City of Gainesville requires all employees to get first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by September 14

I would like to see someone challenge the “proof of vaccination” requirement for everyday things, such as going to a restaurant, on the basis of being a HIPAA violation. If an employee requires it, that is one thing. I’d like to see someone submit a letter from the doctor stating that the vaccine(s) were given, but withhold info such as manufacturer, lot, etc, since working for a non-healthcare type entity (for example, you work for City of Gainesville) bc it really is a HIPAA violation if it’s not for protection on a regular basis from people whom you serve. In the hospitals, for example, you regularly encounter people sick with any number of maladies and have a very significantly higher risk of illness. The city employees in most positions, public safety the obvious exception, will rarely encounter someone who is sick and infectious with Covid and there is little data regarding transmittability of those who are positive, but asymptomatic. The science, historically, shows that those cases rarely result in transmission if normal PPE (as needed) and proper distancing are followed. I’d bet that the courts would agree that there are limits to what info an employer may receive with regards to vaccines if they aren’t in a high risk profession. In that case, a short note or letter from the doctor should suffice.

All of these places mandating vaccinations and the stories about the mandates keep mentioning the first shot and the talking head(s) for the employers (in this case, the GCC) keeps saying first shot. What about those who take one of the one shot regimens, such as J & J? If they are mandating a two shot regimen as the only acceptable, I would fight that and demand to know if the municipality is receiving any money from Pfizer or Moderna in return for mandating only those vaccines? Obviously, they aren’t following the science!!! Many studies, since the first from Penn State University was released, have found that if you’ve had symptomatic Covid and your doc draws an antibody test and the result falls above a certain level, then you only need one shot of any vaccine. The case of having had symptomatic Covid acts just like the first shot in the two shot regimen and has begun production of the antibodies and, to a certain extent, has helped to increase antibody production. The first shot would act like the second shot in someone with no exposure and push the body to make antibodies quickly and maintain accelerated and increased rates of production. This is often the stage where breakthrough infections occur bc the body is being pushed to the limit for antibody production and the larger amounts can overwhelm the body. I had two different bouts of symptomatic Covid, July-Sept, 2020 and Dec, 2020-Feb, 2021. It wasn’t fun, but Id also worked in healthcare for a long time. Two months after the second bout was over, my doc had an antibody test run. The results were astounding: my antibodies were off the chart. I knew I’d get a vaccine, but wasn’t sure which. After discussing it with my PCP, I elected to get the Johnson & Johnson one injection. The reasons were simple and based upon science and the statistics. First, J & J uses already tested and used technology (it uses the same technology for annual influenza vaccines). Second, my antibodies were actually already at a level that most of the studies showed I didn’t need any vaccine. Frankly, I didn’t want to risk the possibility of the antibodies degrading or declining in number, as many researchers were suggesting would occur. I contacted people I knew at the CDC regarding the studies to see if they were planning to adjust in response to this hard data and in keeping with the promise to follow the science. No changes were going to happen at that time and a person getting a two shot vaccine could not be considered fully vaccinated unless taking the 2nd dose, regardless of what their lab tests showed. It’s been almost 5 months since I took my one injection. Two weeks ago, we did another antibody test (my doc is trying to follow as many people willing to help her data collection so she can show if any single vaccine is better in antibody production, longevity of antibodies, and the effects of the vaccine in those who had symptomatic Covid versus those who didn’t have it). My antibody levels are still about 25 times higher than the pre-vaccine test and an analysis of the antibodies show that more continue to be produced and they are lasting much longer than anticipated!! I’m quite happy to only have taken the single dose regimen, as I’m worried about if my body might have ramped up production of the viral spike protein would I have possibly faced a third symptomatic case via a breakthrough infection?

I urge people to do their research and talk with their docs and decide based upon research and consultation. Don’t do it just bc political or media hacks are screaming that the sky is falling. There are many groups of people who should NOT take the vaccine, but should only do so after consulting their doc. The doc may have other options, such a different vaccine from the many out there, that would be better based upon your health issues. Someone who’s had symptomatic Covid, is immunocompromised, or has had strange things occur from other vaccines should most definitely consult their physician bc each type of vaccines being offered uses different vectors of action and some, such Moderna and Pfizer, are the very first meds/vaccines of their type. Those are the ones that people really need to research, ask questions, and converse with your docs to get the best information for you!! Don’t be scared by groups on side of the issue for those newer technologies and stick to conversations by knowledgeable people. Anyone who comes forwarded just beating up on people who may disagree with some of the points should send up red flags, since no one right now has every single answer yet. Additionally, anyone not willing to discuss little things or concede that they don’t have all the answers yet or the fact that there very well could be negative effects in the short or near term still waiting to be discovered, in my opinion anyway, are people to avoid bc they’ll do more damage or good!