Over a year into a pandemic, it would make sense that a vaccine would be trusted to curve the spread of the virus. Family members dead, economies stopped worldwide and masks needed almost everywhere – even now – should be enough to encourage people to take the most protective measures to keep everyone safe. Even though this is what should be happening, there are still people who reject the vaccine, regardless of all the information that has been published about it, for political reasons. This has caused many to turn to “alternative” methods, evading the vaccine, and unfortunately these methods are not approved by any major health organizations and can have nasty side effects. Although these are facts, there are those who will disagree with them and opt for one of these alternatives. This is not only factually wrong but also puts these individuals in horrible and irresponsible danger. People who believe this are also putting their families and loved ones at risk, many times just to support their own political agenda. It is selfish and a brazen example of the cult-like behavior of many on the right and who hold right leaning opinions. It is a shame that this even needs to be addressed but, due to the dogmatic nature of anti-vaxxers, here we are.
Natural immunity
A common argument against vaccinations is the belief that, by already having been infected with COVID-19, the population can reach “herd immunity.” Although that would be very nice and convenient it just simply is not true for a virus like COVID-19. Not only can an individual be re-infected with COVID-19 after they got it, regardless of if they have the antibodies or not, but the CDC recently published a study that showed that people who got infected and then vaccinated were re-infected at much lower rates than people who were infected and then not vaccinated afterwards. Natural immunity is not something that will happen with the COVID-19 virus for the foreseeable future.
Iodine
In lieu of taking a vaccine, some have turned to iodine. Iodine has worked in the past for many ailments, but these are all bacterial. The COVID-19 virus is a virus, not a bacterium, Iodine will have little to no effect on it, but it will have harmful effects to the body. A video that has been shared on social media claimed that iodine, gargled in the mouth, can prevent COVID-19 infection. This video has been debunked and rejected by many health professionals and experts according to Healthline. Ingesting iodine can cause irreversible harm to the thyroid and result in diarrhea and vomiting. Don’t do it.
Ivermectin
The most controversial of all these proposed alternatives is Ivermectin. A medicine originally intended for horses, Ivermectin can be prescribed for humans who suffer from parasitic worms and a few other parasites, but that is as far as the prescriptions will go. Ivermectin has proven to be ineffective in preventing a COVID-19 infection according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. It is possible to overdose on Ivermectin and it can be fatal but even if it is not, it will have lasting consequences on the user. It is also infamous for reportedly causing fecal incontinence in users. Regardless of how many people online advocate for Ivermectin use or other vaccine alternatives, the only proven way to prevent COVID-19 is to receive one of the approved vaccines, Regardless of what politicians or political pundits might say
