I have been thinking for a while about the word of the year 2021.
The word of the year 2021 I believe is vaccine.
How many times have you heard it said? Sometimes, an old and very well known word is renewed, launched again and then it takes over. I definitely think that the word of the year 2021 is vaccine.
This word is about 220 years old. For a word, it is a child. It was born in England thanks to a British doctor, Edward Jenner, one of the heroes we don’t remember very often. He asked himself the good question: “why the female peasants did not get smallpox, that is a deadly disease?”.
In 1794 he found out the good answer – cows gave them a less deadly disease, cowpox, that protected them from the human one.
He discovered this because he decided to carry out some experiments. He infected an 8-year-old boy, his gardener’s son, with cowpox pus. Later he inoculated the child with the smallpox and the child did not get the disease, because the cowpox pus had immunized him.
Thanks to this first experiment, during the XX century many vaccines were discovered. Just to mention the main ones: tetanus, diphtheria, polio, tuberculosis, hepatitis, flu. We have integrated them into our lives at their two ends, childhood and old age. For many years we have stopped vaccinating against smallpox.
Then Covid has broke out.
When the pandemic started to spread around the world (it seems to me ages ago, but it was only in 2020) the vaccine race took off right away. It was the only hope of returning to a “normal” life, of shaking off the weight of the countries that forced their citizens to give up so many freedoms in the name of their health.
It was also a unique business. Countries missed an opportunity – equally unique – to create the solution the world needed, and left it to corporations. And they began to sell the vaccines massively. Does it sound familiar to you too?
The process was extraordinary. In a short time, and all over the world, researchers discovered the vaccine that should have helped us to go back to the so-called “normality”. We waited for it, we looked for it, and since the first shots, some of us have started questioning it so much that it seemed to me they wanted to go back to the seventeenth century.
They work it out by saying that they distrust their own country’s government, or they mistrust science, or both. So suspicions of barbarism abound in the most educated and in the so called developed countries. In Europe you find anti-vaccine people (we call them “no vax”) mainly in France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Italy.
There they are outraged, demonstrate on the streets, and are imperturbable to ignore that, now, the majority of hospitalized people and those killed by Covid are other fools who did not want to be vaccinated.
It is a problem that raises others: that of individual freedom, without going any further. Countries discuss what to do, actually what they have the right to do with the reluctant ones. If the reasons for the common good authorizes them to force “no-vax”people to get vaccinated. Since they do not decide, and they are stuck in the debate, Covid survives.
It is mainly because of “no vax” people and the inability of most of the governments to decide that Covid is still circulating. But not only.
The vaccine has also become a measure of injustice. Countries where it is left over, countries where it is lacking. At the end of 2021, only 7.2% of Africans have received both doses. A person immunized out of 13 gives as a result that the virus is still there and survives in spite of all the efforts.
The vaccine has become the best demonstration of something obvious that so many prefer not to see. That there is no partial salvation, that no one will be safe if we all (all over the world) are saved, and that not vaccinating the poorest causes new strains to develop that attack the richest and make their efforts, and their vaccines as well, useless.
Inequality is also found there. In rich countries the problem is those who do not want the vaccine. In poor countries those who do not have it, but would like to. Actually, it would be a luxury for them to say no to a jab.
At this rate, very soon we are going to finish the Greek alphabet at the price of many lives.
Then, what will be the word of 2022? Silliness? Inequality? Inability?
Would you agree with me that the word of 2021 is vaccine? And what do you think the word of the year may be in 2022?
I wish you all a very happy and successful 2022. Take care and stay healthy!
Happy New year to you, too, Cris.
I reckon I agree with you – vaccine would rank high for me, too. Vaccine/jab. Then, lockdown.
The points you’ve made regarding vaccine availability and uptake have also been noted. Their is also the view that pharmaceutical companies are making billions where vaccines are concerned and governments are caught like helpless fish, selling the hope of a better and safer future with 2 shots, followed by a booster and possible over the counter pills.
People also believe that the speedy production of the C-19 vaccines could mean that they are flawed in some way and did not undergo years of rigorous testing. I think alot of the mistrust is centered on that point as well. They look at polio and other viruses for their comparisons.
To touch on the inequality of vaccine availability in poorer states, LDCs, etc. and the selfish stockpiling by richer states of vaccines would be for me to highjack your post as, after all, you asked about readers’ thoughts on the 2021 word of the year and not the continued North/South divide which exacerbates the chasm between the haves and have nots of this Earth.
I am not sure what the word could be for 2022, it is rather early days. But I hope that it is a word birthed in change and positive action; brimming with real hope.
Best wishes once again!
Thank you Natasha, very interesting insights!
I too believe that vaccination is the need of the hour and seriously hope all supports it and get inoculated as soon as possible to avoid devastating repercussions.
I prefer to give attention to looking forward. To choosing a word on which to focus my attention in this new year. My word for 2022 is “peace”, and my plan is to do everything I can in my sphere of influence, to spread peace, both personal peace and world peace.
That’s great! Thank you!
Ah, what an interesting post! Some great history and perspective in which to put our vaccine and hopes that we may all look back on this and one day celebrate such a quick creation of the vaccine. And even more hopeful – that we will help the countries that don’t have such great access to it to distribute it to our people.
It strikes me that there are 2 words for every year – one for what we hope it will be and one that represents what it actually may be. I’m hoping for “unity” for 2022.
Thanks for this great post!
I like “unity” as word of 2022!
As a mother of an autistic child, I have been in one too many chat rooms and learnt about vaccines. But when it was rolled out we all decided to get ourselves vaccinated since we found the risk was too high. Inspite of it, our entire family had covid. I felt relieved that I need not rush to vaccinate my boys again with a booster since I felt it was overkill. But I pray and hope that things change this year and we get some other new word. Something more encouraging. As an autistic Mom I am scared of the word vaccines. http://specialmomsblog.mom/2021/12/24/christmas-eve-pondering/
I understand your point of view. When I was a child, my parents took me to the hospital because of a severe reaction to vaccines (three in one shot, now they do even more…). I am also scared about vaccination generally speaking. However, I had already three jabs of anti-COVID vaccines, because the risked linked to COVID were higher than those linked to the vaccines (as you say in your post). In my case, the most important thing is living close to the emergencies of an hospital. I think that you as a mother of an autistic child knows what is best for him.
He was the first one vaccinated in my family for covid. This was a no one win situation. Let’s hope for a better 2022.
You nailed it! The word of the year 2021 was Vaccine. I just hope this year we’ll here a positive one
I reckon if the word for 2020 was pandemic and the word for 2021 was vaccine, then the word for 2022 will endemic. People will want an end to the endless shut downs, etc and debate how exactly we are getting out of this. How we will learn to live with it. I like the question Cristiana! Great post 🙏
I am afraid that you might be right!
Well it is kind of stupid. Here in norway the of the unvaxxed 0,0059% of them needs hospital care. So why make so big deal of it?
Sorry, but I don’t get your point!
My point is that its not dangerous to be unvaccinated..
From what I can see the situation in Norway is not that different from other countries: https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics/koronavirus-covid-19/id2692388/
Well. 0.08% die from covid-19 I norway and that is 0.01% less than the flu so yhea its different.
Hello from the UK
Many thanks for your post. Vaccine would certainly be a word for 2021. However, so would stupidity. There is a very severe pandemic of this at the moment. It started by my reckoning, in its current variant in 2020 on April Fool’s Day.
This is because people stopped thinking critically and bowed down to governments and big pharma.
Now I have had my fair share of vaccines, including polio I believe. I used to think vaccines were of some use until, at 60 years of age in 2020, I researched properly. I changed my mind.
Covid 19 is the ‘flu, dressed up as a monster to scare people, re-branded if you will. This helps big pharma etc, control the populace and make more money.
The ‘flu is the internal toxicosis of the body, mainly via urea, partly due to metabolism of food and partly due to the many poisons in our environment which can and do enter our bodies in the air, food and water. The ‘flu cannot be transmitted to someone else as it is individual to each person.
Unless your blood is given to someone in a blood transfusion, for example.
Injecting poisons such as via vaccines merely adds to the toxicosis problem. Vaccines have never been of any use, it is merely that constant and persistent ‘advertising’ persuaded people that they were of use. The various deaths and harm have been well-documented over the decades. It is being documented now.
Vitamin D deficiency is the true pandemic due to indoor working and living away from the sunshine which, if we do the right thing things, will give us vitamin D (free!). Big pharma etc. are not keen on free as they don’t make much money out of it.
Vitamin D levels drop in the winter months, depending on latitude, due to reduced sunshine levels and as any gains in the summer months are depleted.
Vaccines are neuro-toxins, if there is anything in them at all, as are most big pharma drugs. Therefore they are at best pointless.
If your immune system is in good order then by and large you will tolerate a poisonous vaccine. If weakened you will suffer various side effects. If your immune system is very poor you may die.
Boosting your immune system with vitamin D can go a long way to protecting you against the toxicosis, but vitamin C is very good as an anti-oxidant to help flush the toxins out of your system. By and large you should be able to gain your vitamins etc from good, untainted food. Highly processed foods will not help.
I have seen the statistics on Australia since February 2020. These show a close correlation between Covid cases and vaccination. It is abundantly clear the vaccines are causing the case numbers rise, as would be expected. Look at other statistics and you will no doubt see the same correlation. It is not rocket science.
I have done much on Covid 19 etc., here is my link to my summary. That gives access to the various other issues. I cover the statistics in the UK and USA and more recently those in Australia.
https://alphaandomegacloud.wordpress.com/covid-19-summary/
The following explains the variants. These are merely fear techniques to fool the gullible.
https://alphaandomegacloud.wordpress.com/2021/12/02/various-variants-covid-19/
The following explains the media fear campaign.
https://alphaandomegacloud.wordpress.com/2021/09/26/fear-is-the-key/
A useful website on the deceit.
https://timefortruth.blog/2022/02/01/how-the-media-lies-about-covid/
It should be noted that fear tends to ‘freeze’ the body’s immune system from functioning correctly and can stop people doing sensible things. Like avoiding having foreign bodies injected into their systems.
And I wonder how many people would choose to have a vaccine if they had to pay for them directly rather than via their taxes (vaccination is not free)?
As regards vaccinated/unvaccinated I gather the goal posts keep changing so unvaccinated currently means not fully vaccinated in at least some countries. This means people who have had vaccines are lumped in with those who have not had recent vaccines. Therefore the people of the world are being duped into having something nasty put into their bodies.
Unless they like playing Russian roulette with their bodies of course. But then that is both sad and mad.
As regards reasons of variance of symptoms, if any, between those who are vaccinated the problem lies in not knowing what exactly in each vial; sadly people will sell nothing for something and the vial might contain only saline, it is impossible to tell without testing each vial.
Vaccines are causing the issues by and large nowadays and case numbers and deaths will rise as a consequence. I recommend avoiding vaccines like the plague.
Please note I do use humour as necessary on posts and pages to lighten the mood and help make the points. I will use strong salty language if required. I am not PC.
As regards 2022 and the word ‘Silliness’ seems appropriate if people don’t get their brains in working order.
If they don’t see they have been scammed, poisoned and mentally deranged by being duped into playing Russian roulette by being vaccinated for absolutely no benefit whatsoever, then I think ‘lunatics’ would be a better word
Kind regards
Baldmichael Theresoluteprotector’sson