After weeks of browsing through scientific literature, and speaking this morning on my podcast to an expert from Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, I think I’ve finally found an extremely simple way to explain the complex mRNA mechanism of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The key is the “spikes.” We’ve all seen them. They’re those ominous proteins that protrude from the lethal cell of the virus. These are the “weapons” that enable the virus to enter the good cells and wreak havoc. Our immune system doesn’t have much practice fighting these spikes.
Enter the vaccine.
In essence, what the vaccine does is create “practice spikes” that prompt our immune system to fight them off. The mRNA molecule that is actually the vaccine is engineered to produce the practice spike protein. These practice spikes are virtually identical to the COVID-19 spikes, only they’re not connected to a virus. They’re safe. They’re basically target practice, so when the bad spikes ever do show up, our immune system will be ready for combat.
The criminal mob that ransacked the Capitol Building on January 6 was not attached to a “cell” that would enable a takeover, such as an army. There were no commandos with a plan to, say, kidnap our elected leaders. As horrible and shocking as the attacks were, this was not an army-backed coordinated plan to take over our government.
Just like the vaccine, the rioters were target practice that will help strengthen our immune system. That system utterly failed us on January 6. Our security preparations around the Capitol were disgracefully inadequate. We will learn more about the security breakdown as we go, but one thing is certain: We’ll be much better prepared in the future.
WE WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SECURITY BREAKDOWN AS WE GO, BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN: WE’LL BE MUCH BETTER PREPARED IN THE FUTURE.
Two of the darkest events in recent memory — the COVID-19 pandemic and the riots at the Capitol — offer a similar lesson. We must be better prepared. We can’t wait for threats before we act. When our bodies are healthy, we must do all we can to keep them healthy, including taking a vaccine that prepares us to fight a virus.
When our government bodies are secure and standing, we must do all we can to preserve them, including being more vigilant to all threats, disseminating civic education and instilling tougher security that will prevent the kind of horror show we saw on January 6.
The vaccine and the riots have concentrated our minds and delivered a key message for our time: We must never take for granted the most valuable things we own — our lives and our precious country.
