To the editor:

In the September 2 edition of the Sidney Daily News, a doctor associated with the Kettering Health Network complimented the rural population, specifically the farmers, for their willingness to incorporate new products and technologies into their farming operations. In my experience this is usually a process that includes investigating the company’s data and research; checking comments of other users; and evaluating this information to decide whether it would be helpful in their own operation.

The writer encourages the rural population to apply this willingness to embrace new technology to the current covid situation. His claim is that if they do this they would conclude they should get the covid shot being promoted by the public health agencies of the government, the media, and some parts of the medical community. He notes that the government cut some of the red tape. What does that mean? It usually takes years to get a product approved. These vaccines were authorized for emergency use within months. What kind of data is there to prove that the shots don’t impact fertility? Is there data? The original trials did not include pregnant women or those who had already been infected with covid. Mr. Biden said that if you get the shot you won’t get sick. Dr. Fauci said the vaccines will cover the variant. However, they are now saying it will be necessary to get a third shot if you want to be protected.

Checking how the shot is working could include a visit to the Vaccine Adverse Reactions Systems website established by the government for users of new drugs to report their experiences. The number of adverse effects for the covid vaccines in the US from Dec. 2020 til the present is 514, 270. That includes 6,296 deaths. There is controversy over how that data should be interpreted. However, to my knowledge these reports have not been investigated by an independent panel of medical experts whose findings then were made public.

In spite of this, there is a lot of pressure from certain quarters to get the shots regardless of how a person might have concluded their process of investigation. Just as no farmer should be mandated to try new products on their farm, no person should be mandated to get a shot. Everyone should be free to do their own evaluation and decide what is best for them.

Harold Schmiesing

Sidney