Hooman Noorchashm: A Public Clarification of My Position on COVID-19 Vaccination

My recent interview with Tucker Carlson has been mindlessly attacked — I appreciated Mr. Carlson’s willingness to listen and project my message. i do believe that the COVID-19 vaccine can be deployed rationally, efficiently and SAFELY.

In the days following my interview with Tucker Carlson, many of my friends and critics in the public have wondered exactly what position I am advocating on the COVID-19 Vaccine. I’ve gained many new friends and harsh critics too.

So, I felt it important, at this juncture, to clarify my stance for the public record — in order to eliminate the charge of “both-siderism”. Because I know my position to be centered in sound scientific prognostication and ethical clinical behavior.

I do sincerely hope that America can come to consensus and see the validity of the framework I present here for thinking about the COVID-19 vaccine.

We must use our defensive weapons, minds and hearts to save America and the world from this pandemic peril.

Here are the elements of my argument, for the record — I promise that I shall not deviate from them in my public discourse:

1. The COVID-19 vaccines are some of the most powerful and effective ones we’ve ever created. The fact that America did so in under a year is a testament to our nation’s scientific ingenuity and technical prowess. The achievement of this vaccine by Operation Warp Speed was nothing short of a modern day scientific miracle.
2. The COVID-19 vaccine, if administered efficiently to enough persons without immunity against SARS-CoV-2, will save lives, will induce herd immunity and will limit the evolution of new mutants by preventing natural infections.
3. No persons should ever be forced to take any medical treatment, including vaccines. And no person’s civil liberties, employment or educational opportunities should be curtailed, because of their choice to refuse vaccination.
4. Indiscriminate vaccination of persons with natural immunity or those with recent infections is unnecessary or potentially dangerous, respectively. We should not be doing it — and we should demand that FDA and CDC shift their recommendations to restrain vaccination of the recently infected or naturally immune. We should liberally use #ScreenB4Vaccine for safety.

I hope that all are able to see that adopting this strategy will bring sanity and serve to alleviate the concerns that make many Americans “vaccine hesitant”.

Americans are not sheep — Americans respond to reason and to rational choice. Americans want to benefit from effective products and scientific developments, but they also need to know that their individual choices are respected and that they can have a reasonable assurance of safety.

I have faith that together and without coercion or ostracism of dissenting voices, we can achieve herd immunity and control this pandemic well.

Hooman Noorchashm MD, PhD.