I try to keep my comments local to Malibu. We all have opinions on national and international issues, but we have enough problems to deal with here and the broader issues only serve to divide us. But I want to opine on COVID, since it affects each of us and there is so much misinformation. I come at this from a background of economics and statistical analysis.
First, Sharon and I got our vaccines early—I got up at 3 a.m. to register at a time when appointments were very difficult to get. I’m disappointed that the vaccine does not provide long lasting protection and, contrary to assurances, does not provide immunity from disease. It is now clear that protection declines substantially within several months of being jabbed. The bottom line: You can catch the disease and get sick even if vaccinated, though your chances of serious illness are reduced significantly compared to those with no antibodies.Â
Notice I did not say those unvaccinated. This is because those who have had COVID—who thus have natural immunity—are, according to a large-scale Israeli study, 27 times more protected from catching COVID than those fully vaccinated. Until this is acknowledged and incorporated into the government vaccine mandates, COVID policy will continue to be divisive, and politics, misinformation and conspiracies will proliferate. There are 15 separate studies that show natural immunity lasts far longer than vaccinations.Â
Secondly, there are real side effects. Some people will have a reaction more severe than a sore arm. While the chance for a bad reaction is small for most adults, for children the risk of serious side effects such as heart issues are much higher than the risk of the disease itself. Only .06 percent of deaths in the U.S. are among those ages 17 and under. The CDC statistics clearly show the risk of COVID significantly skews to older Americans. Ninety-five percent of the 643,858 COVID deaths (as of Sept. 8) in the U.S. are over 50 years of age. Ninety-two percent are over 65.
But back to kids. Another Israeli study shows a single shot of the Pfizer vaccine for children 12-15 provides 100 percent immunity. This avoids the need for a 2nd doze, where heart complications seem to originate.
In the UK, the 80 per cent of citizens who are fully vaxed account for 75 percent of COVID infections. That means the 20 percent who are unvaccinated are getting sick only at a slightly higher rate than those vaccinated. Unfortunately, this means vaccinations are not putting an end to this plague. As a result of this study, Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently cancelled plans for a vaccine mandate in the UK.
As of today, Sept. 15, it seems that the Delta variant surge is diminishing. While that’s good news, we now face the question of booster shots. Again, relaying on a separate study from Israel, it appears the third shot is worthwhile for those with compromised immune systems, who are over 60, or who are obese (79 percent of deaths in the U.S. were among the obese). But how will the booster react in combination with our fall flu shots? I’ve seen nothing that addresses this. What I do know is that the CDC is failing us. Had they released timely and detailed studies, the science might have removed politics from vaccines. And Americans would not be forced to rely on foreign studies to obtain the hard evidence on which to base their medical decisions.
Scott Dittrich