By: Mark Glennon*
The strongest argument for COVID vaccine mandates has been that it’s not only about protecting one’s self. By getting vaccinated, the thinking has been, we reduce the chances of spreading infection to others and contribute to the broader battle against the virus.
But new evidence is strong that vaccinations do not reduce transmission by those who have been vaccinated.
A new study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal, examined 168 countries and 2,947 counties in the United States and concluded that higher vaccination rates are not associated with fewer COVID cases. The study is summarized here.
“At the country-level, there appears to be no discernable relationship between percentage of population fully vaccinated and new COVID-19 cases in the last 7 days,” the researchers concluded. “In fact, the trend line suggests a marginally positive association such that countries with higher percentage of population fully vaccinated have higher COVID-19 cases per 1 million people.” (Emphasis added.)
At the county level, the researchers said, there “also appears to be no significant signaling of COVID-19 cases decreasing with higher percentages of population fully vaccinated.”
The San Francisco Chronicle recently noted that California has some of the lowest COVID-19 case rates in the US, even though the state’s vaccination rate is lower than in many other states in worse shape. Same for some other states.
“One clear example is the New England states of Vermont and Maine,” says the Chronicle. It goes on:
Like California, many New England states have also been known for their pandemic rigor. Five of New England’s six states have the highest vaccination rates in the country, with Vermont topping the list at 70% of its total population fully vaccinated. California’s rate is lower at 59%.
And yet in states like Maine and Vermont, which had long staved off the worst of the pandemic, the delta variant has latched onto unvaccinated pockets. Maine, with a vaccination rate just under Vermont’s at 69%, has been struggling the hardest in the region, breaking its single-day record in daily new cases last week. Its most recent case rate was 44 per 100,000 residents
One scientist speaking out about the new evidence is Stanford Prof. Jay Bhattacharya, who put the question simply: “So what is the argument for mandates?”
It is incumbent on those who are imposing mandates — Illinois and federal politicians and health authorities, as well as private sector companies — to answer that question.
One contrary argument might be that the general public’s interest, as opposed to just those who are vaccinated, is still served if mandates keep hospital admissions low. On the other hand, staffing shortages are being worsened by those quitting over the mandates, as recently detailed in Newsweek.
I am not claiming to answer the question here, but it must be asked. Reporters need to start asking the question, and those imposing the mandates should be expected to put up their evidence and reasoning. What is the argument for mandates?
Put it up or drop the mandates.
Please keep in mind that this is not an anti-vax message. One thing experts and the data seem to agree on is that vaccines do significantly reduce the chances of hospitalization or death if a vaccinated person gets infected. But the issue is whether the vax helps protect others. If it doesn’t, the primary rationale for mandates is gone, making COVID vaccination a matter properly left to individual choice.
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
This column was updated to include additional material.
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Anti-vax is same as anti-dentistry. Only those who avoid dentistry may avoid the vax also.
https://effectiviology.com/false-equivalence/ False equivalence is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone incorrectly asserts that two or more things are equivalent, simply because they share some characteristics, despite the fact that there are also notable differences between them. For example, a false equivalence is saying that cats and dogs are the same animal, since they’re both mammals and have a tail. False equivalences, which generally exaggerate similarities and ignore important differences, can be used to equate a wide range of things, including individuals, groups, actions, or arguments, either implicitly or explicitly. Accordingly, false equivalences are frequently used in debates on various… Read more »
It’s about federal control, if only Illinois would be wise and brave as Indiana to reject the fine print that comes with Covid funds.
https://thefederalist.com/2021/10/26/indiana-county-says-no-to-cdc-grant-that-plans-for-three-more-years-of-covid/
Mark, your question/headline is one for people of integrity, good morals, and reasoning to answer, with any degree of honesty. In Illinois and D.C. they do not do science, they do not do truth, they do not do transparency. In our state in paraticular, we are living under a tyranical government that is at the ready to impose and enforce what comes down from on high, no questions asked. From the beginning of this mayhem, I observed that the manner and tone with which we were being addressed was similar to parent/child, employer/employee relationships. We were told what to do… Read more »
Just another scam from these lying ass politicians,when theyre lips are moving,they are lying!-I dont believe ANYTHING these dopes say anymore!@
Yeah,ooh boy that ” vaccine” works great huh,Biden ,Pritzker,Fauci?!!-umm,didnt Colin Powell just die from covid?-and he was vaxxed!?-yea,ok,im getting vaxxed first thing tomoro!!-NOT!!
In my area they are offering $100 gift cards in return for making the arrangement and getting the vaccine shot at home.
This is the opportunity to segregate those who are being ‘denied service’ without due process (whether that denied service is right to employment, ‘insurance’-monopoly -controlled medical provision pricing, rights to access public businesses such as bakeries providing cakes without conscientious-objector rights, medical provision in its entirety in violation of EMTALA, and access to public utilities such as Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon Web Services hosting, etc.). Many Americans would gladly restrict our patronage, and our professional service provisions, to only those businesses which are willing to comply with existing laws regarding due process, informed consent, and other civil rights as we… Read more »
It’s just an excuse to shove us around. The weasels are in charge and they need to continually remind us. Next they’ll claim it can be spread over your phone. A new industry, masks for phones with a handy lanyard, order now, avoid future disappointment and regret!
Well, if this virus is smart enough to know when your eating or drinking on an airplane, or eating in a restaurant, to leave you alone…
Why can’t it figure out how to infect over the airwaves too…? /s
Well Covid never affected people in box box stores either. WalMart, Target, HomeDepot, etc. none of them had to close up because Covid knows not to go there. But your small neighborhood bakery, hardware, breakfast, etc had to close because science has proven that Covid does go there. And everyone knows that when you get to your “magic chair” in a restaurant the mask can come off, but god forbid you should walk the 15 feet from the hostess to your table without a mask! Oh my god!
The absurdity of it all gives their scam away! :/
The government is slowly chipping away at sectors of the work force to prevent a large amount of people from being riled up at the same time which would lead to protests they may not be able to control. So first it was if you get the covid vaccine then no more masks and you can live your life again, this was the low resistance path that we ultimately learned were flat out lied to. That lasted 2 months, then it’s you are required to get it if you’re in this sector of employment or if you work for an… Read more »
Social Credit System no doubt.
***—and those imposing the mandates should be expected to put up their evidence and reasoning. What is the argument for mandates?—*** Normally, when you wish to persuade someone, you provide them with your facts as to why your way is the right way to go… Instead we get bribed & when that doesn’t work, they shame, when that fails they resort to threats… You are not allowed to think for yourself & ask reasonable questions, there is no 2 way conversation… Just DO AS WE SAY or be prepared to suffer the consequences, not of getting sick, but of losing… Read more »
The modern left’s embrace of authoritarianism runs through most every issue today. They must be stopped at all cost.
👍👍
Just had a conversation with my ultra-liberal SIL today. Asked her if she (and her group) would renounce the use of coercion to implement their programs. She was stunned – “how else could we get this done?” She truly believes that she and her cohorts are on a “mission from God” (RIP John Belushi).
But try & use coercion on them…
Great wailing & gnashing of teeth will ensue…
It is these “types” that enable this insanity to continue. They are smitten with what is taking place and like lemmings desire to take us over the cliff with them.
ok, I will take the “bait”. The mandates are to enslave us all. Check out patent 11107588 to control us all with superspreader social control numbers on your phone then through implanted devices. It will be slavery and hell on earth, this is real. being “anti-vax” ,as you call it, is the ONLY conclusion you can reach based on the fact that vaccines are inherently dangerous and have absolutely no liability – and the so called covid19 “vaccines” have officially killed 18000 people and permanently disabled twice that amount which represents only 1% of true victims which means in reality… Read more »
Thanks for speaking up and putting info out there! If only people would do their own independent research, if only people wouldn’t believe what they are being told and asked to do when they see time & time again the lies and frauds that are being spewed. Enough!
It’s actually sad that you have to qualify your article at the end that you are not anti-vax. That just gives the misguided opposition validation that there is an anti-vax bucket to begin with and that it’s evil to have any opinion doubting anything that has to do with a vaccine. I think most all that are opposed to mandates or taking the vaxx have the following viewpoint: “I’m ok with vaccines. But they have to be safe AND voluntary.” Of course both of those qualifiers are not true at the moment. Safety is questionable at best and simply not… Read more »
Yup, I agree, though my personal opinion is that the vax clearly makes sense for the elderly and those with comorbidities. My two kids in college, however, were effectively forced to get the vax. Knowing what we know now, that is extremely upsetting.
Beg to differ, Mark. There’s now enough “data” to suggest no one should be taking these jabs.
Documentation on short-term risks, failure to provide lasting protection, failure to not only prevent transmission but promote transmission, their likely creation of variants by their leakiness, and the completely unknown but downright scary potential long-term side effects should be more than enough to revoke emergency authorized status.
Therapeutics are the way to go. Ivermectin, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, Quercetin.
I second your post, Clown World. There is absolutely NO reason for anyone to take these jabs. I keep having to say it, THEY ARE NOT VACCINES! In their own websites they call them “operating systems”. Why in the world do we need to take operating systems that are still in experimental stages for a virus that has a 99 per cent recovery?? Please someone answer
If you read or heard the news today Colin Powell died from Covid and he was totally vaccinated. The first thing that came to mind was that he is African American and that darker skin people need more Vitamin D and are more prone to having Covid and wonder if his level was checked. This is only one of many factors but a crucial one since it takes time to build D levels to optimum (40-70)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16549493/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34293161/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7385774/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7385774/
He also died of old age. When people get old death certificates cannot be accurate, they are never accurate for old folk deaths, often they just say “cardiac arrest”. Now since the hospitals get paid big bucks for every Covid case, everyone dies of Covid!
A lawyer stands up in court to defend his client.
“Yes,” the lawyer begins, “my client admits to shooting the deceased in the head six times. But the death certificate says he died of covid.”
Case dismissed!
I don’t remember what they were, but he did have 2 “co-morbidities” (a word I didn’t know going on 2 years ago, now). Imho, if these jabs are killing normal healthy twenty and thirty year olds, what would they do to someone who is ill, weak, immuno-compromised? It is all nonsense and very evil
“what’s the justification for mandates?” For Lori it is to punish and force out police that pose a threat to her mayoral power. For private companies it is an implicit requirement for accepting all that sweet sweet COVID bail out money. For other government authorities it is a way to show that they are doing ‘something, anything’ to stop the pandemic and go back to normal. But for Biden its all about power and punishment. This is payback to all Republicans for the SALT tax cap. They’ve all but said it. We made them pay higher taxes in 2017 when… Read more »
Great article, Mark. Yes, the vax will not stop you from GETTING the virus. And the vax will not stop you from SPREADING the virus. The even putting aside the issue of side effects of which there are many, the vax actually allows/causes people to SPREAD the virus more than they otherwise would, which actually makes things worse!
And everyone, including Sleepy Creepy Joe and the talking heads on lamestream media have called this a pandemic of the unjabbed. What was it in 2020?? Liars all of them
Vaccines increase the spread. It allows people to carry and spread a viral load who don’t feel like they are sick. I had Covid 6 weeks ago, I knew it, I stayed home, didn’t want to go out, feeling sick is the best incentive for staying in. But if I were vaccinated 6 weeks ago, and had gotten Covid, and felt well, I would have been out and about, spreading it without knowledge. I contracted Covid from a vaccinated person while visiting my family doctor for a prescription renewal exam, go figure, I get Covid from a place where everyone… Read more »
Like you, I have the *gold standard* in immunity – naturally acquired…
The vaxed are narrowly protected from the initial strain, but have minimal if any protection from the variants…
Our immune response is much more broad & effective…
Yet, we are lumped in with the unvaxed…??
Hope you’re better!
One public figure, ESPN announcer Allison Williams is putting her principles first. I found her statements very compelling,. quoted in part: ““So I know I’ve been a bit mum since releasing the statement I put out a few months ago on my decision to not receive the COVID-19 vaccine. I just want to give everyone an update on my situation with ESPN. A great producer once told me ‘Don’t bury the lede.’ So I have been denied my request for accommodation by ESPN and the Walt Disney Company, and effective next week I will be separated from the company.” “First… Read more »
They are not vaccines. Words matter.
I so agree! We wouldn’t be in the mess we are in if they were, as they would not be causing the high numbers of hospitalizations, ie, as in Israel.
Here’s something to ponder. Why is it that the vaccinated need to be protected from the unvaccinated by mandating the unvaxxed to use protection that did not protect the vaccinated? If the vaccine works as is promised to prevent infection, the vaccinated have nothing to be concerned about. But if the vaccine does not prevent infection, and the vaccinated are still at some risk then why would the unvaxxed choose a vaccine that does not work as well as it is promoted. Those who are vaccinated can still get Covid AND spread it to others that ARE vaccinated and unvaccinated… Read more »