Will your immune system get to meet the spike protein? The answer is probably yes. If you are not vax'd, the odds of you getting Delta are very high. Death, taxes, Delta. You can choose how prepared you are when these come around because they are certainly going to be coming around. It's not 'if' but 'when'. So, what then?
Does the vaccine work to reduce deaths and hospitalizations? The answer to that is a resounding YES! For now, vaccines work very well for most people.
Source: https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2021/jul/deaths-and-hospitalizations-averted-rapid-us-vaccination-rollout (Note: this is a model of what would have happened without vaccination. The red line is a prediction based on measurements, but it is not a measurement that can be made. Fortunately, we can't know for sure how many people would have died without the vaccine.)
Why would I get vax'd? Cases are rising most among unvaccinated, but because the vaccine is not 100% effective, there will be cases of vaccinated people (read: vulnerable people) who get infected, hospitalized, and even die. However, vaccination reduces rates of all of these. That's how only 95% effective works; 5% are still somewhat vulnerable. Sadly, while the most vulnerable people hope to be protected by vaccination, rising cases among the unvaccinated increase the odds of the vaccinated & vulnerable contracting the disease and suffering most significantly. You can protect these people by getting vaccinated and ensuring they have fewer chances to contract this disease.
Source: https://www.longbeach.gov/press-releases/city-of-long-beach-sees-significant-rise-in-covid-19-cases/
Source: Ed Young, How the Pandemic Now Ends, The Atlantic
What about kids? This is the one everyone asks me. And honestly, I think this is hard. Kids are the least at risk personally, but they can help by not spreading Covid-19. Reducing transmission reduces the chances of mutation and the odds of infecting someone who is vulnerable (even if vaccinated). If your kiddo is old enough and healthy enough to get vaccinated, there are very good reasons to vaccinate. However, I think it's worth having a discussion about the relative risk. Their decision to get vaccinated is really more than just self-care, it's about compassion for others. And sometimes compassion for others does involve some personal risk and discomfort. And I don't think that's a bad lesson to teach our kids.
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