I Want My Pandemic Pardon!

A doctor and a lawyer walk into a bar. The lawyer says to the doctor, “To be so smart, you guys are having a really hard time grasping such a simple concept. You can’t even define immunity, let alone deliver it.” Sorry, not sorry, for the bad joke, but I hope I can challenge my colleagues, scientist, and public health experts to fix the punchline. As a physician, it does pain me to admit that we got this one wrong, but we indeed did do just that. I will get to the science, but first… the dictionary. 

[Photo Credit: DLacy Photo]

Im·mu·ni·ty /i?myo?on?dē/ noun

By definition immunity means exemption. In a legal sense, immunity means exemption from prosecution or penalty. In a medical sense, immunity means exemption from infection, toxin, or disease. Recently, the current administration has handed out a handful of pardons to their corroborating allies. These criminals have been granted immunity, exemption, and freedom from various crimes. Also in current events, several large pharmaceutical companies are rolling out injections of false hope and subterfuge under the guise of immunity. 

Vac·cine /vak?sēn/ noun

By definition, vaccines are therapeutic agents used to provide immunity. An immune response is not equivalent to immunity. One can not sidestep the original definition to serve the current agenda. A judge can not tell those pardoned that their immunity only means they can not be sentenced to death then force them to serve life on parole or in prison. Thus, the scientist and the public should not settle for this new logic that vaccines only need to offer an immune response and not fully immunity. These shots are not vaccines. They are injections in advanced clinical trials to prove the effectiveness of an immune response adequate to possibly prevent severe illness, morbidity, and mortality. These therapeutics are very necessary with great potential to save lives… in the future. I feel it reckless and irresponsible to not advocate for masks, as the act of correctly wearing a mask can save lives today. 

I am not against vaccines. I am a vaccine purest. I actually want a vaccine that grants immunity and pardons me from this pandemic. I can remember back in the day when we had real vaccines for polio, varicella, MMR, DTaP. A person would get a vaccine that actually prevented them from getting and transmitting infection. Those vaccines eradicated disease. Now, I blame this age of participation trophies for molding society into settling for well-played marketing strategies. Healthcare workers have turned into brand ambassadors for false hope that are not doing the public any justice. I am calling out my colleagues because I am witnessing the false narrative perpetuated by the selectively available therapies. People are quarantine fatigued and modifying their behavior with the hopes that we are on the cusps of returning to life before this pandemic. 

A very wise man, I am blessed to call a friend, reminded me that people will never care how much I know until they know how much I care. I do not care how many people call me a doctor. The people I care about most in this world call me daughter, sister, mother, and friend. I care about my family and my community. I am human. I am tired of fighting this microscopic enemy that is disproportionately killing patients that look like me. I want to go back to the good old days where I didn’t worry about going to work and coming home to possibly expose my family to a deadly virus. The currently offered infection therapy can not fix my fears. I want my pandemic pardon. I want these scientists back at the drawing board fighting for immunity. I also want the public to do their part and stay home when possible. 

I can admit that we have failed the public with our messaging and the abysmal rollout process. Your social media feed might have you believe that everybody is getting a shot. However, the numbers tell a different story. As I am writing this piece, more than 22 million doses have been distributed, but only 6.6 million doses have been delivered. Large healthcare systems report only 20-30% of staff deemed eligible for the shot are actually willing to receive these shots. The misleading verbiage feels like propaganda because it is. Here are the facts. These injections will not negate the need for masks. The general public will not have access to these injections for months.

I do not encourage or discourage any individuals from participating in these ongoing clinical trials. I do encourage everyone to wear a mask, keep their distance, only travel for essential reasons, and stay home when possible. These measures have been proven to save lives today. 

Back to my joke, I am still working on the punchline. A doctor and a lawyer want to go to Howard University’s Homecoming because we are the only HBCU with a college of medicine and school of law. HU! YOU KNOW!

Dr. KaNisha L. Hall (Dr. KaNisha) is a board-certified anesthesiologist, sexuality counselor, published author, and media personality. She boasts unique cultural roots being born and raised in Louisiana. She graduated with honors (magna cum laude) from Louisiana Tech University with a B.S. in Chemistry, second B.S. in Bio-Science Technology from Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. KaNisha ventured to Sagamihara, Japan to complete her fellowship in Cytopathology at Kitasato University. She received her Doctorate of Medicine (M.D.) from Howard University and later completed her residency in anesthesiology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Dr. KaNisha is currently practicing peri-operative, palliative, and addiction medicine across several states.