I agree with your point of view. Are the vaccines perfect? Obviously not. Are you better off getting vaccinated? I think so.
As it turns out - the following thing happened to me today. I rarely use a certain messaging app and I just happened to look at it today. There were three unanswered msgs from an old friend. The first message mentioned a canceled foreign trip due to Covid restrictions. The second talked about getting a medical exemption from getting the vaccine.
And the third message? You guessed it - it was about getting Covid and being low sick for like two weeks.
Does this prove anything? Nope.
Would I want to skip getting the vaccine? Nope.
Are you saying your friend passed away from Covid, or that he is currently sick?