Here is the 2 nd of a 3-part series on the COVID-19 follies. Last week, I opined that COVID-19 is now greeted with a collective yawn by Americans. We have moved on but the virus is still here. COVID-19 vaccine interest has also certainly waned. Another yawn. Commenters who read last week’s post on Substack vehemently disagreed with me. Indeed, I have received more reaction to that post than to any other in recent memory, and the comments are still coming in. I will offer them, as well as all readers, some directed comments at the conclusion of this post How do I regard the COVID-19 vaccine? Over my long medical career, I have witnessed true miraculous medical milestones. Operation Warp Speed in Trump’s first administration was one of them. This program delivered highly safe and highly effective COVID-19 vaccines into our arms in less than a year – a truly monumental scientific achievement. Millions of lives were saved. P...
Two days ago, I received the 2025-2026 COVID-19 jab. While many of us regard this updated injection to be a booster shot, this one is an actually full vaccine. I received the Pfizer version which uses mRNA technology which – like so many other public health issues – has generated controversy, confusion and even anger. There have been unfounded claims that mRNA vaccine technology is responsible for serious and enduring complications including death and new or worsening serious disease states. There is also a belief that mRNA vaccines could induce the COVID-19 virus to mutate to a more virulent strain and could also alter the recipient’s DNA, which has no factual basis. Keep in mind that this virus, like all germs, mutates regularly. This does not mean that the vaccine is responsible for this. If I do a crossword puzzle and catch a cold shortly thereafter, it’s more likely a coincidence than the puzzle causing my illness. The list of alleged...