A Needle in Time saves Lives

​A Needle in Time Saves Lives
By
Dr. Richard G. Berry, MD, FACP.

I have been asked by a number of patients and family members what I will do when the COCID-19 vaccine is available. I have taken the time to think about it and research the literature available at this time. Well they, the vaccines, have arrived. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is here and the Moderna’s vaccine just got approval by the FDA and CDC. I have made the decision to take the COVID-19 vaccine in a few days when my hospital receives the doses.

There are three options for you to consider. Just three.
Option 1. This option is to disregard all the scientific research and recommendations about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and refuse to take it.
Option 2. The second option is to wait till some have taken the vaccine and see if there are any unknown side effects. (See if Dr. Berry begins to glow in the dark after receiving the injection, and then decide whether to take it or not.)
Option 3. The third option is the option I chose. To review the reputable scientific information, seek counsel from a physician you trust, pray about it, and get the vaccine when it becomes available.

If you choose option one, you are at a high risk of becoming infected by the virus, especially if you have a number of risk factors like obesity, diabetes and chronic medical problems. Over 300,000 souls have been lost so far because they did not have the antibodies to help their immune system fight off the infection. Option 1 is still your choice.

If you choose option two, wait and see, you are still as vulnerable to the deadly consequences of the infection as option one. Option 2 is however still your choice.

Option three is the only option I believe is available now for our survival. Like the Polio vaccine, MMR and Flu vaccines, mankind has been saved from many deadly infections. Literally millions of us have been protected by these inoculations.

The same is now true for the COVID-19 vaccine. Now to be completely transparent, as of the publication of this article, there are individuals who should NOT get the vaccine. In researching the literature, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are not approved (at this time) for people aged below 16, or those with severe allergies (make sure the clinic that administers the vaccine has the resources to correct any adverse reaction to the injection, like an Epipen. They must also observe you for at least 20 minutes after the injection). Also pregnant women are not eligible for the vaccines. Ongoing research by these companies, I believe, will eventually clear for pediatric and pregnancy use, but at this time, these three are not eligible.

Well how does the vaccine work? Prophecy states that in the last days knowledge shall increase. The production of this vaccine with mRNA technology (messenger Ribonucleic acid) has been a miracle in the making. As of February 2020 when the Chinese disclosed the virus, they had already deciphered the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus ( Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2). This sequence was shared with American scientists who were especially interested in the part of the virus that attaches to the human cells and facilitates injection of the viral RNA into these cells. These “protrusions” on the surface of the virus, or the clusters of red triangular projections we have seen in pictures, are called Spike proteins or S proteins. If an antibody could be developed to attack the S proteins, the virus could not penetrate the human cells and therefore would die. This is exactly what was done.

The mRNA protein sequence of the S protein is encircled in a lipid Nano molecule (because of the length of this article I will explain this at a future time) that allows this S protein to enter the cell. It never goes into the nucleus of the cell where the DNA is found. In the cytoplasm the mRNA is used to form S proteins that are eventually expressed on the surface of the cells. Your immune system sees these S proteins and produces antibodies to them. The research shows that to be 95% effective, the body needs a second injection of the Pfizer vaccine 21 days after the first.

It is important to note that after you are immunized you can still become infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The difference is that you would have developed antibodies to the S protein of the virus. These antibodies would effectively prevent the virus from attaching to your cells, and therefore, you would not get very sick or die. You still however need to protect yourself by wearing an appropriate mask and physical distancing.

So there you have it. Information to aid with your decision making. Pray about it and as you have in the past, and be guided by the Holy Spirit.