Steve got it right at the beginning, then something happened on the way to the fare; his reality clashed with the raw nature of existence in an Undemocratic Capitalist society which is ALL governed by greed

I believe the lies about Covid vaccines are the primary cause of the loss of faith in vaccines.
We were told they would prevent infection and stop transmission. Both were wrong.
We were told they had been extensively tested and proven safe. Except they weren't. The Astra Zeneca vaccine was removed from the market due to side effects. The mRNA vaccines caused many cases of pericarditis and myocarditis in otherwise healthy young people who never needed vaccinating against Covid.

DavidL,

Spot on. The problem was that government and the medical community had talked themselves into a corner by pushing the lockdown mantra and they needed a way to get out of the hole. Vaccines were that saviour. But in order to get the required numbers to sign up, they had to lie about the vaccine's purpose and efficacy.

And now that the truth is emerging, people are suddenly sceptical of all vaccines.

The sad part is that some of those who were trying to get the truth about the covid vaccine into the public arena and who were begging governments to come clean, also predicted exactly this anti-vaccine reaction. They were ignored and often censored and now the price is being paid.

DavidL,

No, the primary cause of the loss of faith in vaccines was a politically motivated misinformation campaign from those who have a simplistic understanding of freedom.

//We were told they would prevent infection and stop transmission.//

No, you weren't. The vaccines weren't meant to stop every infection - they were designed to reduce severe illness, hospitalisation, and death. As new variants emerged, their ability to prevent infection weakened, but they still provided strong protection against the worst outcomes.

//We were told they had been extensively tested and proven safe. Except they weren't.//

Yes, they were. The vaccines went through rigorous testing in clinical trials and were approved by regulatory bodies like the FDA and EMA. No vaccine is without risk, but the benefits - preventing severe illness and death - were clear. The rare side effects that emerged were far outweighed by the life-saving impact of the vaccines.

//The AstraZeneca vaccine was removed from the market due to side effects.//

No, it wasn’t. The AstraZeneca vaccine was paused in some countries due to a rare risk of blood clots, but it wasn’t removed from the market. It continued to be used in many places with updated guidance.

//The mRNA vaccines caused many cases of pericarditis and myocarditis in otherwise healthy young people who never needed vaccinating against Covid.//

Yes, some young people did develop these rare side effects, but they were mild and treatable. The risks of COVID-19 itself, which could cause long-term heart damage and other severe issues, far outweighed these rare side effects.

"No, you weren't. The vaccines weren't meant to stop every infection - they were designed to reduce severe illness, hospitalisation, and death."

Well that's just straight up wrong. In a previous thread I provided John Daysh with a series of quotes from various politicians and medical authorities who specifically said that that the vaccine would (1) stop the spread of the dreaded WuFlu and (2) stop the vaccinated from catching the virus.

Only later, when those things were shown to be flat out wrong did the effort to rewrite the history begin in the hope that the clueless could be convinced that black is white. They'll be pleased to know that, with John, in at least one case they've been successful.

"The vaccines went through rigorous testing in clinical trials "

There was rigorous testing but because they were anxious to get it out and thereby allow the government to get out of the lockdown mess they'd created for themselves, the testing was of a short duration and , while rigorous, not extensive. For example, little testing was done on pregnant woman which turned out to be a significant error.

The biggest problem with the vaccine was the claim that it'd stop the spread which in turned justified giving it to healthy kids and middle aged folk all of whom were effectively immune to the virus from the outset. In a rare moment of honesty, the Queensland health authorities admitted reluctance in giving the vaccine to healthy young adults since it was more of a danger to them than the virus itself.

"The risks of COVID-19 itself, which could cause long-term heart damage and other severe issues, far outweighed these rare side effects."

Its simply way to early to be able to make such a definitive statement which is more in the realms of propaganda than fact. You won't find legitimate researchers being that cavalier with the truth. Give it ten years.

mhaze,

You’re framing this issue as if governments and health officials deliberately misled (yes, somehow there are still no whistleblowers in all the thousands involved.)

At the time, the messaging around the vaccines was based on the data available, which initially showed they could reduce both transmission and severe illness. As new variants emerged, the vaccines' ability to stop infection was weakened, but they still provided strong protection against the worst outcomes. The shift in messaging wasn’t an attempt to backtrack because they’d been sprung - it was science adapting to new information, which is exactly what we should expect.

The trials were thorough. While they were fast-tracked because of the pandemic, that doesn’t mean corners were cut. All the standard protocols were followed, and real-world data has continued to back up the results. As for pregnant women, early data was limited, but later research made it clear that the benefits of getting vaccinated far outweighed the risks, especially considering the much greater danger Covid posed to their health.

The idea that healthy people shouldn’t have been vaccinated is a weak argument. The goal was always to reduce transmission, protect the vulnerable, and prevent long-term health issues like long Covid - issues that still affect people, even those with mild symptoms. Healthy individuals weren’t immune, and ignoring that misses the bigger picture of stopping the virus in its tracks.

Lastly, this idea that we’re "too early" to make definitive statements about Covid’s long-term effects is pure hedging. The evidence already shows that Covid can lead to lasting heart and neurological damage. We don’t need to wait ten years to understand that risk. Meanwhile, the rare side effects of the vaccine are far outweighed by the protection it provides against severe illness and death.

Anyway, we've been though much of this a couple of times before and it was a disaster for you. What makes you think this time will be any different?