Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines

#141

Post by Digory » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:48 PM UTC

I suspect the standard will be to say "everyone must," with a long list of exceptions. And the truly vaccine-adverse will find their way into an exception. So the "mandates" moves the needle 10 or 15 percent, not the last 40 or 50%.

I'm fully-Pfizered, but I think heavy-handed blanket rules without exceptions would cause more harm than good. People in Idaho shouldn't have the same blanket rule as Google HQ, and I bet the small number of true religious objectors at Google HQ would have no real impact on the public health math.

Re: Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines

#142

Post by TulliusCicero » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:49 PM UTC

conductr wrote: post #126

mtoner23 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hippa only applies to medical professionals i believe. Employers can always ask for your medical records. This has always been the case.

Extremely false. Hippa applies to all and is meant to protect people from discrimination on health matters. These policies will end up in court eventually and companies will argue the law moves too slowly for the concerns of the day and they had to make a decision they felt was best for safety of their employees.

This is incorrect. HIPPA prevents sharing info without consent. If you choose to give the info to your employer, HIPPA doesn't apply.

Re: Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines

#143

Post by jkingsman » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:49 PM UTC

endisneigh wrote: post #91

How are they going to even know you took the vaccine? Honor system? If they force you to disclose doesn't that break HIPAA? If it doesn't break HIPAA, then doesn't this create a precedent that employers can gain your medical history with arbitrary mandates? Seems like a lose-lose.

HIPAA (not HIPPA) is only relevant in terms of your health care provider(s) disclosing information. A company is completely free to demand proof of vaccination records xor refuse to employ you (and as long as they're demanding it from you and not your health care provider [without your permission], there is no precedent being set here and HIPAA doesn't even enter the picture).

As a general rule of thumb (barring some edge case exceptions), it is impossible for anyone but a health care provider to violate HIPAA. For examples, reporters reporting on someone's health conditions, sharing health information that was intended to be kept secret, or demanding proof of vaccination are not violating HIPAA.

Plenty of industries demand vaccination (healthcare, childcare, etc.) as a prerequisite for employment; this is not a new model being implemented.

Re: Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines

#144

Post by bradstewart » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:49 PM UTC

sharken wrote: post #66

Whatarethese wrote: post #2

Good. Its time to stop messing around with this. The vaccines are tested and are safe.

The problem is not the vaccine by itself, it is that you no longer have a say in what happens with your body. I guess switching jobs is the only cure for this unfortunate trend.

I don't understand this argument. This isn't the first time vaccines have been required. For instance, every state has required vaccines for school attendance--from kindergarten through college.

Here's the list for Texas: https://dshs.texas.gov/immunize/school/school-requirements.a...

Are you opposed to those mandates as well, or is this one different?

Re: Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines

#145

Post by mbesto » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:49 PM UTC

hanoz wrote: post #10

Whatarethese wrote: post #2

Good. Its time to stop messing around with this. The vaccines are tested and are safe.

They are not tested long term.

We've just "tested" the vaccines with over 1 Billion people globally, with virtually every prominent scientific specialist's attention on the subject.

What more is the FDA going to say about long terms effects when 50% of the US population is already using the drug?

Re: Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines

#146

Post by esalman » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:49 PM UTC

conductr wrote: post #126

mtoner23 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hippa only applies to medical professionals i believe. Employers can always ask for your medical records. This has always been the case.

Extremely false. Hippa applies to all and is meant to protect people from discrimination on health matters. These policies will end up in court eventually and companies will argue the law moves too slowly for the concerns of the day and they had to make a decision they felt was best for safety of their employees.

It only applies to one's care providers. Source: I work with human subject data, have to take training each year.

Re: Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines

#147

Post by TheHypnotist » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:49 PM UTC

h_anna_h wrote: post #83

incanus77 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You must not have, know, or care about any kids.

Why are people so obsessed with kids? Afaik, covid is generally much softer on them, older people tend to be in higher danger.

Maybe, maybe not. Depends on the kids. Why chance it?

https://www.houstonpress.com/news/at-texas-childrens-some-ki...

Re: Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines

#148

Post by pb7 » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:50 PM UTC

bruceb wrote: post #139

giarc wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but the harm from COVID is pretty evident in the 600,000 deaths in the states in the past 18 months. No one has said the vaccine is 100% safe, it does list side effects after all, but this whole notion of "I'm waiting until all the data is out/it's only approved for emergency use" is just nonsensical.

If you are young and in shape, then the likely hood of you dying is extremely low.

Except if there are severe consequences that will only arise years down the line, which we're already seeing, right?

Re: Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines

#149

Post by yurrzz » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:50 PM UTC

halfjoking wrote: post #105

yurrzz wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are living in the USA why not get the Johnson and Johnson vaccine?

This Medcram video explains how J&J vaccine works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13qT7wLxkvU#t=1m30s They splice DNA to put in a virus and the end result is exactly the same as the mRNA vaccines - custom spliced RNA code running in your cells.

I see your point. Thanks for the Video.

Re: Google Offices to Mandate Vaccines

#150

Post by tfehring » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 5:50 PM UTC

kyruzic wrote: post #94

tfehring wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Mandate" means something very different when performed by a private employer than by a government entity. In the former case it means something like "make continued employment conditional upon." Google employees are perfectly free to decide they're no longer satisfied with the conditions of their employment and find new jobs elsewhere instead. Edited to add: In terms of whether Google "should" do so, I assume they'v…

Do you really believe Google is ready to lose at least 20% of their staff? That would be a horrible decision especially in the market we are currently in. These people will easily find jobs elsewhere.

I doubt Google will lose anywhere close to 20% of its staff, and I assume Google doubts that too. I expect the rest of FAANG+ will follow suit, and there won't be that many jobs where you can earn a FAANG-level salary without being vaccinated (either because they're fully remote or otherwise). When push comes to shove I don't think that many people will be willing to take six-figure pay cuts.