The NFL will not mandate COVID-19 vaccines. Thus, it stands to reason, even with incentives offered to teams and players who are vaccinated, some players aren’t going to get a shot.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen could be one of those. In an appearance on The Ringer’s “10 Questions With Kyle Brandt” podcast, Allen said he has not had a vaccine and might not get one.
“I’m still debating that,” Allen said, via Matt Parrino of nyup.com. “I’m a big statistics and logical guy. So, if statistics show it’s the right thing for me to do, I’d do it. Again, I’d lean the other way, too, if that’s what it said. I haven’t been paying attention to it as much as maybe I should have. I’ve just been doing my thing and masking up when I’m going out and just staying close and hanging around family.”
It is unclear what statistics Allen needs to see to convince him to get a shot. The Pfizer vaccine was shown a 95 percent efficacy rate in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, just 1 percentage point more than Moderna’s. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine was shown to have a 72 percent efficacy rate in the United States in preventing symptomatic illness and an 85 percent efficacy rate in preventing the most severe disease 28 days after vaccination.
Allen, 24, made clear he’s against any kind of mandate.
“I think everybody should have that choice to do it or not to do it,” Allen said. “You get in this tricky situation now where if you do mandate that that’s kind of going against what our constitution says and the freedom to kind of express yourself one way or the other. I think we’re in a time where that’s getting a lot harder to do. Everybody should have that choice.”
However, the league expects to amend certain protocols for those who are vaccinated and for teams as a whole if certain vaccination levels are met, which will encourage (pressure?) players to get a COVID-19 shot.
The FDA has approved thousands of drugs, many of which have a laundry list of side effects that would make your head spin. But they haven't approved this one yet. Why? They need more data. But if Josh Allen wants to see more data, suddenly he is the asshole? [Reply]
Originally Posted by BleedingRed:
It means if you get the vaccine you are taking a experimental drug which has never been approved.
This is a big part of why I don't get one at the moment. There isn't enough testing because it was fast tracked to market, I find that concerning. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BleedingRed:
It means if you get the vaccine you are taking a experimental drug which has never been approved.
Exactly. It generally takes time to see all side effects from drugs. How many commercials are on TV, "If you ever used x drug, and have these symptoms you can join our class action...". And those were much more thoroughly tested than the ones we are taking for Covid. [Reply]
I see Barepuss is on a deleting rampage again. Guess I will get removed from this thread too for pointing it out. Some people should never be given any power. [Reply]
Originally Posted by morphius:
Exactly. It generally takes time to see all side effects from drugs. How many commercials are on TV, "If you ever used x drug, and have these symptoms you can join our class action...". And those were much more thoroughly tested than the ones we are taking for Covid.
hAvE yOu SeEn tHe sIdE eFfEctS oF aSpIrIn?! [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
This is a big part of why I don't get one at the moment. There isn't enough testing because it was fast tracked to market, I find that concerning.
As of now there really has been enough testing. Pfizer announced last week that they have enough data to file for full FDA approval and will be doing so shortly. That approval will of course take some time, so maybe we don't see the full approval for another 3-4 months. But do you honestly expect anything to change by then? Over 100 million doses of vaccine have been administered by this point in the U.S., almost a 1/3rd of the total population. If there were truly awful side effects we'd be screwed.
The chances of the vaccine not being fully approved by the FDA are slim to none. So I guess if people feel better in August when the exact same vaccine has full approval then more power to them. [Reply]
Originally Posted by morphius:
Exactly. It generally takes time to see all side effects from drugs. How many commercials are on TV, "If you ever used x drug, and have these symptoms you can join our class action...". And those were much more thoroughly tested than the ones we are taking for Covid.
I'm not sure how this validates the effectiveness of FDA approval. [Reply]
Originally Posted by OKchiefs:
As of now there really has been enough testing. Pfizer announced last week that they have enough data to file for full FDA approval and will be doing so shortly. That approval will of course take some time, so maybe we don't see the full approval for another 3-4 months. But do you honestly expect anything to change by then? Over 100 million doses of vaccine have been administered by this point in the U.S., almost a 1/3rd of the total population. If there were truly awful side effects we'd be screwed.
The chances of the vaccine not being fully approved by the FDA are slim to none. So I guess if people feel better in August when the exact same vaccine has full approval then more power to them.
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. [Reply]