Listen to the science and data, they said. Mask up, stand six feet apart, they said. What does the CDC data report as of late? Thought you’d never ask. The CDC claims that data suggests vaccinated people do not carry COVID-19.

Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! The CDC says the darnedest things, don’t they? Just yesterday afternoon, CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky, hit an optimistic note, stating the data suggests that fully vaccinated people cannot pass along the dreaded ‘Rona to the non-vaccinated. Walensky was citing the most recent data.

These interim vaccine effectiveness findings for both Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines in real-world conditions complement and expand upon the vaccine effectiveness estimates from other recent studies (3–5) and demonstrate that current vaccination efforts are resulting in substantial preventive benefits among working-age adults. They reinforce CDC’s recommendation of full 2-dose immunization with mRNA vaccines. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all eligible persons, which currently varies by location in the United States.-Interim Estimates of Vaccine Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 COVID-19 Vaccines in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Health Care Personnel, First Responders, and Other Essential and Frontline Workers — Eight U.S. Locations, December 2020–March 2021

But despite the most recent data from the CDC, Rochelle Walensky was singing another tune the day before:

So, which is it? Are we developing herd immunity heading out of the long, dark winter or do we have another year of doom and gloom ahead of us? And, is this any revelation that we could not have figured out for ourselves? I mean, you get one shot in the arm and then, a few weeks later, you get the next. You’re more likely to get bit by Joe Biden’s dog than you are likely to catch COVID-19 at that point. But don’t get over-confident, Americans. Hold on just a little bit longer on those travel plans and seeing your loved ones because…wait for it…

A FOURTH wave of COVID is coming! And it’s hitting the U.S. hard, they say. What does The Hill attribute to this fourth wave and the spike in COVID cases? Behavior changes as weary Americans increasingly participate in nonessential activities. States have loosened restrictions, in some cases altogether, and several states have dropped or are planning to scrap mask mandates.

There it is. Can’t give anyone a false sense of hope for any normalcy here. Look, I get it. I got COVID in January, received my first Pfizer shot three weeks ago and I am due for “dash two” tomorrow afternoon. The decision to get a vaccine after having COVID-19 was personal for me but it cam down to this: my elderly parents. I would very much like to see them after the two-week waiting period but I know they still want to “hold on just a little bit longer”. Yes, they watch CNN and MSNBC. Yes, they voted for Biden. Yes, they have probably been convinced that vaccine passports are a great idea.

With all of that being said, I do respect their wishes to wait a while. What I don’t respect is the hypocrisy of the CDC. I also don’t respect the way these words-these maddening shifts between “impending doom” and optimism-are screwing with our lives, and our physical and mental well-being as humans.

I mean, if I am completely vaccinated and beyond the two-week period, why do I need to wear a mask around other vaccinated people? Oh, right, Dr. Fauci. Asymptomatic spread. Noted.

We hope that within the next five or so months we’ll be able to answer the very important question about whether vaccinated people get infected asymptomatically, and if they do, do they transmit the infection to others.”-Dr. Anthony Fauci

But, but, Dr. Fauci? Data suggests that fully vaccinated people cannot spread the virus to other vaccinated people. Seems Fauci didn’t get the CDC’s memo.

Key word “suggests”! I want full science data provided! No more guessing and suggesting! Enough!

— SassyLady1961 (@SLady1961) March 30, 2021

Good luck with that.

Ugh. CDC needs to take two weeks, not speak to the media, crunch data, come out with concise, clear, consistent messaging. This whatever sticks to the wall approach is not doing anyone favors.

— ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪɢ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘ (@JoelWoodinthe99) March 30, 2021

We are up on what would have been the one-year anniversary of “two weeks to flatten the curve“. A year ago, we had hopes this would end quickly. But within those two weeks, school was canceled for the year and we packed up our computers and worked from home. We canceled vacations, reunions and made alternate plans for the remainder of 2020. Some people lost their jobs, some went back to alcohol and drugs because the depression was real and just too much to take. Some took their own lives. Some of us never stopped going to work while some employees used lockdowns and stuffy sinuses as excuses to “not be able to fill out the daily health attestation forms” and be even more lazy than they were before-if that was ever imaginable-all while some of their very co-workers suffered through COVID-19 returning promptly after their quarantine period ended. Our students have missed out on classroom instruction and have fallen severely behind in their studies. And, because of online learning, some students have lost the social skills and interactions with their peers that are ever-so-important to their physical and mental development. In fact, they don’t know HOW to connect with others anymore. They say they have no friends. And our elderly? This picture is perhaps the saddest of them all. They were left in their “golden years” to spend them alone-in fear of a virus that may hunt them down and kill them-instead of enjoying joyful moments with loved ones.

Yet, the CDC wants to yank our chains-giving us “impending doom” while stroking us a day later with optimism? The fourth phase is upon us but don’t worry, you’re protected if you have the vaccine. Uh…maybe. That is, you may not get sick but you may get someone else sick because you may be asymptomatic. By the way, asymptomatic spread doesn’t happen at big box stores, in fast food drive-thrus, at protests, riots and rallies for political figures of the Democrat persuasion. It happens at schools, churches, in airports, small businesses and family-owned restaurants. So, therefore, you may want to still lock down because how could you ever live with yourself if you got someone else sick? And, just a refresher- according to the CDC, COVID-19 most commonly spreads through respiratory droplets or small particles, such as those in aerosols….or…wait a second…is it…COVID-19 spreads primarily through larger, heavier droplets that fell to the ground and traveled no more than six feet? We’re not sure anymore, And, masks? Don’t even ask the CDC about masks.

Forgive me if I am a bit cynical at this point and not too optimistic about anything the CDC has to say. Forgive me if I am angered and pissed off. Forgive me if I want to rip off my mask, travel, go to a restaurant, go to the gym, hug a friend, hug my parents and see pictures of full classrooms of kids. Forgive me if I want to breathe in the fresh air outside without obstructions and, for heaven’s sake, walk down a grocery aisle in whichever direction I damn well please. Really. Screw those arrows.

Actually, scratch that. We don’t need anybody’s forgiveness nor permission to do any of these things and we certainly do not need the blessing of the CDC. If vaccinated people do not carry COVID-19, huh? Why in the hell then are we still locked down?

Photo Credit: NIH/NIAID/FlickR/CC BY 2.0/Cropped