Not sure why this is on Rotorheads as it effects all pilots. Pity it wasnt moved to the medical thread. I have only just spotted it and I am not going to trawl through the entire thread. May I make some objective purely medical observations:
1 The FAA asked for a vaccine and the goal was to reduce hospitalisation and death by over 50%. The current western vaccines achieve far better than this and have saved many lives. Vaccination was never developed to reduce the risk of becoming infected and some studies suggest over 95% of some developed populations have been infected despite high vacination rates. However they didnt die.
2 Vaccination may reduce load shedding and the risk of infecting others but now the risk of death from covid is less than the risk of death from influenza. Risk is to those immunoisuppressed and this excludes pilots
3 Chinese vaccines are far far less effective. China reduced offers to make mRNA vaccines under license until a few weeks ago.
4 The mRNA vaccines are very safe and most complications on social media are false. However myocarditis is seen especially in young males up to age 29 where it rises to 1 in 10,000 after repeated doses. It almost always resolves spontaneously. Sadly this problem is relevant to younger pilots and they will temporarily lose their license. Testing to confirm normal cardiac function will cost money.
Logically it follows that although we are encouraging all adults to be vaccinated and revaccinated (children are a different matter) the risk;benefit ratio in 2023 may be against vaccination in pilots.