Covid vaccine side effects

Laiya

Thu, Apr 22 2021, 9:38 pm

DrMom wrote:

Assuming this data is accurate, these absolute numbers are meaningless. It is only meaningful if reported as a percentage of those vaccinated.

If you do that, you can see that the risks are extremely low.

I don't think that percentages of people who suffer adverse reactions are meaningful because that doesn't account for the fact that all individuals do not have equal *absolute* risk of suffering from an adverse reaction; there are specific factors that put some people at higher risk than others.

Medications, following years of clinical trials and upon full FDA approval, generally tell us what those risk factors are, for example risk of stroke from MedicationX might be higher for those with obesity, family history, etc. Knowing the risk factors enables us to make an informed decision as to what type of risk we are willing to undertake.

But since the mechanisms that cause these vaccine adverse events is not yet understood, let alone which factors may put certain individuals in higher risk categories, it's not possible to properly assess how much risk is entailed.