Should everyone be vaccinated?
What are the pros and cons?
At Wang Vision Institute, we take care of many patients every day, and the following information has been helpful to them in making that decision.
- The vaccine is NOT a piece of the COVID virus, but rather an mRNA (“messenger RNA”: a single-strand RNA molecule that is complementary to one of the DNA strands of a gene), so the risk of infection by the vaccine itself is extremely low.
- Millions have received vaccine injections, and very few infections have been reported.
- The vaccine is voluntary but highly encouraged.
- The few allergic reactions that have been reported are mainly from people who have other allergies to things like preservatives.
- The vaccines approved by the FDA for emergency use are very effective and offer 95% protection from contracting COVID. However, please keep in mind that there was expedited testing and it was not the normal course of an extensive FDA study.
- There is currently no information available about whether or not a person can be a silent carrier after being vaccinated.
- There is no evidence that the vaccine affects fertility.
- There have been over 25 million COVID-positive cases reported in the U.S., but there are generally two to three times more asymptomatic than symptomatic patients, so we may conclude that the actual amount of people infected is much higher, i.e., about 60 million or 1 out of every 5 Americans is infected! So if you have close contact with 5 random people, you will have a nearly 100% chance of being exposed!
- The new COVID strains from the UK and South Africa are much more contagious, and by February there will be an estimated 500,000 related deaths in our country. Therefore, although the vaccine is effective in protecting against the original COVID virus, it may not be as effective against the new mutated virus strains.
- Vaccine immunity appears to be lasting longer than post-infection immunity.
- The potential long-term impact of the vaccine is not yet known.
- If you have concerns about getting the vaccine based on a medical condition and/or your age, you should first check with your doctor.
- The vaccine issue should NOT be politicized. It is a MEDICAL issue, not a political one. The information above was obtained from reliable sources in our country and outside the U.S., in which there are no red and blue influences.
- Once 70-80% of the population has been vaccinated, herd immunity will be reached and the virus will most likely no longer be spreading! Getting the vaccine is not just about protecting yourself, but your family, friends, and colleagues as well, since we are only truly protected when the majority of our society has been vaccinated.
Bottom line: Despite some concerns and limitations, at this time the benefits of the vaccine significantly outweigh the risks, so I encourage you to get it as soon as it is available to you…just as I have done.
Dr. Ming Wang, Harvard & MIT (MD, magna cum laude); PhD
Dr. Ming Wang, Harvard & MIT (MD, magna cum laude); PhD (laser physics), is a world-renowned laser eye surgeon, philanthropist, and a co-founder of the non-profit Common Ground Network, which is dedicated to Dr. Wang’s lifelong mission to help people find common ground.
As a teenager, Ming fought valiantly to escape China’s Cultural Revolution – during which millions of innocent youths were deported to remote areas to face a life sentence of hard labor and poverty. He came to America with only $50 and earned two doctorate degrees, one in laser physics and one in medicine, and graduated with the highest honors from Harvard Medical School and MIT.
Dr. Wang has published 10 ophthalmology textbooks, over 100 scientific papers--including one in the world-renowned journal “Nature”--and performed the world’s first laser artificial cornea implantation. He has performed well over 55,000 procedures including on over 4,000 doctors.
Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration has helped patients from over 40 states in the U.S. and 55 countries worldwide, with all sight restoration surgeries performed free-of-charge. Dr. Wang was named the Kiwanis Nashvillian of the Year for his lifelong dedication to helping blind, orphaned children from around the world.
Dr. Wang’s autobiography, "From Darkness to Sight", is currently being made into a movie.
Dr. Ming Wang, MD, PhD can be reached by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or on his website: www.drmingwang.com. He is a co-founder of the 501c(3) non-profit Common Ground Network (www.commonground.network), which is currently publishing Common Ground Bible Study, the first book of its kind about the concept of common ground for Christians.
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