Vaccinated & Unvaccinated: The Stigmas That Divide

A stigma is a way of negatively viewing someone, based on belief, habits, choices, etc... whether those are good or bad, it can make the other person feel inadequate. 

Today in the midst of COVID-19, there's somewhat of a division between people who take the vaccination and those who don't. 

The vaccinated stigmatize the unvaccinated for viewing them as irresponsible, not educated and/or uncaring. The unvaccinated can stigmatize the vaccinated for exactly the same reasons. Not everyone feels this way of course, fortunately there are those who understand that this is a matter of choosing the best option; that should be based on the individuals preconditions. It is for the best chances of survival. Ignorance is bliss? In this case is curse.

Vaccination or not, it can also come down to ethics. Why you (a healthy privileged individual) get to take a vaccine that is more needed in an impoverished part of the globe? If we think in terms of vulnerability, is clear, many of us don't need vaccination, but there are many out there who actually need it and may have no access to. 

One can fear death from natural infection, but one can also fear death, or even worse, a morbid life after vaccination. They are both a risk one will have to take.

You read that right, there's been many people now speaking of morbid health and functioning after vaccination(1); one or a combination of cardiovascular, neurological, and cognitive problems have been observed after vaccination. Observational studies have shown significant increases of inflammatory agents, which are linked to health complications for those with preconditions. 

Some are under the illusion that being vaccinated means they can walk around freely without a mask on and they wont cause any problems to others or themselves. Others think they have invincible immune system so they don't worry much and act like vaccinated person above. This is by far the worst attitude and one of the main ways of infecting many; so don't be any of these two individuals. 

In the US corporate, people may be required to be vaccinated if one wants to part take in society. That is simply not justifiable, specially knowing that many other countries have made natural immunization a valid pass for its people. That is to say, the problem is rooted in "get everyone vaccinated" without a good reason too. This capitalism is only rooted in the numbers and not the well being of your life, so you have to make the right decisions yourself. 

Moreover, an Israeli study (2) suggests superior protection through infection & recovery. There's speculation of greater immunity when recovered from infection + vaccine & a bit less effective vice versa; this is considered hybrid immunization. It is worth noting that full vaccination + booster, provides slightly better protection compared to natural immune system after recovery alone, but the data on booster is only 0-2 months due to how recent it is. More comparative data will come as time progresses on booster population. 

In contrast to the full vaccination + booster, a recent study from Africa (3) suggests that recovering from the omicron variant will boost your immune system x4.4 against the Delta variant, but not as effective the other way around.

It seems in conclusion the best thing to do -whether vaccinated or unvaccinated- is to stay healthy, follow the guidelines for COVID, and be mindful  of the most vulnerable. We should all have a choice, and natural immunity should be seen as effective as data shows. The vaccines should also be focused towards the people who actually need the aid, taking into consideration underlying conditions. 

Nonetheless, those who choose a more natural approach to this virus, are suffering from the stigmatization from friends and colleagues, and which is rooted in the system. 

I can only imagine how this data would interact in ICEARTH for the benefit of the individual, without having to create unnecessary stigmas.

References:

(1) Heart Risk After Vacc : https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.144.suppl_1.10712

Heart Risk After Vacc (video)

(2) Israeli Study : https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.04.21267114v1.full-text

Odds of Reinfection and Severe COVID | Natural vs Vaccinated immunity vs Hybrid vs Boosters (Video)

(3) Omicron Boost Against Delta : https://www.ahri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MEDRXIV-2021-268439v1-Sigal_corr.pdf

Omicron is displacing Delta science (Video)