Do our leaders and scientists even understand how COVID-19 vaccines work?

I am not trying to sound cocky - but, this is the question that has bothered me ever since the development and introduction of vaccines meant to fight and curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

This question has never demanded a clearer answer than now - with the detection of the Omicron variant in South Africa and Botswana (and, its subsequent spread to several other countries), which is believed to be even more transmittable than the previous Delta variant, that caused mayhem across the globe.

The Omicron variant has, understandably, led to the resurgence of global panic - which has witnessed several mainly Western countries closing their borders to a number of southern African nations - compounded by an imminent threat of a fourth wave of the pandemic.

As is to be expected, the issue of vaccines has once again become topical - widely regarded as the most effective known method of curtailing this devastating virus - with some countries either already implementing mandatory vaccinations, or seriously mulling the idea.

Herein lies the problem - considering that people as myself only work on clear, precise, and proven explanations.

For me, personally, whenever I detect loopholes in an explanation - which lacks incontrovertible evidence - my mind automatically switches into resist mode.

I have done the same with narratives surrounding supposed 'economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe', and even the whole 'human factors responsible for climatic change'.

Whenever I feel that there is something inadequate, contradictory, or failing the logic test, with any explanation - I simply do not believe it.

What I still find so hard to understand is why vaccines are still being pushed as the solution to curbing or even stopping the spread of COVID-19 - more so, being made mandatory in a significant number of countries, thereby, affecting travel, sporting, dining, and other gatherings?

Who is being protected by such vaccines?

I am a very open-minded person, who tries by all means available, to understand all possible sides to any given story - without prejudice, pre-concieved ideas, or partisanship.

I have intently listened to, or read on, all that I could access on the issue of COVID-19 vaccines - but, am left even more confused and uncertain as to why they should be made mandatory.

Whenever I talk with, or listen to, bona fide conventional scientists from reputable international institutions (immunologists, virologists, and epidemiologists) - who have been actively promoting these COVID-19 vaccines, they have never shied from making it clear that these inoculations certainly did not prevent the spreading of the virus, but were necessary (and, very effective) in minimizing sickness, when a person had been infected.

Indeed, that would make much sense - since that is exactly what a vaccine is meant to achieve...as a substance given to stimulate the body's production of antibodies and provide immunity against a disease without causing the disease itself in the treatment, prepared from the agent that causes the disease (or a related, also effective, but safer disease), or a synthetic substitute.

That is clear enough.

Then, why are we back to talking about mandatory vaccinations?

It is quite clear that vaccines - even the best and most effective - protect the one inoculated from getting sick, or at least severely sick.

In other words, vaccines protect the one vaccinated. Period.

A person who is vaccinated - if they acquire the COVID-19 virus (SARS-Cov2) - as much as they may receive some measure of protection from falling severely ill, will nonetheless, still pass on the virus to others.

In simple terms, those who are vaccinated are not necessarily safer to those around them.

Put even more simply - there is really no logical reason to only fear unvaccinated people...since both the vaccinated and unvaccinated can still pass on the virus to others.

Only non-pharmaceutical methods - such as masking up, hand washing, physical distancing, and regular testing - are proven effective ways of minimizing the spread of the virus, in the absence of a known cure.

If anything, the unvaccinated should be the ones who fear everyone else - since, they are the ones more likely to be infected, and possibly fall severely sick.

Yet, in all this confusion, we still find national leaders, scientists, and even ordinary folk apparently living in fear of the unvaccinated - whilst, it should actually be the other way round.

If mandatory vaccinations are meant to protect those who have been inoculated - then, why force upon me matters of my own personal health?

For starters, I am now forty-eight years old - and, no one else (besides my wife) knows how I have managed to live this long, and how I have dealt with sickness and disease.

Therefore, for anyone to come and impose their own understanding of how to prevent diseases, and protect me from getting sick - is not only the height of arrogance, but also the mother of all insults.

As already ascertained, both the vaccinated and unvaccinated pose a danger to others - so, please, leave matters of my own personal health to me.

Let ME worry about my own health!

© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, author, and political commentator. Please feel free to contact him on WhatsApp/Call: +263715667700 / +263782283975, or Calls Only: +263788897936 / +263733399640, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com