When is Freedom of Choice Over?

COVID-19 May Change Emmeline Pankhurst’s Statement “Freedom or Death” to “Freedom and Death”

By JOSEPH F. ANSWINE, MD, FASA

Our society is struggling both medically and politically over whether forced vaccination is in order to control the spread of COVID-19 and its devastation. Mandating vaccinations is not new to the United States. Those that know the history of smallpox in this country understand this to be true. So, mandating vaccination against COVID-19 is not without precedent.

For transparency, at the time of writing this editorial, I have received the COVID vaccine three times.

As a person of science, the available data are too compelling not to be vaccinated. Especially since my exposure to the virus and its variants is high.

Based on the most recent CDC reports, an unvaccinated person is 6.1 times greater to test positive for the virus and 11.3 times greater to die from its effects than a fully vaccinated individual. This is not just significant but overwhelmingly significant. This puts vaccinating into the “no brainer” range for a country doctor like me.

In plainer numbers, there are 736.72 infections per 100,000 unvaccinated persons versus 131.28 infections per 100,000 vaccinated persons when averaging the data from the three available vaccines. Those that are anti-vaccinators may say “See, even vaccinated people get COVID!” Of course they can. Immune responses vary but they are 11.3 times less likely to die if they get it.

Should individuals have a choice to take such risk? I suppose as a mentally competent adult, one would say “yes.” But what if that choice puts others at risk? Studies show that those vaccinated individuals that develop COVID have lower viral loads as compared to the infected unvaccinated people. A higher viral load is associated with a higher ability to transfer the virus and the disease. That is from virology 101. This is supported by regional outbreaks and percentage of those vaccinated in those regions. But they will more likely infect others that choose to be unvaccinated. That still doesn’t make it ok! And you can also infect those vaccinated individuals that are less immune competent.

The safety of the vaccine has been reasonably established. No, science doesn’t support that it decreases fertility or increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and so on.

Some say that it is wrong for a business to require vaccination for employment. Is that against a person’s rights as a citizen? I don’t think so. They have a choice to be vaccinated or not as well as to be employed or not at least by that business.

I try to be impartial when it comes to medical decisions but it’s hard to be with this one. Get vaccinated please for your safety and the ones around you.