The scientific evidence proving ‘anti-vaxxers’ right

Summary

The article presents a comparison between the risks of death from vaccination and from COVID-19, arguing that vaccination is the safer choice despite the provocative title suggesting otherwise.

Abstract

The author of the article addresses the controversial topic of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 by contrasting the mortality risks associated with getting the vaccine versus not getting it. The text emphasizes that while there is a minuscule risk of death from the vaccine, it is significantly lower than the ongoing monthly risk of dying from COVID-19 for those who remain unvaccinated. The author uses a visual metaphor involving cats to represent the risk of death, illustrating that the risk is much higher for those who choose not to vaccinate. The article concludes by acknowledging that the title was intentionally misleading to capture attention, with the aim of conveying that vaccination, despite its risks, is the less dangerous option compared to the higher mortality rate associated with the virus.

Opinions

The author suggests that the risk of death from the vaccine is very low, around one in a million.
It is stated that the risk of death from COVID-19 is significantly higher, with a global monthly mortality rate of about one in 40,000.
The article implies that "anti-vaxxers" may not be fully informed about the relative risks of vaccination versus non-vaccination.
The author expresses concern for the well-being of "anti-vaxxers," indicating a belief that they are misinformed and at greater risk.
The text criticizes other sources of information that discuss the negative aspects of vaccination without comparing them to the risks of not vaccinating, suggesting these sources are misleading.
The author admits to using a sensationalist title to engage readers, implying that dramatic headlines are sometimes necessary to communicate important health information.

The scientific evidence proving ‘anti-vaxxers’ right

The world is currently in the process of rolling out a vaccine that is killing people. Every day, millions of people are getting a jab in the arm that could be their last.

This is not disputed.

There is, of course, another option: not getting the vaccine.

In fact, there are only two options: getting the vaccine or not getting it. It makes perfect sense — assuming you don’t want to die — to pick the one with a lower chance of killing you.

So what are those chances? Well it depends very much on your age and location, so I’ll use some general numbers to paint a picture, but I encourage you to work out the values as they apply to your age in your country.

Let’s look at option 1, getting the vaccine. Your chances of dying are roughly one in a million. That’s not nothing. People buy lottery tickets with worse odds than that.

What about option 2, not getting the vaccine? Again it differs wildly, but globally, every month, about 1 in 40,000 people are dying from SARS-CoV-2. And that’s every month, you’ll have to roll the dice again next month, and the next, and the next. (Deciding to “wait a while” and “see how it pans out” before getting the vaccine puts you in the “no vaccine” group; you’re exposed to the same risk regardless of your future plans.)

So the odds of death are one in a million for vaccine takers, 25 in a million (every month) for non-takers.

I will demonstrate this visually with cat. The cat represents death. Here is your risk of death if you get the vaccine:

And below is your risk of death if you don’t get the vaccine.

See how many more cats there are?

Being concerned about getting injected with something that can kill you is a valid concern, but when the only other option (not getting the jab) is far more likely to kill you, then a straight-thinking life-loving person must conclude that getting the vaccine is the least-worst option.

What about the title of the article?

Oh the title was a complete lie, there is no such evidence. You see the thing is, unlike most people, I care about you anti-vaxxers. I don’t want you to die. And I wanted to let you know that even though taking the vaccine can cause death, the only other option you have is much more deathy, and I worry that you don’t have anyone telling you this because everyone else just wants to tell you how stupid you are.

So I lied to get your attention. Sorry about that.

It is likely that I haven’t immediately changed your mind, and you may now go back to other ‘information’ sources that tell you not to take the vaccine (or to ‘be concerned’ — which is the same thing). I have a bit of homework for you, if you don’t mind: when you see some information detailing the negative aspects of vaccination, pay attention to whether they’re comparing this to the alternative of not getting vaccinated. If they’re not mentioning the alternative, they’re trying to mislead you, and can be safely ignored.