Journey

1. It is far more reactogenic
More people take a day off work/ way more Adverse Events than flu

2. Flu vax tries to predict FUTURE North America strains, BA4/5 are PAST strains…

No one tries to vaccinate people who have already had the *exact same strain* of flu with the flu shot, and yet now the CDC pushes BA4/5 in people who have just had BA5

3. COVID19 is currently LESS LETHAL than flu, particularly for the young.

4. Maybe, just maybe, we could do…

A better job with flu. Each year, we rely of flawed test neg. case control studies to estimate flu vaccine efficacy, which often yield awful, pitifully low estimates despite the upwardly biased methodology.

Perhaps, just as phones advance, evidence can advance…

We could do a whole lot better if we had more, larger randomized trials of flu shots. These can run in the southern hemisphere and inform the northern one. We do not need to be wedded to a suboptimal paradigm.

5. It is a novel platform (mRNA). There are still unknown unknowns.

6. The FDA commissioner didn’t routinely lie about the evidence for the flu shot

There is no evidence that a bivalent booster means you will be able to attend more gatherings. Just his imagination talking.

Being vaccinated and boosted reduces your risk of dying or getting critically ill and going to the hospital. The updated booster also increases your chances of being in attendance at upcoming gatherings with family and friends.

— Dr. Robert M. Califf (@DrCaliff_FDA) September 9, 2022

7. FDA officials did not resign over the flu shot. ^{(01)Two Top F.D.A. Vaccine Regulators Are Set to Depart During a Crucial Period https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/31/us/politics/fda-vaccine-regulators-booster-shots.html | Bypass Paywall: … Click for full citation}

8. The people making decisions regarding the flu shot did not exhibit a pattern of gross incompetence. ⁽⁰²⁾ The White House Needs New COVID Advisors https://vinayprasadmdmph.substack.com/p/the-white-house-needs-new-covid-advisors

9. The White House never said that it is really important to get the flu shot before the midterm election—I mean, Halloween—did I say election?

In interview with @inthebubblepod @AshishKJha46 said re: getting the updated boosters

“in general, I think it’s really important for people to get it by Halloween”https://t.co/lgwfl6Gfwz https://t.co/pmCq8R5trO pic.twitter.com/rW7LzxwqQH

— Alexander Tin (@Alexander_Tin) September 12, 2022

10. FDA didn’t usually work for the marketing arm of Pfizer, and Pfizer didn’t usually make 50 billion off the back of perpetual boosters.

FDA turned into drug promoter instead of regulator. They are acting like used car or timeshare salesman. I thought this was more attributable to doctors promoting some untested cactus juice or magic bracelet on TV trying to sell it with white coat and “MD” after their name.

— Y N (@YN00823606) September 12, 2022

11. Paul Offit didn’t usually say he wasn’t going to get the flu shot.

In short, comparing a novel mRNA booster tested in 8 mice for a strain of COVID tens or hundreds of millions have already had for a virus with a sweeping age gradient & IFR less than flu to flu, in a politicized climate where the FDA is run by incompetent political hacks, is flawed. ^{(03) “Updated” Covid-19 mRNA Injections Approved After Testing on 8 Mice and 0 Humans https://worldcouncilforhealth.org/news/statements/bivalent-vaccines-approved/ (04) New COVID booster approved from study of 8 mice, not humans with lots of questions from the public https://drpanda.substack.com/p/new-covid-booster-approved-from-study (05) Yes, the FDA Approved the New mRNA Booster on Data from 8 Mice https://www.independentsentinel.com/yes-the-fda-approved-the-new-mrna-booster-on-data-from-8-mice/ (06) Bivalent Booster’s “8-Mice Trial” Actually FAILED https://igorchudov.substack.com/p/ba5-boosters-8-mice-trial-actually}

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