solotripper wrote on Jun 9^th, 2021 at 11:45am:

Quote: That Mayo article is from January and when I look for current thinking, it seems that there is much evidence that vaccinated people are unlikely to transmit the virus. Therein lay the problem as I see it. As new evidence comes in the powers that be need to get on the same page so people can have confidence in the rules and plan accordingly.   I was vaccinated here in MI about a month ago with the J&J vaccine at the local Krogers where I shop.   Right about then, Kroger changed its policy that required customers/workers to wear masks. If you've been vaccinated you don't need a mask. Of course that begs the question, how do they or other people know you have been vaccinated? I've seen a few verbal confrontations over masks, so I decided to make my status known even if not required to. I bought one of those clear plastic ID card holders on a neck lanyard. When I'm out and about I wear it so people know and I don't have to deal with a mask "KAREN" screaming at me.

Sorry if this is a thread hijack, but what you said, Neal, sort of resonated with me in light of my trip to pick up my groceries at Kroger yesterday.  I don't go in the store, but I order and pay online, then just park in the designated spot and a nice young person comes and puts my groceries in the trunk of my car.

While I was waiting for him to serve the person parked close to me, I had my car window open and was able to hear (actually unable to not hear, as it was very loud) the conversation that the man in the car was having with the delivery person.  The employee of Kroger's was wearing a mask, but the customer was not.  And he evidently asked the young employee if he had had the vaccine yet and got a negative reply.

The man was thrilled to hear that.  He went on to say that only stupid people get this vaccine, that "it is a proven fact that more people have died from the vaccine than from COVID."  He went on to rant and rave about how many people had died from the vaccine and that everyone who has had the vaccine is shedding spike protein that makes other people sick.  The kid was very polite, thanked him for letting him know that, and said he guessed he was right not to get the vaccine after all. 

Then the gentleman started in on his view that there is really no such thing as COVID and that the government had made it all up to take away people's freedoms.  And on and on, and on. . .when they got to their opinions about Dr. Fauci I just put up my car window, turned on my music, and waited--much longer than usual because normally the employees don't stand and listen to a customer rant about vaccines and vaccinated "idiots" while other customers are waiting.   

When the kid finally went back and got my groceries, it was just a matter of about five minutes and I was on my way.  I still don't feel all that threatened by my vaccine, which I had in January.  And if somewhere that I go (physical therapy comes to mind since I was there this morning) requires me to wear a mask, I just do it.  I don't argue about my vaccination status.