Vaxmaxxers

 PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. R does not endorse the abuse of the coronavirus vaccine. Deviating AT ALL from the advice of medical professionals on the use of the coronavirus vaccine, be it not taking enough doses to be safe from coronavirus or vaxmaxxing, will have health consequences and can be fatal. If you are unsure about anything concerning the coronavirus vaccine, consult with your GP immediately.

“I was able to intercept an entire pallet of Pfizers first vaccine shipment. 4000 doses at 2 shots per dose. I've got it stored in a chest freezer in my garage. Ive been injecting myself every day, sometimes multiple times a day if I can stand it. The symptoms were terrible for the first few weeks. There were times I was completely paralyzed with pain, contorted like the Edvard munch painting and frozen in agony for hours. I became stronger and some of the worst symptoms subsided over time. I've been vaxmaxxing for almost 4 months now and I feel as though I'm becoming something greater than human now. I will continue to administer the injections into the same arm as long as possible. I'm increasing the dosages as much as I can stand and will maintain my journal.”

This is the text of a post that appeared on the controversial anonymous message board 4chan on 9th April 2021. The author is engaging in a process called vaxmaxxing, in which people inject themselves with more, often far more, than the recommended dose of coronavirus vaccines. Often, vaxmaxxers have taken several tens of doses of different brands of COVID vaccine, and are documenting the usually undesirable effects online for others to marvel at. This phenomenon has become popular following the original 4chan post going viral, followed by viral circulation of a disturbing meme captioned “Don’t talk to me unless you’re gigavaxxed”. Another account, split across two posts, appeared later on the Something Awful forums and was subsequently circulated on Twitter.

“So I've been Max Titering a full Moderna dose every 3 weeks since my second dose back in February. I had to get some blood work done for my annual physical and they said my blood looked unusual in the tube, like visibly. They thought it was excessive lipids at first, but my cholesterol was normal, so they ran some more tests and it was antibodies. Anyway my doctor says my blood is way too viscous now and it explains why my blood pressure is up and they're worried about my kidneys between the inflammation and the thickening! I haven't come clean about the boosters yet so if you see a preprint about an insanely excessive antibody production with the Moderna vaxx it's just me and my boy Max.”

Then, when asked how he obtained so many doses:

“1/6 (bandited at a public site for the elderly in a red county) and 2/6, original series. Then I was reading about other vaccines and seeing how many polio shots I got as a kid and was like maybe 4 will be better for this, I went with the Pfizer interval because rich people were getting Pfizer so I figured closer together was better but all anyone had around me was Moderna. Then I kept going because it made me feel safer about covid, and once we learned about waning I knew I was doing the right thing. So then every 3 weeks up until my physical this week so 21 more like clockwork. I got 2 or 3 extras at least during Delta (was really freaked out about India stuff so I'm not sure how much) and when the Omicron sequence dropped I did one daily until my regular dose on the 27th of last month at which point I calmed down so 22-26 is 5 extra. And I got the legit booster on my card the day I could even though it wasn't on the regimen. So 2 original, a booster, 21 on my DIY sequence, 5 during omicron, and at least 2 during delta. So that's 31 as the absolute floor, maybe 35. All full dose Moderna except the legit booster so we'll say 30.5-34.5 doses? Kind of worried about the kidney thing now that I read more about what they do and can mess up!”

Obviously, stories posted anonymously to forums cannot be verified, however, a case of a man in New Zealand taking the vaccine ten times in one day was verified - however, his motive was perhaps a little more astute than wanting to become the healthiest man in the world or develop Avengers-style superpowers. New Zealand was offering a cash reward for people to get vaccinated at the time, and by using fake papers and other trickery, he was able to convince ten sites in one day that he was there for his first vaccine, and claim the cash reward ten times. Also apparently confirmed is the case of a 48 year old man in Rio in Brazil who received 5 vaccine doses, three more than were recommended at the time, though not all in the same day.

Vaxxmaxxing to the extent of five doses could perhaps have occurred in the UK too. Scotland has vaccine passports, but there have been reports that it has been difficult to register a dose taken somewhere other than Scotland for the vaccine passport scheme, which could have motivated people to seek full dosage in both England and Scotland in order to be able to fully participate in public life in both countries. With vaccine passports or similar coming to the rest of the UK for certain venues soon, seeking extra doses because of administrative issues could soon become common.

Finally, in the very long term perhaps we are all vaxmaxxers. With vaccine efficacy waning over time, some countries, including the UK, are encouraging residents to get a booster shot, which would be a third dose, with the possibility of subsequent doses every six months until coronavirus has disappeared. However, if coronavirus becomes seasonal like flu, then perhaps it will not be uncommon in a few decades time for people to have had more than 30 doses in their lifetimes, just like the real vaxmaxxers have had today.

Finally, I would like to iterate again, DO NOT DEVIATE FROM THE ADVICE OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WHEN IT COMES TO THE COVID VACCINE, or when it comes to anything else medical, for that matter.