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Murray Roulstone
Supporter
When an individual gets vaccinated for polio guess what? They don't get polio. When an individual gets vaccinated for chickenpox, guess what, they don't get chickenpox. Today, when an individual gets vaccinated for Covid, guess what? They can catch Covid. The vaccine doesn't work. In 2019, when the idea of a Covid vaccine was floated to the public, most would have thought it a good idea as it will "stop the spread". And that has been the expectation, that if you take the vaccine, you won't get Covid. Two years later, we see that is not the case. All around the world, in populations where a large majority of those populations are double vaccinated along with maybe 2 or 3 boosters, thousands upon thousands are catching Covid. It is the vaccinated that are catching it, in DROVES. THE VACCINE DOESNT WORK. Israel is one of the most vaccinated nations in the world, per capita. Guess what nation out of the 195 nations in the world that had the highest rate,per capita, of infections, as of January 2022? Yes, Israel. This is NOT a so called pandemic of the unvaccinated, it has now become the pandemic of the vaccinated. The majority of infections are the vaccinated. This is a fact, one need only look at the figures for all the nations. Unfortunately in the rush to get the vaccines manufactured and approved, no long term studies were made to determine a comprehensive evaluation of any risks associated with taking the vaccine. This is a fact. Hence I believe one takes a risk if one has the vaccine. I also believe that the many deaths and injuries associated with the vaccine are vastly under reported. As you would be aware, YouTube, and others, censor any conversation they deem "misinformation". Christians and the world, I believe, need to wake up. This is a great deception. I'm not saying that Covid is not a killer, that it is not dangerous. But I believe that it is being used for evil. Don't you think, haven't you noticed, that the whole world, every nation is following the one script, so to speak. Mask mandates, vaccinations, shutdowns etc… Are we in the end times? Most definitely. Jesus Christ, the Creator of all things, the One who said "I will come again", said in Mathew 24:4 "Take heed that no one deceives you". This is the first thing Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. We read also in Revelation 18:23 that "for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived". The Greek word for "sorcery" is "pharmakeia", meaning medication. It is the Greek word we get for pharmacy, and pharmaceutical. Could it be that there is coming, maybe already here, a great deception of ALL the world and of EVERY nation involving chemicals/drugs? Christian's ears the world over should be pricking up, when they see populations being unable to buy or sell unless vaccinated. Could the vaccine be a precursor to the mark of the beast, as we read in Revelation 13:16,17? Maybe. Maybe not. You be the judge. Jesus Christ is completely in control. Nothing is a surprise to God. One cannot surprise The Lord. He allows evil, to bring about His will and His good. I believe uncountable numbers have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ because of this pandemic. Genesis 50:20 reads "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive". God is doing that all the time, taking what men would use for evil and turning it completely around and turning it in to good, that The Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, will be glorified. Jesus said that He is coming quickly, and we do not know the day nor the hour. But we can know the times and the seasons. Jesus is not only at the door, the handle in His hand has already been turned. Revelation 22:20 "Even so, come Lord Jesus". Between now and when He appears in the clouds to take the believers home, let us through His grace, "Be busy about our Father’s business.”
James Kraft
It is a matter of opinion. But I do not believe the government should have the power to make it mandatory to keep your job, or to do anything else for that matter. They have never done this in the past. Just more government intrusion into our lives. How well it works and what the side effects may be 2 years from now no one knows. It is a live vaccine.
Tim Maas
Maybe it's a combined product of my age (67)/generation, plus having worked exclusively for the federal government as a civilian (Civil Service) employee of the U. S. Army during my entire career, but I do not have the doubts that seem to be so prevalent about the efficacy and/or safety of the COVID vaccine; or concerning the motives and/or intentions of those developing or promoting it, or the speed with which it was developed. That is not to say that there may not be isolated individuals who are adversely affected by the vaccine, but, in my view, such occasions are FAR, FAR outweighed by the vaccine's benefits, and are NOT the product of conscious adverse intent. Nor are the motives of those in a position to require/mandate the administration of the vaccine a deliberate attempt to suppress individual freedom, but rather to promote public health and to achieve a greater degree of general immunity. (I have no personal memory of the development of polio vaccine in the 1950's, but it would be difficult for me to believe that it produced the same type of politicized resistance or outcry over the infringement of individual rights in connection with its administration that has occurred with the vaccine for COVID-19.) (Also, as far as I know, multiple vaccines against such illnesses as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, mumps, and multiple varieties of measles, are routinely administered in the care of infants as young as two months, and subsequently required for admission to public schools.)
Jennifer Rothnie
Supporter
This is a couple topics rolled into one. First, "Is the COVID-19 vaccine as safe as it can be made in this less-than-perfect world?" There are a number of vaccines out by now, at least 20, so there can be no blanket judgement. Vaccine options vary in efficacy, safety, and availability. There are several relatively safe options, but it may be a step too far to say they are 'as safe as can be.' Some vaccines still in development are shaping up to be even safer than current popular options, and to work better as well. There are a few things that can hinder a vaccine being made 'as safe as can be,' however: 1) Ignored data - this was a hot issue early on in the pandemic, when there was hard data coming out about the virus such as its rate of contagion (for the alpha variant,) the composition of the virus, and its relation to other coronaviruses. Unfortunately in some regions, politics won out. We still are learning about just how much many scientists were restricted in their work, or their work brushed off, by those who controlled their funding. Perhaps the most important issue related to vaccine safety and efficiency was the data that Covid-19 was not a novel (completely new) virus, and some level of immunity already exists in the population due to other coronavirus colds. Yet "novel coronavirus" became the popular term to label it, despite the data. Some of the best potential vaccines in development, which show the potential to work against any future variant as well as coronavirus colds, are working with the full data of Covid-19s relation to other extant coronaviruses rather than treating it as something new. 2) Ignoring side effects: This varies by region, but in some areas there are politicians and doctors who attempt to treat the vaccine as perfectly safe, with no risk of side effects at all. Yet any medical procedure, vaccine, or drug has a risk of side effects - even tylenol can be deadly. This extreme of underestimating risk can be just as bad as the extreme of over-estimating risk. It also leads to the problem of poor data collection in regards to vaccine safety, which can mean at-risk conditions are less likely to be identified. It can even increase the problem of some thinking the vaccine is more dangerous than it is, as anecdotal evidence of people whose side effects were ignored abounds. (For example, I had a severe reaction to Pfizer. I bedridden for a month with seizures, pain, falls, and on/off limb paralysis, and had to use a walker for another two. While a couple of my doctors clearly saw the link to the vaccine shot I had a half hour before my collapse, my neurologist dismissed the vaccine even as a possibility and only wanted to do expensive tests ruling out multiple sclerosis, etc. Even if I imagine my reaction was maybe a 1 in 2 million one, extremely rare, I'm not the only person I know who had a severe reaction that a doctor (or many) ignored. That immediate dismissal by some doctors as they assume the vaccine 'couldn't' be the culprit actually makes the vaccine less safe, as they could be collecting data on what underlying factors increase risks so as to make the vaccine safer.) For the second question, "will it help us to stay healthy so that we can continue loving God and helping our neighbors?" Overall, yes. Vaccines vary in efficacy, but most at least give a higher level of protection against hospitalization and death than without a vaccine. Those who have already caught Covid-19 are also more protected than the unvaccinated, but vaccines show some level of increased safety for them as well. There will be those for who the answer is no, such as those with previous reactions or known health risks, or for whom it's a toss up (e.g. young children, which data doesn't support yet as gaining a great benefit from the vaccines.) But overall, those with access to one of the better authorized vaccines do minimize their risks from Covid-19.
Jack Gutknecht
We need the type of wisdom that Solomon provides in the book of Proverbs, a book that provides general wisdom based on the understanding stated in Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” It is the kind of wisdom that calls us to examine the knowledge which is available. Proverbs 14:14, “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” It is the kind of wisdom that chooses to gather all the facts before making judgments. Proverbs 18:13, “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” So let us work to “hear” the basic facts about vaccine safety. In order to begin, however, we first need to look at some of the factors that continue to fuel the ongoing debates around the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. The research was carried out on different stages of the trial at the same time! This is one of the main reasons that the shorter COVID-19 vaccine trials were still safe. And Jennifer was right: contributing to the safe speed of the trials is the fact that scientists had been researching other coronaviruses for years and already had a knowledge base upon which to build. The COVID-19 virus is one of a group of mRNA viruses which include the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS virus). These previous outbreaks (not pandemics) began stoking research into mRNA vaccines years ago. Normal vaccine trials usually involve less than 7,000 people, yet up to 30,000 to 40,000 volunteers were involved in the Pfizer and Moderna trials alone! In summary, let us follow Solomon’s advice from Proverbs and make our decisions about whether the COVID-19 vaccine is safe enough for us to continue our God-given callings to love God and love others through ‘hearing’ the facts about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines --Terrill Wade retired M.D. and medical educator blogs, one of which is - newmedinfo.com (currently concerning Covid-19 vaccines) Dr. Fauci maintains that if you're unvaccinated, you have a 10 times greater chance of getting Covid, a 17 times greater chance of becoming hospitalized, and a 20 times greater chance of dying! BUT LATEST FACT IS JUST IN AS OF FEBRUARY 1, 2022: --WOW! "Fully boosted people are 97 times LESS likely to die from covid!" Specifically, see this headline: WEBMD NEWS BRIEF Boosted Americans 97 Times Less Likely to Die of COVID-19 By Carolyn Crist coronavirus vaccine Feb. 3, 2022 -- Americans who have received a COVID-19 booster shot are 97 times less likely to die from the coronavirus than those who aren’t vaccinated, according to a new update from the CDC. In addition, fully vaccinated Americans – meaning those with up to two doses, but no booster -- are 14 times less likely to die from COVID-19 than unvaccinated people. So get vaccinated! And boosted! And do what the CDC says now, "Wear the best, tight-fitting mask you can find, an N95 mask if you can, regardless of your vaccination status, to fight Omicron." My family and I do. The masks are not the most pleasant or fun, but there's more to life than just pleasure and fun! The director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, says, "We are at a 'love your neighbor' moment, when Americans can get vaccinated to help protect others from severe illness and death... Our best hope to end the suffering is to ensure that almost all of us have developed immunity to COVID-19. That's what these extraordinarily safe and effective vaccines can provide. They are a gift, an answer to prayer. “Please do your part. Unwrap the gift, roll up your sleeve, and save lives."
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