Photo: AFP
Top Three Takeaways – August 6th, 2021
- If you’re going to do it, do it right. Enough with the just getting vaccinated nonsense. You can’t seemingly turn around without hearing everyone from the President of the United States, to the Fauch, to your local physician telling you to just get vaccinated. It’s time for all of them to cut the crap. The concept of “just getting vaccinated” is stupid but it’s always been stupid. That’s because just as with anything else in which there’s a variety of choice, there’s a difference in quality. Or in this case efficacy. Throughout the course of the vaccination process I’ve tried my best to cut through noise to bring you the facts. From an April 14th story I mentioned this: In March, I brought you a story illustrating two overseas studies (from England’s and Israel’s top medical authorities) illustrating that even just the first dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine were far more effective in immunizing against COVID-19 infections than the one-dose Johnson & Johnson. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, from every angle I evaluated, studied and reviewed was an inferior product. The appealing aspect was the idea that it was just a one and done vaccination. But again, though it’s not recommended, if you only wanted to do one shot, you’d still likely have been better off with the Moderna or Pfizer. The way I’ve covered the vaccines and the personal decision I made, to be vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine, were based on pragmatism following the same formula I use to provide all the stories I present. Establish the facts as we know them, evaluate them, and go where they take us. The point is the facts have always presented a clear pecking order for vaccines and the notion that you should “just get vaccinated”, as though they were all equitable or at least good options was always a farce. In the early months of the vaccine rollout the medical establishment failed to clearly communicate the truth because they were more concerned with getting people immunized with something than they were with providing you with clear, concise, information for you to make a fully informed decision. Now they keep the “just get vaccinated” narrative alive because they’ve been beholden to it and would have to account for why they weren't transparent in the first place. But for everyone who’s still on the fence about getting vaccinated, you shouldn’t be. You should be informed, and you should know that demonstrably...
- Moderna is the best. And it’s proving to be not even that close. Pfizer’s vaccine has proven in its most recent study to retain 84% efficacy after six months against the original COVID-19 strain. That’s good. Moderna’s just released study, 93% efficacy after six months. That’s best. Then factor in the recent studies I shared with you on Wednesday, which show the mRNA vaccines are the ones most to be effective against the Delta variants. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are the two which fit that distinction. All of this is to say that just as was the case in January, when I said it then, it remains the case now. Moderna is the best. Pfizer’s a viable option. And it’s frankly absurd to opt for the Johnson and Johnson at this point based on the information available. And btw, just yesterday FIU’s Dr. Aileen Marty affirmed as much when I spoke with her. But then again, we had a different version of the same conversation in March. The truth has always been out there, it just intentionally hasn’t been communicated. All available research says that you shouldn’t “just get vaccinated”. It says you should get vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine if you haven’t yet been vaccinated. Meanwhile if your kids are getting ready to go back to school in South Florida and you’re wary of the threat of mask mandates...
- There’s Hope. As in Florida’s Hope Scholarship. Today the Florida Board of Education will take up a meeting that will likely result in new rules mandating parents be able to opt out of mask mandates for districts which attempt to implement them, but that’s not all. You’re familiar with the phrase “hostile work environment”, you might call school districts with mask mandates “hostile educational environments”. That’s because Florida’s Board of Education will also take up a likely rule change which will allow parents of students in district schools with mask mandates to access Florida’s Hope Scholarship. Quoting the proposal: The agency finds that the potential for student learning loss and educational disruption with schools starting next week, creates an immediate danger to the public health, safety and welfare of students and requires emergency action. So yeah, there’s likely away out for parents along with a likely better education anyway, should districts like Broward attempt to play this game. Also, related, Nikki Fried said she’s working with the While House to bypass the state to fund local school districts in defiance of the Florida Board of Education. She’s clearly smoking too much of her product. And speaking of hope, having Florida rid of her and with an actual agricultural commissioner after next year is more reason for hope.