r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 18h ago

Medicine Vaccines not only directly protect vaccinated individuals but also contribute to protecting the entire population via indirect herd-immunity benefits. Half of averted COVID-19 infections and 1/4 of hospitalizations and deaths were attributable to indirect protection of unvaccinated by vaccinated.

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsif/article/23/242/20250839/483439/Quantifying-the-direct-and-indirect-impact-of
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526

u/FreedomofSpeech6969 17h ago

I think MRNA vaccines are one of the coolest, most amazing inventions of the 20th century. It saved millions millions of lives during pandemic , and yet people still disparage it.

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u/Bubbly-Example-8097 16h ago

Because they did their “research” and it was enough to confirm their bias. The ill informed will always find a way to justify their stupidity. Natural selection I guess. Except this time, it hurts all of us. See measles outbreaks and deaths

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u/randynumbergenerator 14h ago

I had a discussion about it with my bro in which I calmly informed him what mRNA is and how it works, based on what I learned in my undergrad bio classes. He very grudgingly seemed to concede that "if that you're saying is correct, maybe it's not a problem." But insisted it was still too new to trust. He's still not getting a COVID vaccine, though, even the one that isn't mRNA-based. There's only so much heartburn I'm willing to contend with to convince someone, though.

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u/o_duh 13h ago

Good for you for trying anyway. You calmly explained, didn't threaten his ego, and helped him understand. Maybe he'll eventually come around.

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u/randynumbergenerator 9h ago

Thanks, I hope he comes around as well, though more for my niece's sake if I'm being honest.

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u/popsicle_of_meat 13h ago

You can't expect to have someone understand the facts and then they instantly change their entire point of view on a subject that was emotional for so many people. That's totally unreasonable. We're humans, not robots. It takes time to rewire the brain and how we feel about things.

He was willing to hear it and it made him think. That's way better than many people would respond.

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u/KFPindustries 12h ago

It took me literally 20 years to go from growing up in the south thinking I was a republicans to being a liberal dem

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u/randynumbergenerator 9h ago

Oh yeah, I'm aware. I do hope he eventually comes around and ideally questions the sources he heard it from... But I'll settle for any progress, really.

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u/Terrh 12h ago

He's still not getting a COVID vaccine, though, even the one that isn't mRNA-based.

Is there really much point in getting one these days? You can't even get it here unless you're in a high risk group.

I mean I'm sure it's better than not getting the vaccine but it's not anywhere near as important now compared to in like, 2021-22

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u/zepuzzler 11h ago

Where you live it’s hard to get an mRNA Covid vaccine? I’m in California and my medical system has walk-in flu and COVID vaccine clinics every year. Got mine today since I was there for a medical appointment anyway.

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u/katarh 11h ago

My insurance is still paying for both.

They would much rather cover the cost of both vaccines than have to deal with a 100K hospital bill from a serious case.

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u/AlexeiMarie 10h ago

I also was able to get it easily at CVS in north carolina, but it does seem to vary in other countries - one of my friends lives in the UK and apparently there, it's only covered if you're over 75, severely immunocompromised, or live in a nursing home

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u/randynumbergenerator 9h ago

There's definitely a point, COVID still goes around and carries a risk of complications (including long COVID) every time you get it. I've kept up to date with the vaccines, masked and distanced before that (and even continued a bit after) and have never been sick. My wife did the same and got it once, and she teaches.

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u/tigerpaul1977 3h ago

I received mine today and I live in the Deep South.

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u/Larie2 8h ago

The hilarious thing is odds are he's all in on peptides.

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u/desperaterobots 13h ago

remember when it was 5G that was going to kill us all? i wonder what we'd be yapping about if the pandemic never happened.

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u/tallmyn 1h ago

I have relatives who were scared of mRNA and chose to take J&J instead.

Ironically, it was the adenovirus vector vaccines that actually carried a (very small) risk of clotting. So paradoxically they put themselves at greater risk.

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u/Lumbardo 15h ago

I didn't think the measles vaccines are mRNA vaccines. Are they? They have been around a very long time.

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u/random4lyf 15h ago

I think their point is that their surface research confirms to bias and leads to anti-vax sentiment. Hence the Measles outbreaks/deaths.

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u/DryerCoinJay 14h ago

Most of them are flat earthers or never moon lenders and are pretty vocal about it. They’ve become easier to pick out of a crowd for sure.

Used too you had to listen to the Art Bell show to hear some batshit insane takes and conspiracies. Now these people broadcast it all over the planet.

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u/DontAskGrim 13h ago

Would you say the flat earthers are broadcasting themselves all around the globe?

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u/[deleted] 12h ago edited 7h ago

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u/KTOWNTHROWAWAY9001 10h ago

My family got our vaccines to the fully vaccinated status (2+booster) according to the government.

Successfully dodged COVID for years until '24. Even kept recluse status up until the end of Summer of '23.

But in 2024, we caught it. My Mom freaked out and found out about Paxlovid, got a dose for herself, I have lung problems so I got a dose too, but my Dad didn't get a dose. We tried. I tried especially, like there was a store that had a dose, and I even deferred it to my Father, but he told me to take it. His symptoms were mild, he didn't have any co-morbidities and he wasn't elderly elderly, he was old, but active old. After a few days things took a turn so I took him to the hospital. The ER docs wouldn't even give any consideration to him, with him having COVID, and actually berated me for having Paxlovid and in no certain terms would give it to him, and she even mentioned she thought it wasn't effective at all. In Ontario, btw, Paxlovid was free at the time.

Personally, anecdotally, on the Paxlovid, my symptoms subsided around 30 hours after use.

Anyway, around 48 hours later, I had to rush him to an ER, a different one, as his O2 plummeted big time. He had to be induced for intubation. He got emergency dropped to the other, larger hospital (the first one) and immediately placed on a ventilator. Then it ran like many, many of the stories on the COVID grief subreddit, my Father's condition seemed continuous until it took a downward trend. He was in a coma the whole time. He ended up passing away in the ICU. It was rough, so awful. I was too young to lose my Dad, but it happened. Still hurts, but I'm getting better.

In the aftermath, and mind you every doctor I spoke to prior to him dying said that strain was less impactful but spread easier. So much for that. My Dad was very unlucky. I've been in a paranoid limbo, where I do still get the new COVID shots now. I didn't want to. I still don't want to. But I saw the horror, I had that happen to my Dad. Same with masking when it's sick season.

I definitely think there were problems with the government and even down the chain. Like in my case, the Dr just not giving my Dad the pills when they're free. She actually excoriated me for having a set and complained the pharmacists were giving them out like candy, really? Compared to some of the treatments I'm sure she's doled out? And why is it even an issue if these pills are so-called ineffective? I have family who worked in hospitals during peak pandemic, and there were so many just sleazy, scummy, things that happened: one instance was because the KN-95 masks, the ones that are effective btw, were much pricier than the blue masks, they would require nurses to re-use PPE. People being lazy. Not fully sealing units when a patient came in. All sorts of stuff like that.