Finally big pharma has admitted the Covid vaccine is potentially dangerous.

I think the government should foot the bill if there is one. We were encouraged to take the vaccine and despite some awful things happening to a very small minority, and as you state Sago, to your SiL, the overwhelming good the vaccines did should be acknowledged. It appears that Pfizer and Moderna are safer, although like with any medicines, they also had a few casualties. Far more people would have died without the vaccines.

I used to be horrified at so many people saying nothing to be concerned about, about the jabs.
Both in real life, and on social media.

Sorry, you and your family, and many other families, have been through what they have.

Why, by the way, do the threads on GN about the Coronavirus, only go back to 2022?

Or perhaps the specific section was only started at the point.

The truth is now coming out. Did the government over-react to the situation or was the whole thing an experiment?

There are no accurate statistics as to how many people suffered after the vaccine.
We will never know the truth.

The truth although terrible for those affected, is a very small truth. The vast majority of us benefitted from the vaccines because they freed us and the rest of the world from lockdowns. Even those who declined to take the vaccine benefitted from the herd immunity the vaccines provided.
Every single medicine ever invented has side effects for some unfortunate people.

maddyone

I think the government should foot the bill if there is one. We were encouraged to take the vaccine and despite some awful things happening to a very small minority, and as you state Sago, to your SiL, the overwhelming good the vaccines did should be acknowledged. It appears that Pfizer and Moderna are safer, although like with any medicines, they also had a few casualties. Far more people would have died without the vaccines.

A good comment.
There will always be side effects from vaccines, in this case a tiny proportion, but it should always be acknowledged and treated and compensated.

There's a risk with all medication. How many people have changed their medication - e.g. for blood pressure - because it doesn't suit them? In the case of the Covid vaccine, sadly some of the reactions have been disastrous.

On the other hand, as maddyone says, without the vaccine many more people would have died. DH and I had Covid earlier in the year, despite being up to date with the vaccine. I've never felt so ill, so how I would have been without the protection of the vaccine I dread to think.

It does need to be acknowledged, though, that some people may have a bad reaction (and not just in the first 15 minutes!) and there should be a better way of dealing with this.

I agree that the benefits of vaccines always outweigh the risks. It's tragic that some have to pay the price but the lives of millions were saved.

Back in the 1950s people were utterly terrified because polio was sweeping the USA and destroying lives. They found a vaccine and started rolling it out. Children were the guinea pigs but was a risk that had to be taken.

Curtaintwitcher

The truth is now coming out. Did the government over-react to the situation or was the whole thing an experiment?

What are you on about. The whole world had Covid, or are you suggesting that was an experiment too.
There are always risks with vaccines. Unfortunately.
The other side, friend refused all vaccines, died from blood clots, and multiple organ failure, Covid. 😔

Surely we are only talking about an extremely tiny number of people who this has happened to? Devastating for the families involved of course but it’s important to put this matter in perspective.
Apparently these types of blood clots can be caused by several other factors too.

How many lives worldwide has the vaccine saved I wonder?
Millions I’m sure.

There are risks with every kind of medication. I hope and truly believe that many more would have died if there were no vaccines. I know I've been lucky to have no side effects and to only have COVID once, mildly.
But within my family/friends circle there are far more success stories than the opposite.

There is no such thing as an entirely safe medication whether it is a vaccination, pill, potion or other treatment. Every medication is a poison. That is why we take it, in order to 'poison' or 'cure' a serious medical problem.

Look at the length of the piece of paper tucked into every packet of pills, listing all the potential side effects. Each of us has to make our decision on whether we should take the pill or have the vaccination.

I take anti-travel sickness pills, even though the smallest dose knocks me out for 24 hours and leaves me non-functional. I have a sticker on all my medical records saying I am allergic to pennicillin because it could kill me.

For those who suffer the 1: 1,000, 1:10,000, 1 : 1 million side effects, one can only offer sympathy and compassion. But for each on eof them, hundreds, thousands, millions, even billions are protected from diseases that could kill them or disable them.

Small pox has been eradicated and polio may soon follow suit.

I had anti virals last time I caught Covid. I have to say the reaction to those was worse than the Covid itself ( I’d had it before and not taken any). We are all different and we all have different reactions. Looking at all the bodies piling up before they had found a vaccine I have to say the vaccine has done its stuff for the majority. People are still dying but a lot less than before.

Reading the article it states that the reaction is rare and 80 people have died, a very small number compared to covid deaths at the time, it was replaced with vaccines that tackle new variants not because of the deaths.

Unfortunately with life you don't see what you have prevented.

The AstraZeneca vaccine was disastrous for a small number of people, we have to acknowledge that. However Covid was disastrous for millions of people because they died, and many more have been affected disastrously by long Covid. AstraZeneca was also a Godsend for poorer countries as it was very cheap and sold at cost price by the UK, unlike the hugely profitable Pfizer and Moderna which made massive profits for their companies. All the vaccines have freed us all from the disastrous situation brought about by Covid.

Did you see the state of people in hospital? Have you seen how many died? I don’t call it overreaction and I’m no Tory. If was an unknown situation and prevention seemed the best plan.

I had serious side effects after each vaccine therefore I won't take any more. I passed out on the 3rd day after each one, and had uncontrollable shaking all down one side 4 days after the second one lasting 20 minutes. The first 2 were AZ the last one Pfizer.
My risk of serious injury from a fall ie broken hip head injury etc, or getting hit by a car if I pass out crossing the road is far greater than my risk of dying from covid (which I did catch and successfully recovered from without needing any medical treatment)
I'm still on the fence about if the vaccine actually speeds recovery or if the virus weakened over time (as all viruses do) resulting in less deaths.
Feel very sorry for people who died or had life changing effects from these vaccines, especially those that were forced to take it to keep their jobs.

We have just had our booster covid vac. We have only had mild side effects previously but this time we were quite ill. OH 'lost' a day. It was the Moderna brand this time but we have had that brand before. As the virus mutates , the vaccine has to change to cope with this. On balance I prefer to have the vaccination rather than take my chances of catching covid.

Sorry forgot to say have never ever fainted before or since in my whole life.

The trouble was for many taking the vaccine, the risk of covid wasnt high, we know a young mum who died from a reaction to the vaccine, she would have been a bit poorly if she had had covid .

I think the OP needs to add 'for some' after 'very dangerous' in her first sentence. It is tragic that around 80 people lost their lives but their was a desperate need for a vaccine to try to slow the virus. All medications carry side-effects so it is a choice we have to make for ourselves. Sago mentions compensation. Inquiries in this country take forever as witnessed with the likes of Hillsborough, the Post Office and Infected Blood. I wouldn't count on any sort of compensation for decades.

Sarnia

I think the OP needs to add 'for some' after 'very dangerous' in her first sentence. It is tragic that around 80 people lost their lives but their was a desperate need for a vaccine to try to slow the virus. All medications carry side-effects so it is a choice we have to make for ourselves. Sago mentions compensation. Inquiries in this country take forever as witnessed with the likes of Hillsborough, the Post Office and Infected Blood. I wouldn't count on any sort of compensation for decades.

There not their, sorry!