(The Epoch Times)—The share of health care personnel recommending COVID-19 jabs and other vaccines to patients has declined significantly in recent years, with overall trust in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declining, according to a recent study.
The peer-reviewed study, published in the journal NPJ Vaccines on Feb. 28, examined how vaccine attitudes and recommendations changed among health care personnel (HCP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers conducted a survey in January 2023 and compared the results with an earlier survey from September 2021, finding that health care personnel recommendations for vaccines “decreased substantially for nearly all vaccines and patient populations.”
In addition, trust in the CDC “decreased [from 79 to 73 percent], as did support for HCP COVID-19 vaccine mandates [from 65 to 46 percent].”
“This is concerning as HCP have long been the most frequently used and credible source of vaccine information, especially given public suspicion of vaccine information from pharmaceutical companies and government, and encouragement from HCP is strongly associated with patients vaccinating against COVID-19,” said the study.
Researchers found that health care personnel not vaccinated against COVID-19 were “far less likely to recommend vaccinating to their patients.” And even in the case of vaccinated personnel, they required regularly updated resources “to confidently discuss vaccines with hesitant patients.”
Study Participants
The study was conducted among 1,207 participants made up of four types of health care personnel—pediatricians; family medicine doctors; physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses; and pharmacists. Almost all personnel (96 percent) had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, with 82 percent taking booster shots.
The most frequently boosted personnel were pediatricians, followed by family medicine doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. Almost three-quarters of respondents had high trust in the CDC, which was found to be critical with regard to receiving COVID-19 vaccines.
“Most HCP with high trust in CDC [90 percent] were boosted, compared to [61 percent] of HCP with low trust in CDC,” the study said, adding that those with high trust in the CDC were nearly six times as likely to be boosted compared to those with low trust in the CDC.
Among those surveyed, 46 percent supported COVID-19 vaccine mandates for health care personnel, with supporters observed to be much more frequent among the boosted population. Among the 218 health care personnel who had not yet taken the booster shot, the most common reason was concern about side effects, with 44 percent citing this issue.
Other major reasons cited included the speed of vaccine development and approval (27 percent), low risk of infection (27 percent), and discomfort with the Emergency Use Authorization (24 percent).
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Over half the personnel said that a key challenge to vaccinating patients against COVID-19 was the concern raised by the patients. Sixty-four percent pointed to patient concerns about the necessity of vaccines, 60 percent to the safety, and 54 percent about the effectiveness of the jabs.
Health care personnel who had received booster shots recommended three brands of COVID-19 vaccines more frequently than those who had not been boosted: Pfizer-BioNTech (38 percent of boosted versus 12 percent not boosted), Moderna (46 percent versus 11 percent), and Johnson & Johnson (8 percent versus 2 percent).
The study was conducted by five researchers based in the United States, out of which four declared competing interests.
Two of them received research support from Merck, with one serving on the advisory boards of Merck, Janssen, Sanofi, and Moderna. Both received funding from the Vaccination Confidence Fund, which is jointly funded by Facebook and Merck.
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A third researcher serves as a consultant to Pfizer on meningococcal B vaccine. The fourth individual is a paid health advisor to the University of Roehampton, which provided guidance on pandemic recovery and preparedness, including views on vaccines, to the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations.
Vaccine Mandates for Health Care Workers
Health care workers were subjected to rigorous COVID-19 rules during the pandemic. In 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a rule mandating all American health care workers be vaccinated, which applied to about 76,000 health care providers covering roughly 17 million workers.
Health care workers protested the mandate. The Pennsylvania Health Care Association warned that the Biden administration’s proposal had the “potential to exacerbate an existing workforce crisis and jeopardize access to care for tens of thousands of vulnerable residents.”
“After seventeen months of providing tireless care at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, long-term care continues to face a troubling trend of federal and state governments threatening and punishing the same healthcare heroes they once supported and rallied behind,” it stated.
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Biden administration to continue imposing COVID-19 vaccination requirements on most health care workers who were employed at places receiving funding from Medicaid and Medicare.
There are multiple studies among health care workers showing adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination. A 2022 study on health care employees in Iraq found adverse events among vaccinated workers.
“The adverse effects associated with the Pfizer vaccine were significantly more prevalent in females than in males. Following the first dose, the participants experienced more adverse effects with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Following the second dose, more adverse effects were associated with the Pfizer vaccine,” it stated.
Another study among health care workers published in February 2024 found that 84.6 percent suffered at least one side effect after the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Some of these side effects included headaches, muscle pain, and chills.
A recently published study in the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research found links between vaccine hesitancy among individuals and their knowledge of vaccinated people affected by side effects.
“Knowing someone who experienced a health problem following COVID-19 injection reduced the likelihood of injection,” the study stated. Such individuals “were more likely to oppose injection mandates and passports.”
Among those who were aware of at least one person who experienced COVID-19 injection adverse events, they said they knew about 57 deaths following vaccination.
“The health issues reported ranged from serious problems such as cardiac arrests and other heart-related problems, blood clots and other circulatory problems, to neurological issues, as well as milder effects such as feeling sick, headache, fever, etc.”
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
