Live Streamed Vaccine Injections
By: Clayton Craddock
Tags: Covid Vaccine, Moderna, Vaccines, Injection, Vaccine Safety

I published a post back in May called Soul Vaccination. In the newsletter, I wrote about the Swine Flu Epidemic Fiasco of 1976. You probably never heard about it until now.

Why is that the case?

In the winter of 1976, a novel strain of influenza caused hundreds of respiratory infections at Fort Dix in New Jersey. The virus appeared to be closely genetically related to the 1918 flu pandemic that killed over 100 million people globally. Health Secretary F. David Matthews solemnly predicted at the time: “We will see a return of the 1918 flu virus that is the most virulent form of the flu. In 1918 a half-million Americans died. The projections are that this virus will kill one million Americans in 1976.”

It sounds similar to the predictions we heard about deaths from COVID-19 in February and March of 2020.

President Gerald Ford’s administration embarked on a zealous campaign to vaccinate every American. In late March of 1976, President Ford announced the federal government’s plan to immunize “every man, woman, and child in the United States.” Emergency legislation for the “National Swine Flu Immunization Program” was signed on April 15th, 1976. Some suggested the vaccination campaign seemed politically motivated due to Gerald Ford’s reelection campaign that year.

The vaccination program turned out to be a deadly mistake. Adverse reports soon surfaced about the vaccine. Due to the urgency of creating new immunizations for a novel virus, the government used an attenuated “live virus” for the vaccine instead of an inactivated or “killed” form, increasing the probability of adverse side effects among susceptible groups of people. A neuromuscular disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome was discovered in recipients of the drug, and vaccinations were halted about two months after they began.

The vaccine subsequently resulted in over four-hundred and fifty people developing the paralyzing Guillain-Barré syndrome. The New York Times went on to declare the vaccination program a “fiasco.” It was a clear repudiation of what was supposed to be a well-intentioned public health initiative by the United States government.

The lingering effects persist. American’s distrust of vaccines can be traced to this disaster. The 1976 Swine Flu debacle caused millions of concerned citizens to perceive both the flu and the flu shot negatively.

In November, we’re now talking about several new vaccines that are ready for FDA approval. Why would anyone think a massive mistake like the 1976 Swine Flu fiasco won’t happen in 2020?

There is reasonable skepticism. When I went to Montefiore Hospital here in The Bronx to get my latest COVID-19 and antibody test today, I asked the nurse about his opinion about any new vaccines.

Me: “So, I’m curious. What are your thoughts about the COVID-19 vaccines?”

Nurse Marlon: “Well…”

Me: “Ok, let me rephrase that. Are you going to get one?”

Nurse Marlon: “I think I need to do more research on any vaccines that are released. I’m cautious with what I put into my body.”

Me: “Let me ask another question: What if you were told you must take a vaccine to work here?”

Nurse Marlon: “That’s going to be a tough decision. I’ll have to think long and hard about that.”

The world is hoping vaccines are the answer to this current pandemic. But it appears the recent vaccine trials aren’t focused on answering some serious questions. What will it mean precisely when a vaccine is declared “effective”?

I think it would be ideal to have a vaccine do two things, reduce the likelihood you’ll get severely ill and be hospitalized, and second, prevent infection and interrupt disease transmission. It seems as if the current phase III trials are not set up to prove either.

Do we know if any of the trials currently underway are designed to detect a reduction in hospital admissions, use of intensive care, or deaths? Do we know whether they can interrupt transmission of the virus?

Moderna chief medical officer Tal Zak has thoughts on this very topic. He said vaccinated adults could still infect the unvaccinated. Zak told Fast Company Magazine, Moderna’s vaccine’s “do not show that they prevent you from potentially carrying this virus . . . and infecting others.” He added, “When we start the deployment of this vaccine, we will not have sufficient concrete data to prove that this vaccine reduces transmission.”

What? If you get a vaccine, you can still spread the virus? How is that possible?

He told Axios in a TV interview that was released on Monday, “I think we need to be careful, as we get vaccinated, not to over-interpret the results. When we start the deployment of this vaccine, we will not have sufficient concrete data to prove that this vaccine reduces transmission.” “Do I believe that it reduces transmission? Absolutely yes, and I say this because of the science. But absent proof, I think it’s important that we don’t change behaviors solely on the basis of vaccination.”

He went on to say, “Our trial will not demonstrate prevention of transmission because in order to do that you have to swab people twice a week for very long periods, and that becomes operationally untenable.”

What’s the point? Why is there a rush to get this to market? History shows many examples of serious adverse events from vaccines brought to market in periods of enormous pressure and expectations. There were contaminated polio vaccines in 1955, cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome in recipients of flu vaccines in the example above back in 1976, and narcolepsy linked to one brand of influenza vaccine in 2009.

If we are concerned about spreading the disease to others, the research should take a lot longer. Take your time and get it right. If the vaccinated will be “safe” but could supposedly still be a danger to others who have yet to be vaccinated, why get the vaccine? If that’s the case, social distancing, mask-wearing, travel restrictions, and other precautionary actions-even lockdowns-will still be needed until everyone on the planet has been vaccinated.

According to drug makers, everyone on earth must take the drugs they manufacture and become vaccinated before any draconian restrictions end. Oh, I get it. Cha-ching!

There is more to this tale. Drug companies are exempt from liability if a vaccine turns out to have harmful side-effects. Have you thought about why that’s the case? An amendment to the Preparedness Act for Medical Countermeasures Act, which was updated in April, stipulates that companies “cannot be sued for money damages in court” over injuries caused by medical countermeasures for Covid-19. Does that make you “feel safe” about taking a new vaccine?

Are drug companies ruling out the need for long-term studies before bringing these new vaccines to the market? Do any of the vaccines lead to congenital disabilities? If they are given to children, will it lead to sterility? What about elevated cancer risks at the 5-year mark? I honestly want to know if there’s a reason we can, with great confidence, rule out future cataclysm.

Even if a vaccine receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration, we have opposition from a few high-profile Democratic governors. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said, in a news conference in October, “We don’t take anyone’s word for it. We will do our own, independently reviewed process with our world-class experts.” New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo repeated a similar sentiment in September. He would review any vaccine approved by the federal government to ensure they are safe for New York State residents. “Frankly, I’m not going to trust the federal government’s opinion,” he said. Maybe they are onto something.

Share Think Things Through

A lot of people are nervous and fearful about taking a COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, having multiple choices makes the hurdle that much higher. Any company that makes a vaccine deserves the opportunity to recoup its investment by marketing it. Competing advertising messages could be demotivating.

Elected leaders, drugmakers, and public health officials must be transparent about the side effects people may experience after getting their first shot of a coronavirus vaccine. Will people come back for a second dose because of the potentially unpleasant side effects they may experience after the first shot?

Dr. Sandra Fryhofer of the American Medical Association said, “We really need to make patients aware that this is not going to be a walk in the park.” During a virtual meeting with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, an outside group of medical experts that advise the CDC, Dr. Fryhofer said, “They are going to know they had a vaccine. They are probably not going to feel wonderful. But they’ve got to come back for that second dose.”

In a CNBC report:

Participants in Moderna and Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine trials told CNBC in September that they were experiencing high fever, body aches, bad headaches, daylong exhaustion, and other symptoms after receiving the shots. While the symptoms were uncomfortable, and at times intense, the participants said they often went away after a day, sometimes sooner, and that it was better than getting Covid-19. One North Carolina woman in the Moderna study who is in her 50s said she didn’t experience a fever but suffered a bad migraine that left her drained for a day and unable to focus. She said she woke up the next day feeling better after taking Excedrin but added that Moderna may need to tell people to take a day off after a second dose. “If this proves to work, people are going to have to toughen up,” she said. “The first dose is no big deal. And then the second dose will definitely put you down for the day for sure. … You will need to take a day off after the second dose.”

GREAT!

I’m going to feel terrible, have to stay home from work and not get paid, be forced to continuously wear a mask, stay six feet away from everyone, and still be able to get others sick somehow? On top of that, I’m not going to know what the adverse long-term effect is?

I have an idea before anyone gets a COVID-19 vaccine, I have a list of people that must be compelled to get the vaccine first. To make sure this happens, we will force these people to do it in a live-streamed national event. It could be on CSPAN, on every cable news show, or network TV. Maybe all of the above!

Here’s how it will go down:

The first people to get the injections are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. They will be the first guinea pigs. We will watch them take that long needle in their arm for all of us to see. Next up? The presidential cabinet. Every member of congress will follow. Oooh…It will be nice watching all of the 535 congresspeople take one for the team. We’re all in this together, right? Then, each state will have a separate event for their governors and their staff. Then we get to each member of the state’s legislature-all of them, their staff, and families. The media. Every member of the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Slate, Salon, The Guardian, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and any social media outlet that punished anyone questioning what has been happening since March of 2020. Mayors are next. Especially the mayors of cities that allowed Black Lives Matter protests to destroy cities, sit in parks for weeks, and disrupt traffic during the summer of 2020. The last group of people we need to see take in that beautiful vaccine are mask shamers, cancel culture fanatics, members of the cult of COVID, and those who are dismissive of the plight of those who have been forced out of work due to no fault of their own.

After this, I might think about getting the vaccine. By the time this is complete, we’ll have plenty of new data. We might even hear commercials saying, “Take the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s safe and effective! Tell your doctor right away if you have any of the following: nausea; tiredness; yellowing of your skin or the white part of your eyes; bleeding or bruising more easily than normal; confusion; dark, black, or bloody stool; loss of appetite; diarrhea; dark or brown (tea-colored) urine; swelling or pain on the upper right side of your stomach area (abdomen); sleepiness; vomiting of blood; or lightheadedness.”

Think of it this way. Are you the kind of person to get a brand new version of an operating system? You know, the type of OS where there are all kinds of bugs and security problems? The software company has to release version 2.0, then 2.0.1, 2.0.2, and then 2.1. It’s often best to wait until they get it right so your computer doesn’t render old programs moot, obsolete, or sluggish. Sometimes, a new update can make your cell phone a brick.

I’m not trying to do that with my body. No thanks. I’ll wait.

Clayton Craddock is an independent thinker, father of two beautiful children in New York City. He is the drummer of the hit broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University’s School of Business and is a 28 year veteran of the fast-paced New York City music scene. He has played drums in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including “Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, and Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill. Also, Clayton has worked on: Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Spongebob Squarepants The Musical, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q.

You can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter.