Monday, December 14, 2020

Coronavirus Pandemic Day 279 - Hope!

We're at 16,368,406 official infections and 302,141 deaths from COVID-19 here in the United States.

But there's a glimmer of light on the horizon. The FDA gave emergency approval to Pfizer's vaccine last week. The first trucks rolled out from Pfizer's Michigan facility yesterday morning, filled with special refrigerated units containing vials of the vaccine. The first frontline medical workers were injected this morning.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. That the vaccine works. That there's no horrible unknown side effects from the rush to develop it. That this vaccine will safe the thousands of lives that might otherwise be lost over this winter.

I am by no means an anti-vaxxer. However, I balked at getting a shingles vaccine until its efficacy improved. When it was first introduced, the shingles vaccine was only 30% effective. I finally got one this year once I was comfortable the efficacy was above 90%.

Two months ago, I made a point of getting both the flu and pneumonia vaccines. If I happened to get COVID-19, I didn't need those two diseases piling on. For people with compromised immune systems like me, such things could mean death.

You see, January of 2007 started with a little head cold. Then flu. Then the flesh-eating staph. Then another case of the flu. For four months straight, I was so fucking sick I often had to crawl to the bathroom.

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed this vaccine works as advertised. In the meantime, I'm wearing my mask, social distancing, and washing my hands until the are raw.

No comments:

Post a Comment