Why are people so afraid of the vaccine?

wiki

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 10:05 am

I'm curious why it seems like many people on this site seem more afraid of the medical risks of the Covid vaccine than they are of the virus itself. I understand emotionally that there's an unknown risk in things that haven't been studied for long, but I'd like someone to explain the fear more rationally to me.

If you're someone who is hesitant to get the vaccine when it is FDA approved, could you clarify for me:

--How many people would have to take the vaccine without experiencing weird side effects for you to be reassured?
--How many months/years after the subjects got their shots would you want them to be observed before you would be reassured of the lack of long-term consequences?
--What examples of past vaccines that gained FDA approval ended up having *scientifically accepted* long-term side effects that were not known at the time that the vaccine was approved? Were any of these long-term risks anywhere near the risk level that we know Covid has? (The only thing I've seen cited is a tuberculosis vaccine from decades ago that caused paralysis in like 5 cases out of 40 million. I would take my chances with a vaccine like that in a heartbeat over the risks of Covid, which are far, far, far, far more severe than 5 in 40 million.)
--If all the epidemiologists vouched that they were totally comfortable with giving themselves and all their loved ones the vaccine, would that reassure you? (Because as far as I can tell, that's what the epidemiologists are saying.)

I am very willing to accept people's hesitations, but I don't really understand them (beyond emotional fear) at this time and would love someone to explain their feelings in numbers.

finprof

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 10:13 am

Fear of the unknown.
Lack of trust in science.
Fear of vaccines in general.
Lack of education which makes them think that all "Doctors" have the same level of education- ie why should I trust an epidemiologist, virologist or infectious disease expert over my friend the GP. This also explains the inability to distinguish between a the quality of analysis in a peer reviewed study vs a Youtube video.

keym

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 10:23 am

Personally I'm concerned that the 90% or 95% effectiveness exaggerated. Not the scientists fault. I think 90% is easier to get to when the testing subjects are fairly limited. Especially considering I haven't seen significant number of trial vaccines on elderly, diabetics, asthmatic, children, pregnant, etc.
I have high risk family, so I remember when the flu shot was rolled out some 25 years ago. It was touted as 85% effective and look at that.
If the covid-19 vaccine is indeed 90% effective then I'd consider it. If it's only 20-40% effective like the flu shot, then I'm not sure the well documented side effects are worth it.

Not to mention, covid-19 is so new that we don't know the long term effects, so how can we say we know the long term effects of the shot.

Personally, my family is young and reasonably low risk. So it will be a year or so until the shot is actually available for us to use.

Elfrida

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 10:24 am

Part of the problem is that this vaccine was developed very rapidly, using an entirely new technique. It utilizes mRNA, and somehow the word has spread that it will entirely change your DNA. If it were true, that would indeed be a scary concept. Many people appear to.lack the scientific knowledge to understand that this is impossible.

LovesHashem

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 10:24 am

I'm educated. It's just if you look in the history of vaccines, all rushes vaccines had long term side affects. Look it up with the chicken pox or polio vaccine. Whoever comes out with it first is going to make millions, they don't lose out from pushing something that hasn't been tested well.

I vaccinate for everything. But all vaccines we have today have been around for over ten years and it's long terms affects have been reduced if not cut out.

This is very rushed. Everyone wants it NOW.

I am not anti a vaccine I'm just cautious and way that it was rushed and there will be long term side affects. It's very scary.

It's not about fear of the unknown or fear of viruses or vaccines. It's very logical to be wary of something that was rushed and people are desperate to get. And every company wants to be first on the market.

amother

Bronze

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 10:24 am

Im nervous of the unknown long term affects it might have on kids still growing up.
Thats not to say we wont all get the vaccine, but the fear of the unknown and of the vaccine being so "young" and not having anything to base anything on about it.

Sort of like thalidomide. The affects from that werent known at the time and there were long lasting affects on children.

So that is really my only fear, what this vaccine may end up doing to our children in 5, 20, 30 years that we have no idea of now Sad

amother

Cobalt

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 10:41 am

Because as much as everyone wants it instantly, good science cannot be rushed. Only time will tell long term effects. Source: History of vaccines & medicines. Its a gamble to jump in or not.

When each person does their own cost-benefit considerations they will decide on their own circumstance. That really is very different person to person.

When these vaccines roll out, those who take them are actually part of the next stage trials.

amother

Wheat

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 10:47 am

It isn't your standard vaccine. It is a mRNA that plays with your DNA. That's what's different and scary because anyone who cares about their long term health will want to see how it is after many years and not have it rushed even though the nature of this kind of vaccine lets it be more rushed. Many also don't want their DNA played with and manipulated. We don't know what could come of that. Many people are fine with regular vaccines are not fine with this, especially if forced upon us with the Covid scare and more importantly if it is forced on kids who aren't getting sick at all. We won't know long term effects or effectiveness for a long time after we'll have taken it already. Very few are dying from Covid alone, most have co-morbidities and you have to weigh that risk carefully with a high risk vaccine.

PinkFridge

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 11:00 am

amother [ Wheat ] wrote:

Hm, there's what you say and what Elfrida said upthread.
Anyone have links on the subject?

amother

Cobalt

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 11:13 am

PinkFridge wrote:

Hm, there's what you say and what Elfrida said upthread.
Anyone have links on the subject?

https://www.phgfoundation.org/.....cines

https://m.jpost.com/health-sci.....49253

https://www.bloomberg.com/news.....tions

There is concern for long term auto immune side effects and there is only one way to find out.

The scientific world is very excited about this the way NASA was excited to send their first rocket to the moon.

It could blow up, or it could not. Thats why its usually tested long term on animals first.

southernbubby

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 11:17 am

After one bout with Covid, I want that vaccine.

This situation with rampant spread is wreaking havoc with family life and the economy and in places like Oregon you can sit in jail for 90 days for having guests in your house, in Pennsylvania, if anyone enters your house, both the guests and the hosts must wear masks and if you live in South Dakota, they don't make anyone do anything but they have the highest death rates in the country.

I want to see my family in Israel and not have to sit in quarantine.

amother

Honeydew

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 11:29 am

I don't think I really trust the FDA anymore. Trump has meddled too much with civil servant agencies and the people with power are mostly sycophants. I'm afraid that political pressure will cause them to approve vaccines or treatments without sufficient vetting. Not to mention the powerful pharmaceutical lobby. And I'm normally pro vax and I do get my kids vaccinated.

amother

Floralwhite

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 11:54 am

It doesn’t affect your DNA at all any 9th grade biology student can tell u mRNA is a translation ( or a step after) of your dna meaning to get mRNA you need to manipulate DNA and that is what covid does to make millions of copies of itself. The vaccine bypasses your dna and only delivers an mRNA for the spike protein. Your cell will than translate that rna into protein for your immune cells to make antibodies and T cells against the important spike protein. This has nothing to do with dna. The virus on the other hand can manipulate your dna and perhaps chas v shalom insert itself and disturb areas of the dna that can control cell growth potentially causing harmful disease.

yksraya

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 12:07 pm

amother [ Azure ] wrote:

I already got the virus. The vaccine is just a way to get the same antibodies. I don't think the vaccine has any scary side effects, but with every vaccine there is some risk, and I am also not the type of person who gets needles stuck in them for fun.

what we are seeing now though is, that the antibodies do wear off and people do get the virus again. The vaccine is very important, It just needs more time and testing.

#BestBubby

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 12:07 pm

dena613 wrote:

I'm very pro vax. My kids get ask their shots on schedule.

This new one makes me nervous because it was made do hurriedly, not enough research and trials.

Mazel Tov - you are now an anti-vaxxer.

Anyone who is opposed to even ONE vaccine is an "anti-vaxxer" per the government & Fake News.

BH that people are finally waking up that government does not have the right to force people
to inject stuff into their bodies against their will!