I hear you. I definitely do not think it should be mandated. I for one was very hesitant to get it because I did not like the public pressure Trump was putting on the FDA to quickly approve the EUA. He was berating the organization almost non-stop for being too slow when in fact, they were probably rushing too much. That really bothered me.
But in the end, I put my trust in the scientist and researchers, who have spent their entire lives studying this stuff, that the vaccine wouldn't turn me into a pumpkin. In my federal agency that I worked for, we had well in the 90% range of folks who took the shot which was offered at work in the early 2021 period. Of the many thousands who took it, we had no deaths and only a few severe reactions. One of my employees had a serious reaction but she was told by her personal doctor not to get it due to reactions she had to previous flu vaccinations. But she really wanted it so she did it. Even went back for the second shot but the medical team was ready for her at that time. lol. Prior to the vaccinations, I lost a colleague to the virus which was a shock to everyone. He was in his 40s, prior special forces and in fantastic shape. The virus attacks people in different ways. Some have very little, to no issues and others are taken out or have long term problems. But end of the day, it should be an individual choice.
I know a lot of folks, thanks to our prior administration, have little to no faith in the "government." But what folks need to realize is that the "government" is made up of people like me and my former colleagues. We always did the right thing, were extremely patriotic, were willing to put our lives on the line, and truly cared about what we did/do. These people have families and friends and they want the best for them as well. The vast majority do the right thing and don't cut corners. These scientist/researchers have spent a lifetime studying and honing their expertise. In these matters, I defer to them. At some point, you have to trust the system. You have to trust your fellow Americans. But alas, that truly is not the case today. We have turned on ourselves and I see no course correction. I'll just say, I'm glad to be retired and am looking for a quiet little corner of the earth to go spend happy time :) But in the meantime, let's focus on what is really important and get some money out of HG*N and SOL* Hahahaha. Actually, I shouldn't mention those two tickers in the same paragraph. SOL* is trash.
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