>and the flu shot is nowhere near 100% effective. i haven't
>had a flu in 20 years. i have no idea if the shot helped me,
>but i still usually get it. also probably helps that i never
>have reactions to it.

I mean the flu vaccine is nowhere near 100% effective. - we've had years were it's been less than 15% effective and years where it was UP TO 55% effective. The 15% is when they pick the "wrong strains" and the 55% is when they pick "the right ones."

Links: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/past-seasons-estimates.html

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm#:~:text=While%20vaccine%20effectiveness%20(VE)%20can,used%20to%20make%20flu%20vaccines.

Also there's way, WAY, more COVID going around than flu and it's likely that the FLU vaccine numbers would be even less effective if it had the same prevalence in the population. The last estimate I heard is that there are 750,000 COIVD infections a day in the U.S. right now -- think between 120 million and 270 million cases this year, whereas in 2017 (the highest flu season in the last 10 years) there were only 91 million flu infections, much less than COVID.

You are somewhere between 50% to 300% more likely to run into someone with COVID than the FLU - and COVID is much more contagious than the flu is too. And the infectious period for the flu starts around the same time you show symptoms (or maybe a day before in some cases) - whereas COVID can spread days, 3 or 4, before symptoms start. (Thank GOD I didn't spread it to my mother.)

>there are also treatment options that you mentioned, and even
>recommended to me in this post. if i was sicker, or was
>concerned i'd have considered it,

Well the medicines work now, but every mutation has the risk of making some ineffective. I'm hoping more come on the market soon.

>but tbh the less medicine I have to put in my body the better

I guess I don't equate a vaccine to a medicinal compound.
Emoji shrugging.
This isn't something you take everyday that might have a negative effect. (And there are medicines where taking them daily for decades causes no damage and only has benefit.)

>and yes the messaging has been pretty bad overall. which sucks
>because the vaccines did save countless lives., and probably
>so many more had some been better at communication.

Well, I think the current *disinformation campaigns* would have worked no matter the message - the "just asking questions" and seizing on *any* change by calling people a liar, or nebulously blaming "big pharma" can be done effectively by the "self educating" and the paid by political donors specifically and cynically.

It's amazing when you have almost no information at the start how much messaging can change as things are discovered or the initial situation changes. (See also Benghazi.)


>and i also get that they're up against trumpism, social media,
>chasing a moving target, etc..
>i *also* get the instinct to not want to say things that sound
>like parroting aaron rodgers or russel brand, but even with
>all that said, i don't think people's general lack of trust in
>of govt and drug companies is all that unreasonable, or to
>weigh their own personal experience against 'shut up and trust
>the science'.

Well if someone can trust Aaron Rogers and/or Russel Brand I can't see how they could *possibly* trust any information from the government unless it's Aaron Rogers or Trump. I think there's a good 30% of the population that are this way, and telling them shut up and fuck off , IMHO, is the best public health strategy.


>but i'm just rambling at this point lol

Let's hope you don't get the flu, or COVID, or RSV this season. If I get any of those again I'm going to be very sad.