Even assuming the estimate of risk given there is correct, and even ignoring the evidence for persistent damage not infrequently arising from non-lethal cases, it’s really odd to me how cavalier people are about that 0.5% risk of death. That’s 1 in 200, so it’s not huge, sure- but if you gave me the choice between running that risk or taking a shot, I know which I would go for. It would even be too high a price for a night out with my friends.
Like, a 1-in-200 chance of losing all the hopes you had for your life and instead dying an agonizing death in some overcrowded ICU, doesn’t sound like it should be treated lightly.
Other than herd immunity (from vaccination or natural incidence) what do you expect will durably protect you from infection? The positivity rate a year ago was zero, in a year's time it's most unlikely to still be 5%.
Some people can't get vaccinated due to health reasons or they don't mount a proper immune response. They need you to do your part to establish herd immunity.
I'm in neither of those populations but I really don't see why any healthy 18-25 year old would want to life a single finger for a 60-80 year old, after the latter left the former with a broken economy, overpriced education system and an unaffordable housing market. I mean, it shouldn't be on the younger (inherently politically weaker) generation to re-establish inter-generational solidarity... (You can see the effects of this even pre-vaccine - youngsters partying while oldsters arguing for lock-downs.)
That confuses generalities with specifics. The 60-80 year old that you infect might be someone who agrees with you and worked very hard to oppose those things.
I suspect the number one reason is that most 18-25 year olds actually love their parents and grandparents, and don't want to see them dying an agonizing death from covid.
Clearly this doesn't apply to everyone, but I reckon it applies to most.
Think about the people who are old, immune compromised, sensitive to something in the vaccine, etc.: vaccines protect them when enough people in the community are vaccinated that the virus cannot spread. You personally may not be at high risk but it’s still non-zero and your decision to get vaccinated will help people who for whatever reason cannot.
I'll be at home in bed, infecting nobody. And yes, I do wear a mask in public. I doubt their efficacy, but's not such an imposition that I will give it the benefit of the doubt. Injecting something of unproven safety into my body is an entirely different matter.
If that were possible, the flu would be eradicated already. You only develop symptoms for most transmissible respiratory infections after you've already been contagious for a day or so.
Maybe, if you're unlucky. In all likelihood, you'll be asymptomatic and spreading it to a bunch of other people without realizing it (which is most of the reason we're in this mess). Then those people do the same, get sick, and/or die.
You'd have probably infected people, including high-risk people, before you experienced symptoms. If you're vaccinated, you ~won't be infecting people.
