I'm feeling crummy today! I've just received my 4th dose of vaccine. I'm eligible because of being severely immunosuppressed/immunocompromised. I'm on a number of meds to suppress my immune system, one of them is an IV drug called Rituxan.

Rituxan works by killing and keeping B cells from maturing. This is a problem because B cells are the primary way that vaccines produce and "remember" the antibodies created by vaccines. There are numerous studies now demonstrating how ineffective the COVID vaccine is in people receiving Rituxan. One study said that it was "statistically insignificant for people to have received the vaccine"(or not) if on Rituxan, based on the fact that it gave no protection against the virus. Studies like these are incredibly disheartening.

As a person with serious lung disease, with mask mandates lifted, I'm scared.

We are all tired of this pandemic and it's demands upon us. I'm wearing this mask today because a member of my household was exposed to a sick coworker. When I venture out, I'm disheartened by how few people are choosing to wear masks now that they aren't required.

Remember those shop signs from the 80's "No shirt. No shoes. No service."? Well, we're all wearing shirts and shoes! What's one more (small) piece of cloth? Our lives are all touched by immune compromised folks, a kid who has cancer, someone on dialysis, an elderly person, and because we have proven that masks radically reduce the spread of COVID, what a generous and easy way to care for all of us. Today, where we are on the brink of WWIII and we are thinking "What can I do?" "How can I make change?"

You can wear a mask. If you are healthy and know others for whom masking is a choice, encourage them to do the same.