While many of us are looking at the news wondering if we will really invade Venezuela, which will probably result in a civil war because Maduro still has a base of support, the vaccine advisory panel is weighing in on hepatitis B vaccines for infants, not to mention, sowing more doubt about the efficacy of vaccines in general. This as we head into the winter flu and Covid season.
Already, concerned about the rise in respiratory illnesses, hospitals throughout the Northeast have reinstated masking rules for staff and visitors. Many staff and visitors at local government offices are masking, whether they themselves have had flu shots or not. With an unwillingness to take public health seriously, we are just asking for the next pandemic to drop down on us.
Ideology over science in public health and a presidential desire to show muscle will both yield bad results. One is just more public than the other.
Prayer for the Day
Draw us near so that we listen to your voice, O God,
Setting aside the distractions that pull us away from you;
Center our restless minds and soothe our anxious hearts
So we respond to your calming voice.
May we become instruments of your peace
Embracing humankind in your name.
In the name of the One who shows us how to live,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
We did not discover safety or effectiveness data that support delaying the choice parents have to vaccinate their newborns against hepatitis B.(which shows a 95% reduction in the disease).
Dr. Michael Osterholm, infectious disease expert University of Minnesota
For Trump, Venezuela is not just a geopolitical question. It is an opportunity to lead in war, a hallmark of presidents considered the nation’s best… A military victory over Venezuela may be perceived as a sure thing, but it holds no value… For presidents in search of glory, all the world’s a stage in need of great men. … The true cost of greatness is probably too high for anyone who covets the crown.
Theodore R. Johnson, in The Washington Post
The Lord leads the humble in what is right, teaching them the way of the Lord
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
For those who keep God’s covenant and decrees
Psalm 25: 9-10