Some Wisdom from Maryland: Vaccinated Individuals Aren’t as Safe as Assumed
Recently, an epidemiologist and biomedical researcher affiliated with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore penned an opinion piece with the Baltimore Sun. Allan B. Massie recalled an experience at an urgent care examination office in Timonium, Maryland. What he found out surprised him. Despite being fully vaccinated for months, he was infected with SARS-CoV-2. That’s because, as many healthy people do in the summer months, Dr. Massie attended a house party in Montgomery County five days earlier. After all, it was OK to have 15 friends come together, and everyone was fully vaccinated. Just a day after the party, the host fell ill and was tested positive for the coronavirus. She notified the rest of the guests, but the good doctor wasn’t too concerned because they were all vaccinated. According to the leading government officials, public health officials, regulators, and pharmaceutical interests backing them, this was how we would move to herd immunity. That is, the vaccines would prevent the transmission of the disease. That’s the science behind all of this—isn’t it?
Not so, after all. As it turns out, we are just learning as we go with this pandemic, and any one person or group that claims to have “the answer” is to be most certainly scrutinized. So back to Dr. Massie. He referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines that dictated that since he was fully vaccinated, he could continue on as usual unless symptoms manifest. But he soon discovered that other party attendees were falling ill and as of his opinion piece authored a few days ago, 11 of the 15 house party guests tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19.
‘Breakthrough Infections’
As it turns out, with the new Delta variant that originated in India, vaccination doesn’t mean protection from becoming a vector and transmitting the disease to other folks, vaccinated or not. Now the good news is that none of the house party guests became severely ill, and that trend seems to be holding up, although it’s not 100%—some vaccinated people get very ill and can even die.
Massie went on the record that although his case is so-called mild COVID-19, it’s still “pretty miserable.” With symptoms from myalgia to fever and pervasive weakness, the Johns Hopkins Ph.D. doesn’t wish this ailment on anybody.
TrialSite has reported on several breakthrough infection trends, from the UK and Israel to Iceland and Provincetown, MA, USA.
Montgomery Co. House Party Outbreak Implications
The epidemiologist contemplated in the Baltimore Sun what the implications are of this Montgomery County outbreak. He concluded the following, which TrialSite credits to the Baltimore Sun—recommending all visit the online paper and read Dr. Massie’s position here.
First, Massie declared that “State and local health departments, and the CDC, need to do a better job collecting and reporting data on breakthrough infections.” Why is this important? Because the CDC declared in May, they would only track outbreak infections that lead to hospitalization or death. But due to that decision, America is now flying in the dark in terms of the actual breakthrough infection rate, how many vaccinated people are sick, and how many are infecting others, etc.
Second, Massie noted, “Fully vaccinated people exposed to COVID need to isolate at home and get tested.” This, of course, flies in the face of current prevailing wisdom out of the CDC.
Third, “Governments and businesses should consider bringing back masking requirements, even for vaccinated people.” Of course, the CDC recently announced just such a recommendation in regions with over 50 new infections per 100,000 people per week. One key question, however, is just how effective is masking? What does the latest data point to on this matter? What about the cheap masks so many wear—do they even work? TrialSite suggests even more masking research should be undertaken.
Four, “Pharmaceutical companies, research institutions and governments should prioritize research into booster vaccines.” Massie is on the record that whether it’s due to the variants such as Delta or fading vaccine immunity, the current crop of vaccines are losing their quality luster. But what about the World Health Organization (WHO) opinion about health equity? Much of the third world has little if any vaccination, yet Delta variant-driven waves of sickness now infect many low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs). Should the existing product be used to help rich, affluent nations or be taken and systematically used to help poorer nations in far more need?
TrialSite adds a fifth point—that is, early-onset treatment. One of TrialSite’s founders recently experienced a COVID-19 infection and used immediate treatment, including ivermectin and fluvoxamine, thanks to Dr. Pierre Kory, an advocate for early treatment with the Front-Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance or “FLCCC.”
The net result for the founder—by day #3, the symptoms were 40% improved; by day #5, the condition was all but gone. Why has it taken the public health apparatus so long even to consider testing for drugs such as ivermectin? TrialSite’s unfortunately been jaded by numerous activities and initiatives involving large amounts of taxpayer- or U.S. Treasury-originated money to subsidize research, development, and production for the private sector (pharmaceutical companies). Of course, this platform supports industry and wealth accumulation, which is key to any social democratic reality—but this is when it’s done in the right way and adding real value. At the same time, we oppose state-crony capitalism in all its forms. This includes the ongoing and unnecessary public subsidization of powerful multinationals or, for that matter, a White House that personally advises near-monopolistic social media players on exactly what the definition of “misinformation” is.
