That's a very good point.

In this particular case, there was a serious pandemic, and it was necessary to respond to it. When there is an emergency like that, the tolerance for risk needs to be higher. I'll note that the SARS-COV-2 virus binds to a vastly wider range of cell types than flu viruses do, and that is why COVID-19 can become a life-threatening systemic illness.

Those who questioned whether the vaccines were needed, suggesting big Pharma influence, were right to do so. Big Pharma is a huge dysfunction in our society. But most of the pandemic vaccine claims were things like "vaccines are not safe", and even "vaccines contain tracking chips". Yet early data indicated that the vaccines were safe, and there was good scientific reason to believe that a mRNA-based vaccine would be much safer than vaccines we had accepted for years, and that did turn out to be the case.

I think that the vaccines were yet one more issue that certain pundits used to generate hysteria and anger, and thereby increase their following - at all of our expense. It's just like the plethora of other conspiracy theories and hysteria today. It's all garbage generated by people to gain influence. What's changed is that today they make outright lies, and even "mainstream" politicians participate - there has been a complete loss of integrity among a large percent of them.