were that authority figure. (I realize, of course, that this is useless speculation, because Biden is very unlikely to do any such thing).

[Dwight]

It has been touched upon, but being on immunosuppressive drugs absolutely makes it more important to be vaccinated. It makes what is there work better at recognizing and being effective. I have an immune deficiency that I don't make antibodies. Still since there is so much we don't know about the immune system and I've never had more than a reaction of feeling a little tired or under the weather for a day my immunologist thinks it can't hurt me and can only help.

One of my Facebook friends is friends with someone we went to a singles ward together with. This guy has basically said he can't get vaccinated now cause he was politically in the anti-side and he can't admit we were right. It is our fault for making fun of him or insulting him. Which is funny cause the mutual friend is actually super conservative, he just didn't follow Trump. This anti-vaxx guy has gone just short of saying that if anything bad happens to him it is now our fault. This is a man who has non-ironically complained many times about liberal snowflakes. Though I guess in no true Scotsman fashion, it is impossible for an alpha male like himself to be a snowflake.

[Jersey Girl]

It has been touched upon, but being on immunosuppressive drugs absolutely makes it more important to be vaccinated. It makes what is there work better at recognizing and being effective. I have an immune deficiency that I don't make antibodies. Still since there is so much we don't know about the immune system and I've never had more than a reaction of feeling a little tired or under the weather for a day my immunologist thinks it can't hurt me and can only help.

One of my Facebook friends is friends with someone we went to a singles ward together with. This guy has basically said he can't get vaccinated now cause he was politically in the anti-side and he can't admit we were right. It is our fault for making fun of him or insulting him. Which is funny cause the mutual friend is actually super conservative, he just didn't follow Trump. This anti-vaxx guy has gone just short of saying that if anything bad happens to him it is now our fault. This is a man who has non-ironically complained many times about liberal snowflakes. Though I guess in no true Scotsman fashion, it is impossible for an alpha male like himself to be a snowflake.

Does the guy realize he can get vaccinated without telling the world about it? Lack of logic going on there.

[Dwight]

This guy using his own numbers that I rounded to help his case were basically 1 in 100,000 reaction to the vaccine that might be more than a day or two, is too risky vs. 1 in 100 you die from covid (he left off the long-term and other complications from surviving covid). He just couldn't understand the difference in magnitude in numbers, never mind the difference in what a bad vaccine reaction is to a bad long-term effects from covid is in comparison.

Logic is not his friend. It's why I will be celebrating Thanksgiving in Sweden again this year, too many of his kind in Salt Lake for me to risk it.

[Chap]

This guy using his own numbers that I rounded to help his case were basically 1 in 100,000 reaction to the vaccine that might be more than a day or two, is too risky vs. 1 in 100 you die from covid (he left off the long-term and other complications from surviving covid). He just couldn't understand the difference in magnitude in numbers, never mind the difference in what a bad vaccine reaction is to a bad long-term effects from covid is in comparison.

Logic is not his friend. It's why I will be celebrating Thanksgiving in Sweden again this year, too many of his kind in Salt Lake for me to risk it.

When I read this, I first thought "What? This guy can't tell the difference between 1 in 100,000 risk and 1 in 100 risk?". (Of course those risks are not strictly comparable, but still ...)

But now I think I can see how things are going inside his head. Getting vaccinated is a positive action on his part. So he thinks "If I get vaccinated, there is a risk that I may get a serious reaction. So If I don't get vaccinated, I can reduce that risk to zero! That's a no-brainer."

Simply carrying on his life as normal and staying unvaccinated does not seem to him to be a positive decision at all. It is not "doing something", it is "doing nothing". And "doing nothing" is surely the safe choice. I mean, there he is, living like he always has lived, and that has always been OK so far. So why shouldn't it continue that way? Your "Hey! There is a risk you may catch COVID and die if you just carry on as normal" does not impact his sense of security enough to make him take the 'risky' vaccination decision.

[Atlanticmike]

I'm very sorry to read this. Condolences.

Yeah, I didn’t know the guy, but it’s sad when reality dawns on them in the hospital.

So. This is serious. Very. I came to the hospital with an oxy sat level of about 60. As many of you know, that is near coma, and brain damage.

I had no idea I'd be reacting this way, I'd taken the dang vaccine months ago, I just wish they'd drop all the riggamaroll with it all.

Prayers are always requested and accepted. It might be more than a month ask for me.

Shout out to st. Mark's hospital.

That was the 4th, and he passed on the 8th. Here’s one of the prayers in the comments section under his post:

Father God we lift Ed up to you in prayer. Please touch his body with the healing blood of Jesus Christ and heal him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Make him healthy and whole in the name of Jesus. You know his needs Father God. Please meet his needs and draw him close to you. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

The post by his daughter is absolutely heartbreaking. She lost her ‘daddy’ and ‘best friend’. So sad that all the bs online influenced his decision against vaccination.

- Doc

I know one person who passed away and didn't get the vaccine and three who had it and passed away. You guys are sick in the head. Does the vaccine work? Yes. For the most part yes. Is it a cure all? Xxxk no!! We should preaching from the highest mountains that people should be exercising and trying to get to the ideal body weight for their size. The CDC published a report that says 73% of deceased covid patiens had obesity or were overweight. Also, good nutrition and hydration are key to help in fighting covid once infected. WALKING!!! EXERCISE!!! And making sure you're taking plenty of vitamins if your levels are off, especially vitamin C, D and E.