I have a friend who is anti mRNA vaccines as they are so new.

Are they?

  • Bernie Ecclestoned@sh.itjust.worksOP
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    Ok just going to make the counter argument if that’s ok?

    They are new compared to traditional vaccines like polio and smallpox

    Their view is that vaccines are now unnecessary because of herd immunity, (I’ve got them to concede that hospitals or the economy would have collapsed without vaccines), and that they are just being used up because govts signed contracts.

    Their view is that the side effects risk is now higher than the benefit.

    • alvvayson@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      So how many years does it take to no longer be new?

      The Polio vaccines are also new compared to the Smallpox vaccines.

      But that doesn’t mean we don’t have sufficient data on their safety and effectiveness. And we have comparable levels of data on the mRNA covid vaccines.

        • SandLight@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Herd immunity only works if the herd is immune. If only a portion of the herd is immune, the rest of the herd will spread disease.

          It requires a critical mass to work, and it protects those who can not get the vaccine for medical reasons (like allergic reactions, etc.)

          • Nollij@sopuli.xyz
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            It also only works if the herd remains immune. We are now seeing a return of diseases that had previously been eliminated (not eradicated), due to a decline in vaccinations. Examples include measles and whooping cough.

        • alvvayson@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          It’s basically the flu vaccine in my opinion.

          People at risk stand to beneffit most, but it doesn’t need to be mandated .