Receiving blood from blood bank for lung cancer surgery

I guess we need to agree to disagree on this issue.

Every vaccine or other medical treatment has been new or experimental at one time, but since the Polio epidemic in the 1940's and '50's, none has been as widespread, contagious, had such dire health effects or caused such a change in the way of life as Covid-19.

There were no effective treatments known when this virus leapt into our country and turned life upside down. Our hospitals were overwhelmed, and the only tool for getting control was to shut down the country and expose our essential workers to high risk of serious illness.

There is no way to argue with the change in the scenario in the US today compared to a year ago, nor with the decline in infections, hospitalizations and deaths from the Covid virus and its variants since the distribution of vaccines began, even though we have returned to life as nearly-normal. And it is very difficult to dispute that the virus, including more dangerous variants, is spreading in areas with low vaccination rates, but not where more people have been vaccinated.

Yes, some people are experiencing side effects from the vaccine, but far fewer than from Covid. As for the argument of not knowing future effects of the vaccine, we are also still learning the future effects of having had the virus - and these are far more numerous.

As for your assertion "It is hard to believe what the truth is. Perhaps you have a difficult time finding online information because of the search engine used. Many search engines have priorities as to what information people receive first. Remember, just because you have not heard it, it doesn’t mean the information or medical condition does not exist. Makes me wonder why online information such as videos from you tube get deleted. I can understand there may be some but these videos were from credible sources like physicians who had connections with other physicians for their information."

- I do find and read many of those sources. Every time, without exception, that I have asked the author for actual, numerical data, I have received no reply, and in a few cases I have been blocked by them. That does not make me think reliable information is being reported.

- I closely look at data from sources considered "reliable" to make sure they are not comparing apples and oranges. If you want to see population-based data rather than raw numbers, you can look here; http://91-divoc.com/pages/covid-visualization/ Each graph or chart reports data based on /100,000 population so you can compare data between more/less populous areas accurately.

You asked "What happened to all those side effects reported to VAERS? Lots of time has lapsed from the beginning of the year when people started their reporting. Does it take this long for any mention? How can many reports be coincidental and not related to the vaccine? I can see some but many? It appears again for no negative response( not a word whether good or bad) in order to get more people vaccinated. I would think there would not be any hesitancy for positive findings."

- Every week, or more likely, every day, both positive and negative outcomes are being reported in the new, in information feeds like Mayo, CDC, WHO and many others.

- Adverse side effects are being studied worldwide to determine how often, how severe, and what can be done to improve. The University of Minnesota alone has 12 studies underway, multiplied nation and worldwide, this surely translates to thousands. Research-based studies take a year or more to produce reportable results.

- You can see the VAERS data for yourself using this search engine: https://vaers.hhs.gov/data.html When I search VAERS, I assume underreporting, because not every adverse effect gets reported and recorded. However, even if one assumes that the occurrence of side effects or deaths are 2, 3 or even 10 times more frequent than the data shows, the vaccines are far less dangerous than the infection.

I understand your fears, but the arguments don't stand up to the data.
Sue

@sueinmn thank you for your response. I am glad you were able to make the decision appropriate for you. Certainly everyone has the right to determine what is best for them. I have never and will never recommend a medication to anyone regardless of what I think. Instead, I will list the facts and allow that individual to decide because they only know their health history and lifestyle. I am always supportive of whatever decision an individual makes regarding the covid vaccine.
By the way you had included a VAERS website not a search engine. Search engines are installed on devices and not sent via a link. Thanks for the try. Best of luck to you.

Hi all, Thank you for this debate. As per our community guidelines: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/
"Exercise tolerance and respect toward other participants whose views may differ from your own. Disagreements are fine, but mutual respect is a must."

Regarding blood from COVID vaccinated donors.
Blood from vaccinated donors is safe for patients. With COVID-19 vaccines, the mRNA or viral-vector vaccine is broken down quickly once it enters the body’s cells and there is no evidence that transfused blood collected from donors who were previously vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine poses any harm to patients.

From the Red Cross website:
"The Red Cross is following FDA blood donation eligibility guidance for those who receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Deferral times for donations may vary depending on which brand of vaccine you received. If you’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine, you’ll need to provide the manufacturer name when you come to donate. In most cases, there is no deferral time for individuals who received a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are symptom-free and feeling well at the time of donation.

The following eligibility guidelines apply to each COVID-19 vaccine received, including boosters:
- There is no deferral time for eligible blood donors who are vaccinated with a non-replicating inactivated or RNA-based COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca, Janssen/J&J, Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer.
- Eligible blood donors who received a live attenuated COVID-19 vaccine or do not know what type of COVID-19 vaccine they received must wait two weeks before giving blood."
Read more here: https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/news/article/covid-19-vaccination-guide-blood-donation.html

Regarding COVID information
COVID is new and the science is constantly being updated as researchers' investigations, patient reports, and medical professional experiences illuminate with more evidence. It can be challenging to know what is current evidence-based information, misinformation, and even intentional misinformation. For that reason, Mayo Clinic has created a website dedicated to COVID-19. https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19

This website is a trusted source to help you sift through the information and a great place to start. On the COVID website, you'll find information about:
- Vaccine Guidance
- COVID-19 and its variants
- Tracking tools
- Post-COVID Conditions
- Mayo Clinic Research
- Further resources

Here on Mayo Clinic Connect, we have up-to-date information from infectious disease experts and you have the opportunity to ask questions. Please follow:
- Q&A podcasts with Dr. Gregory Poland, infectious diseases https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/podcasts/
- Post-COVID Recovery expert blog https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/post-covid-recovery/

I commend each of you who are exercising due diligence, researching trusted sources, and making informed decisions. That said, we may not all arrive at the same decision. The freedom of personal choice is every person's right. With COVID, you also have to consider your surroundings, fellow citizens, and make decisions that are right for your situation.

I guess we need to agree to disagree on this issue.

Every vaccine or other medical treatment has been new or experimental at one time, but since the Polio epidemic in the 1940's and '50's, none has been as widespread, contagious, had such dire health effects or caused such a change in the way of life as Covid-19.

There were no effective treatments known when this virus leapt into our country and turned life upside down. Our hospitals were overwhelmed, and the only tool for getting control was to shut down the country and expose our essential workers to high risk of serious illness.

There is no way to argue with the change in the scenario in the US today compared to a year ago, nor with the decline in infections, hospitalizations and deaths from the Covid virus and its variants since the distribution of vaccines began, even though we have returned to life as nearly-normal. And it is very difficult to dispute that the virus, including more dangerous variants, is spreading in areas with low vaccination rates, but not where more people have been vaccinated.

Yes, some people are experiencing side effects from the vaccine, but far fewer than from Covid. As for the argument of not knowing future effects of the vaccine, we are also still learning the future effects of having had the virus - and these are far more numerous.

As for your assertion "It is hard to believe what the truth is. Perhaps you have a difficult time finding online information because of the search engine used. Many search engines have priorities as to what information people receive first. Remember, just because you have not heard it, it doesn’t mean the information or medical condition does not exist. Makes me wonder why online information such as videos from you tube get deleted. I can understand there may be some but these videos were from credible sources like physicians who had connections with other physicians for their information."

- I do find and read many of those sources. Every time, without exception, that I have asked the author for actual, numerical data, I have received no reply, and in a few cases I have been blocked by them. That does not make me think reliable information is being reported.

- I closely look at data from sources considered "reliable" to make sure they are not comparing apples and oranges. If you want to see population-based data rather than raw numbers, you can look here; http://91-divoc.com/pages/covid-visualization/ Each graph or chart reports data based on /100,000 population so you can compare data between more/less populous areas accurately.

You asked "What happened to all those side effects reported to VAERS? Lots of time has lapsed from the beginning of the year when people started their reporting. Does it take this long for any mention? How can many reports be coincidental and not related to the vaccine? I can see some but many? It appears again for no negative response( not a word whether good or bad) in order to get more people vaccinated. I would think there would not be any hesitancy for positive findings."

- Every week, or more likely, every day, both positive and negative outcomes are being reported in the new, in information feeds like Mayo, CDC, WHO and many others.

- Adverse side effects are being studied worldwide to determine how often, how severe, and what can be done to improve. The University of Minnesota alone has 12 studies underway, multiplied nation and worldwide, this surely translates to thousands. Research-based studies take a year or more to produce reportable results.

- You can see the VAERS data for yourself using this search engine: https://vaers.hhs.gov/data.html When I search VAERS, I assume underreporting, because not every adverse effect gets reported and recorded. However, even if one assumes that the occurrence of side effects or deaths are 2, 3 or even 10 times more frequent than the data shows, the vaccines are far less dangerous than the infection.

I understand your fears, but the arguments don't stand up to the data.
Sue

Time on a ventilator is pretty bad too, but death is somewhat worse!

Living as a covid 'Long Hauler' is no picnic either. One beautiful young mother ended her life recently because she has suffered the horrible side effects of having had covid. She felt horrible for 13 months and could see no end in sight. She decided she couldn't take it any more. She left behind an infant child and grieving husband.

Spot On Sue! I believe that there are many people who lack critical thinking skills, and some are truly not aware of how to distinguish a reliable source of info when they see one. (and sadly do not recognize unreliable sources of info) Another hampering factor is that not trusting the vaccines is that these same non-critical thinkers are not math savvy. They are not realizing percentage-wise how minimal the adverse effects can happen vs saving lives.

That's what is so sad. I am just grateful that my kids and grands all got theirs. We have family members on both sides of the aisle, and all are vaccinated. We're almost all still speaking to each other. ha ha. The big test will come when we gather here at my house for the first time in 5 years on Aug. 29th for a family get together. Isn't that wild? We all adore each other, but not each other's politics. This was a tough grind. I hope that your dear daughter remains well. And that our luncheon goes well. Should they inspect my food? LOL