The biggest problem with your anti-vax friend, and your argument as well, is there are no real numbers you can point at. VAERS is commonly used, but that's a voluntary system that even the CDC admits is all but useless: > Because VAERS allows anyone to report possible side effects from vaccines, it includes reports that might or might not be caused by vaccines. VAERS is not designed to identify cause and effect. VAERS reports alone cannot be used to determine if a vaccine caused or contributed to an adverse event or illness. They're very careful to point out that those numbers don't really mean anything because no one checks them. I can submit 10,000 reports of adverse reactions, but they aren't vetted for veracity. There's also questions as to if it does much. As Nature pointed out in February: > “The data is certainly intriguing and suggestive that vaccination may reduce the infectiousness of COVID-19 cases, even if it does not prevent infection altogether,” That's not an uncommon comment. What's the use of getting this if it doesn't prevent the infection? A story pointed posted recently questions if they even do anything to prevent transmission to other people. > All three authorized vaccines in the United States offer recipients robust protection against illness, particularly the worst cases. But how good are they at blocking transmission to other people? Shouldn't we have answered that questions before going into this mess? How do you pass on a disease that you can't have because you're supposedly vaccinated from it? Looking at other vaccines, one of the most common given is the Influenza vaccines, of which: > Serious adverse reactions were not noted; the reported adverse reactions were relatively minor and transient. No deaths, blood clots, or other life-debilitating reactions. But then again, I fully admit I can't point to any numbers because VAERS is a bullshit system made up of bullshit numbers. Vaers does say that it received 3,005 reports of death but is vary quick to point out that "they aren't linked." All I know is I and everyone I know has had this stuff, and I have to keep being told I still need this injection because *it's safe." I learned many years ago if you have to keep telling me something like it's safe, it's fun, it's in your best interests - it's not. Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vaers.html https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00450-z https://archive.is/LclJ2#selection-1061.116-4626.0 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19050354/ https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:AfxppOqJHtMJ:https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us