I just got back from Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia. Most folks that got a shot either received the AstraZeneca or the CanSino viral vector shot. The initial Alpha variant did not spread too widely while the Delta variant hit the three nations very hard. Only about a third of the populations got a shot but the breakthrough infection/death rate was high - according to reports.
As the CDC finally admitted, they withheld data, didn't collect data properly (intentionally) and succumbed to political pressure to put a happy face on the mRNA shot. So the data we were being told about the effectiveness of the shot was hugely misleading to put it a nice way. Unfortunately, many professionals simply followed the CDC guidance for fear of being ostracized or worse, fired. At the end of the day, the grand experiment may have saved a few lives, however, the actual benefit will most likely never be known.
In regards to the folks I spoke with in Africa, most "believe" the shot was worthless in regards to stopping infections and deaths. Of course their expectation were highly influenced and inflated thanks to the PR machines including the WHO, the CDC and lots and lots of clueless governments and media talking heads.
At the end of the I don't blame or condemn anyone who got the shot and the same goes for those who didn't believe what they were being told. What is amazing to me is how the discussion and decision divided our nation and apparently has left lasting animosity. What a sad commentary.
