Honestly that was a risk we all knew about, but the risk of dying from the disease was much higher. That's how it works. Now we'll have these data points to make new medicines safer, because that's what we do.
The issue here is denialism: people with legitimate issues caused by the vaccine reported their problems and aren't getting help. That is at least partly because the public health establishment chose to suppress information and research into COVID vaccine side-effects (whether caused by batch contamination or inherent in the vaccine itself). It took quite some time for the medical establishment to even admit widely that the side effects existed, and it's still hard for people to get compensation from VAERS.
Public health is effectively a multidimensional utilitarianism problem and the mainstream medical establishment chose to de-emphasize legitimate problems, likely because they considered it important to reach high vaccination rates, and any message that would cause people to decline the vaccine was viewed as affecting the rates significantly. Most of the major officials have done their mea culpas, and I think it's high time that we actually invest more into addressing vaccine side effects.
Anecdotally, I was at the doctor's office today and was offered shingrix since I'm over 50. Shingles is terrible, but my doctor basically talked me out of getting the vaccine, by explaining that it had significant and common side effects (sore arm, puffy arm, tired feeling) and that I wasn't really at high risk (other than my age). She also no longer prescribes dual vax (for example, flu + pneumo at the same time), also because of commonly reported side effects (again anecdotally, in my case when I got both, my whole left arm was useless for days and I felt sick, tired, and pained for over a week).
Addressing vaccine side effects? Do you understand how the immune system works and how differently people react to any drugs?? I gotta agree with the other guy and say you need to find another doctor. Idc what your phd is in, you explicitly stated you let a doctor talk you out of a vaccine that provides overwhelming benefits over risks.
my phd's in biophysics and I work in the biotech industry. I do understand (to a limited degree) how the immune system works and how different people react to drugs.
My doctor is an expert in giving advice to people based on her org's current recommendations. I also independently looked at what little information I could glean and don't see anything deeply wrong with her suggestion. I also can easily change my mind, and with a single trip to my normal pharmacist (twice in ~6 months) and get vaccinated at any time that I choose. I'm lucky enough that I can take 3 days of sick leave each time so I'm not trying to work while experiencing side effects (for example, I lost about 2-3 days of work when I had pneumo+flu vaccine a few years ago).
public health and vaccines is a complicated subject; I am no expert, but I can read into the literature and talk to people who work in the field. Please do not assume I am simply blindly following a mistaken doctor's suggestion.
Public health is effectively a multidimensional utilitarianism problem and the mainstream medical establishment chose to de-emphasize legitimate problems, likely because they considered it important to reach high vaccination rates, and any message that would cause people to decline the vaccine was viewed as affecting the rates significantly. Most of the major officials have done their mea culpas, and I think it's high time that we actually invest more into addressing vaccine side effects.
Anecdotally, I was at the doctor's office today and was offered shingrix since I'm over 50. Shingles is terrible, but my doctor basically talked me out of getting the vaccine, by explaining that it had significant and common side effects (sore arm, puffy arm, tired feeling) and that I wasn't really at high risk (other than my age). She also no longer prescribes dual vax (for example, flu + pneumo at the same time), also because of commonly reported side effects (again anecdotally, in my case when I got both, my whole left arm was useless for days and I felt sick, tired, and pained for over a week).