The COVID-19 pandemic

[Bjays93]

That's how it should work in theory yes, but to my point, we actually haven't used mRNA vaccines on a wide scale like this, there were hardly significant mRNA trials of any type prior to covid. So while this is how it should and likely will work, truthfully we can't know 100%. It's absolutely possible that there could be issues well down the road that we're unaware of. 

Once again, I'm not saying we shouldnt take the vaccine, nor am I even suggesting that unknown risks are inherently bad. Its simply a reality and again my issue is immediately dismissing people who have concerns. Educating to address vaccine hesitancy is by far the best route to go that is the only point I am trying to make. Having concerns is valid, obviously there's nothing you can do to reach trump level conspiracy theorists, but you dont have to be a right wing nut to have concerns and theres nothing wrong with having them. Using science and facts and presenting cost benefit analysis is the best way to go about it. The vaccines are not infallible, and the risks are not nonexistent, to say otherwise is disingenuous and doesnt help convince anyone. To acknowledge that there are potential risks and things we dont know, but present a well reasoned argument as to why those risks are far less than the risks of getting covid, that is the best way to approach the issue. 

Alienating people immediately is in no way useful, and just assuming because of one comment or right leaning tendency that one is a trumpian conspiracy theorist is equally useless (I'm not saying you are doing that but in general I see no room for being a moderate these days and that's not conducive to a healthy dialogue and debate based environment)

Edit: accidentally said the risks of the vaccine vastly outweigh the risks of covid when I meant to say the opposite (I've fixed it now)

We absolutely do know that the vaccine breaks down in the body. This is well understood. While we don't understand everything about the immune system, vaccines in general are well studied as well. The mRNA vaccine is novel, but the mechanisms it operates on are not, the mRNA programs cells to create the spike protein, same as a viral vector vaccine does, which are not novel. I believe there are fewer unknowns than you think.

I agree that educating people on the process by which we know that the vaccine is safe is a good idea.  But I don't believe focusing on the risks is not a good education strategy. All it will do is sew further doubts.

And I don't think anyone here is saying that anyone who has any hesitancy about the vaccine is a trumpian conspiracy theorist, I do think there is plenty of room to be moderate, but not in every space. For example there is no room for moderates in an angry mob waving anti-vaxxer signs. In some places on social media, like here, it seems to be fine, in other places like FB comments on a CTV article...forget it. I certainly agree there is significant toxicity to a lot of public discourse, but that's a much bigger issue.

It is but it's also incredibly relevant and has permeated through every aspect of covid. It is to a point where it is almost impossible to determine truth from lies. This was inevitable but covid has been a catalyst for mainstream attention to so much of this misinformation. 

Probably not for this thread but that is where my knowledge excels and is also probably why I'm a pessimist and have no hope for human beings