Inspired by the wise words of Martin Luther King Jr. in his “I Have a Dream” speech back in 1963, I felt it was appropriate to focus on certain elements of this memorable speech after our whole world and livelihood have been affected by COVID-19 for the past two years. Along with the fact that the pervasive fear of COVID-19 is constantly being perpetuated and emphasized ad nauseam with the Delta Variant and now the Omicron variant.
The pressure by government officials, social and family pressures to get vaccinated, and the Hawaii safe passport in order to be a part of society, leaves out those individuals who choose to exercise their constitutional right to “rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”
There is growing pressure by Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, and the Department of Health, urging people to get booster shots, since apparently the original shots are not as effective in protecting you from COVID-19, and very soon those who got the initial shots will be considered unvaccinated without the boosters.
We are definitely at an interesting crossroads and unprecedented times as we begin 2022. From the looks of things, experts are urging people to get the booster shots when supposedly they first informed people back in fall of 2020, that the COVID-19 shot was 96% effective at preventing infection from COVID-19. After a few months, even with the shot, you can still get COVID-19 and spread it as well. The booster has been encouraged, but how were the pharmaceutical companies able to manufacture that many boosters for the whole world in even a shorter amount of time it took to roll out the COVID-19 shot?
Further, our freedom of choice and unalienable rights appear to be eroding with every passing day. There are mandates, which restrict our freedom, all in the name of a medical emergency that has been only focused on getting people and children shot with the vaccine, and now the booster, all while ignoring other elements that can keep our immune system strong and truly safe.
It’s amazing how supposed experts and authorities only focus on the shots and boosters for people to feel safe instead of focusing on fortifying one’s immune system, having mental and emotional wellness promoting programs, stress reduction and mindfulness strategies, and education on proper nutrition. The power to be and stay well lies in your hands and minds. Ask questions, check in with your beliefs, and reassess why you think or behave in the way that you do. The choices that you make today will impact you, your loved ones, and the greater community. People who choose not to get the shot and who got COVID-19 follow the definition of immunity as from the CDC website:
“Immunity to a disease is achieved through the presence of antibodies to that disease in a person’s system. Antibodies are proteins produced by the body to neutralize or destroy toxins or disease-carrying organisms. Antibodies are disease-specific. For example, measles antibody will protect a person who is exposed to measles disease but will have no effect if he or she is exposed to mumps.”
The CDC goes on to define two types of immunity – active and passive.
“Active Immunity results when exposure to a disease organism triggers the immune system to produce antibodies to that disease. Active immunity can be acquired through natural immunity or vaccine-induced immunity.
· Natural immunity is acquired from exposure to the disease organism through infection with the actual disease.
· Vaccine-induced immunity is acquired through the introduction of a killed or weakened form of the disease organism through vaccination.
Either way, if an immune person comes into contact with that disease in the future, their immune system will recognize it and immediately produce the antibodies needed to fight it. Active immunity is long-lasting, and sometimes life-long.”
Passive immunity is provided when a person is given antibodies to a disease rather than producing them through his or her own immune system.
· A newborn baby acquires passive immunity from its mother through the placenta.
· People can also get passive immunity through antibody-containing blood products such as immune globulin, which may be given when immediate protection from a specific disease is needed.
The major advantage to passive immunity is that protection is immediate, whereas active immunity takes time (usually several weeks) to develop. However, passive immunity lasts only for a few weeks or months. Only active immunity is long-lasting.”
This is the link: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/
All of us deserve to feel safe in our lives, our bodies, and in our world. We should have the freedom to choose, and not be isolated or segregated by differences in opinion. Even more vital and essential is to be able to truly be ourselves, express our thoughts and words, and live authentically. Being true to yourself and having confidence in the choices you make is what 2022 should be all about. To be happy and to pursue your dreams is so essential when life is challenging, and the future is uncertain. Take this time to check in on what is most important to you.
In conclusion in the immortal words of Martin Luther King, Jr.:
“When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, (Asians), Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, “Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”