My contemporary virology Essay: 9-01-2021
 

A variety of pharmaceutical companies competitively got into the lucrative business

of Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic of 2020 and 2021. As of 9-01-2021.
 

Now, the question is how long the immunity will last and when the next booster shots are due.

In the meantime, the world gets hit by another virulent new virus and some rapidly spreading

variants of the old virus. Yet the scientific research and political scenario go on relentlessly...

A group of researchers and politicians warned to hold on to the third vaccinations

but just wait for another 2-3 years for CDC and FDA finally to determine

when and if the booster shot will be necessary.

And we are to wait again for a few more years when some expert says we shall be careful

and hold on until we determine the exact complications of the booster shots and how to treat them.

Then we are to wait again to wait for some expert's and politician's revised opinions and permissions?

By then, it looks like there won't be many people hanging on alive to get the shots.

In the end, they finally claim the victory of the scientific research and political maneuverings

but there is nobody alive to clap for their eventual triumph.

This will be how humanity ends up on the earth by the virus, not by the damn nuclear bombs.

What a blessing! But, instead, we will be dying on a respirator being short of air in our lungs. 

This scenario is rather ridiculous, and idiotic during the historical presidency by Donald Trump

who is known to be a man of cheating deals. But what else can we do?

The whole episode seems to be a series of lyings and cheatings.

At least, historically, I and my wife survived through the door of the autumn of 2021.

Have fun gentlemen for the rest of 2021. Then, let's see what is ahead for us in 2022.

In the 21st century, life is a flickering candle in a wind. One year, one month at a time.

One of my colleagues went to fucking Florida to attend his brother's funeral with his wife and came back home last week and found both got Delta Variant and his wife was sick enough to get hospitalized I was told! Of course, both got full vaccinated!

So when we all can have the third/booster shot?

BB Lee

I am worried about the breakthrough cases, especially after the Pfizer vaccine.

I got two Pfizer shots in February and then got the third one in August (2 weeks ago).

The damn things were that I had no post-vaccination side reactions in all three times.

Did I just get a syringe full of ice water or what?? I am ready for the fourth shot!

I still voluntarily wear a mask in any indoor encounter with other human beings.

How did you get the third shot already? Did they allow it already to ordinary old folks like us? I thought they allowed only for the immunocompromised people and not yet for the old folks until Sept 20!

BB Lee

Doc, you just declare that you are immuno-deficient (Hey, just because of your age!!).

And, actually, you are immunosuppressed due to your age now, compared to a spring chicken.

After all your 우여곡절, 칠전팔기, 견인불발, don't tell me you are still a spring chicken.

I got it from CVS Pharmacy (Also, Walgreen does too) in my neighborhood.

You just fill up a page of paper and mark at "Immunosuppressed, or immunodeficient"

That's all there to it. Due to your privacy protection, they don't ask you "Why?".

And, of course, you don't have to answer. Then, they give you the shot.

Bring your card for your previous two shots, so that they can add the third shot to it.

Please do not feel guilty about doing so. Please have a happy third shot.

Then, we can conquer the 와칸계곡 (Dr. Ohn's) and Afghanistan together.

Doc, I hopped on the car and drove to a nearby pharmacy and got the booster shot, finally!!!

A bit guilty, tongue in cheek, to small cheating to take the advantage of the system, but one month if not a few weeks ahead to others! Now we can go to Wakhan Corridor/Pamir, WM, with no fear(?) to COVID.

BB

P.S. Wakhan Corridor/Pamir reminds me of my last trip to Central Asia with the dream to visit Pamir. Indeed, on the second visit to Kyrgyzstan in late 2003 which I knew to be the last trip to Central Asia since I planned to come back from Korea to the States to organize a new team of vascular malformation at the Hopkins in 2004.  So, I specifically wished/planned to visit Osh in Fergana Valley to see the 3,000-year Anniversary of Silk Road after the visit to Bishkek – they had the biggest(?) medical school throughout Central Asia then/the Soviet era! – first and then proceed to the East to cross the border to visit the Pamir region/Tajikistan which I dreamed of all my life. But I failed to get the visa and further such strong objection by Kyrgyz colleagues due to the high risk of being kidnapped by Tajik insurgents - indeed, a month before my visit to Bishkek, a group of Japanese geological team was kidnapped while at Tajikistan-. So, I painfully stopped further journey to East from Lake Issyk-Kul and it was my last and most probably the final(?) attempt I could make to visit Pamir!

But, by all means, I would jump to join Pamir if anyone should organize the team. Indeed, at my age, not much to lose, don’t I?

BB

Bravo! If there's a will, there's a way!

Sorry to hear that your dream was spoiled by the thieves of Tajik.

We shall recruit 고구려 장군 高仙芝 and a few 唐나라 사병 (We don't need 10,000 of them)

(please refer to Dr. Ohn's webpage) to go there.

What a surprise! I didn't know it was your dream.

I thank YOU to show me the way to cut the corner!!!

Hope this booster shot keeps me going for one more year and then I no longer have a plan to remain in the academic activity!!! Simply too old to compete with young kids!

BB

P.S. Oh, yes, I still did not give up completely to travel to Pamir along with the Kashmir region someday though I would hit 83 years old this November and it remains on top priority among my dreams. Indeed, when I was young (?), say a bit older than 65, soon after I returned from Korea to start a new program for the vascular malformation at Georgetown U, our satellite office manager then, was Sarah Akmal, such enthusiastic gal of Pakistani origin who almost succeeded to persuade me to set the plan to travel to Pakistani side Kashmir she would arrange through her family at Islamabad but I was chickened out on the last minute by the strong pressure/warning by the State Department- by the rule, I was encouraged to report my foreign trip plans to the State Department ahead of time to get their consent for the safety for 10 years after I terminated my service to the POTUS as his surgeon in charge!-, which I still regret so much. But God knows one more chance who knows!