Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

axios.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 560 posts

Re: Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

#101

Post by MagnumOpus »

mensetmanusman wrote: post #97

It is arguably unethical to provide a rich person a third or fourth shot before helping the poor with their first shot. (it is also counterproductive, since the rich would benefit if the poor were immune. This applies to the current debate around natural immunity and mandates.)

By the same measure it is arguably far more unethical to provide a rich person ineffectual million-dollar cancer chemotherapy before helping the poor with malaria chemo-prevention that demonstrably saves a thousand lives...

Re: Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

#102

Post by hanselot »

epmaybe wrote: post #95

I think this reporting is dancing around the issue, that the vaccine supply is most concentrated in countries that have essentially reached their maximum vaccination percentage. By not providing access to those developing or smaller countries, larger countries are shooting themselves in the proverbial global foot. I don’t think countries like the US and Canada aren’t trying to do that, I just think these experts woul…

I fail to see why Dr Robert Malone is being ignored during this pandemic.

If we are going to invoke the "my piece of paper is bigger than yours argument", I think he wins.

Re: Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

#103

Post by MagnumOpus »

_red wrote: post #93
kongin wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But think of the opportunity cost! If you're under 40 and you spread the virus to your over 50 boss she has at least an order of magnitude more chance of dying than you. You could then move up the corporate ladder with her departure.

How about the reverse! If you're a 8 year old male, you get the shot and die of myocarditis, but the 82 yr old overweight cancer patient gets an extra 4 months!!! YAY!

Myocarditis is about 8x more likely when getting COVID than when getting a covid vaccine, so nope, even an 8-yo should get shot out of pure self interest. (If their chance of catching COVID in the next few years is more than 1/8, which it certainly is.)

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25133462-800-myocardi...

Re: Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

#104

Post by matz1 »

blagie wrote: post #44
LurkingPenguin wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you "absolutely" need a booster shot? Are you immunocompromised? How do you know what your level of protection currently is? Even if you did a test to look at your antibody titers, antibody titers aren't the end all and be all of immunity (think T-cells).

Well, I'm not flying to Vietnam tomorrow, so I'm not claiming I personally need a booster shot. However: - Vietnam is an epicenter right now, so my odds of catching COVID would be high. - They are well beyond hospital capacity, so if I do have a serious case, it's uncertain I'll receive quality care (and if I do, I'm taking a bed from someone else) We don't have full data, so the right way to think about this is with…

The odds of catching covid is high but the chance you are going to need hospitalization due to covid are very low.

It doesn't make sense to lose the benefit gained from the humanitarian work just because the very low chance becoming seriously sick from covid.

Re: Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

#105

Post by mythrwy »

himinlomax wrote: post #86
swader999 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except that it doesn't prevent spread. If you are less symptomatic because vaccine limited the severity, you will be more likely to be functioning socially and spreading it. Also, a million doses to kids will likely result in one less ICU admission but create six myocarditus cases. What's the five year average outcome for those six kids?

> Except that it doesn't prevent spread That's right, it doesn't prevent it, it reduces it. Just like wearing a seat belt does not prevent dying in a car accident but reduces the risk. You're just splitting hair.

Do we have any hard data on that or is it just something people say?

Re: Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

#106

Post by beervirus »

Booster shots aren’t needed in the same way that masks weren’t recommended at the beginning of the pandemic. Not because they don’t help, but to save supplies for other people (health care workers for the masks, foreigners for the vaccine shots).

I still plan to get a booster ASAP though.

Re: Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

#107

Post by mensetmanusman »

MagnumOpus wrote: post #101
mensetmanusman wrote: post #97

It is arguably unethical to provide a rich person a third or fourth shot before helping the poor with their first shot. (it is also counterproductive, since the rich would benefit if the poor were immune. This applies to the current debate around natural immunity and mandates.)

By the same measure it is arguably far more unethical to provide a rich person ineffectual million-dollar cancer chemotherapy before helping the poor with malaria chemo-prevention that demonstrably saves a thousand lives...

Not necessarily more unethical, because in your example we know that this contributes to future advances which eventually reach more people including the poor.

With vaccines we know the end game, especially with an endemic virus.

Re: Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

#108

Post by causi »

neximo64 wrote: post #88
blagie wrote: post #9

The paper is thoughtful. The reporting on it is reckless. An accurate headline would be: "Vaccine experts: Widespread booster mandates aren't needed now," or perhaps "recommendations" There's a line between: * Mandatory. * Recommended. * Allowed. * Banned. If I am flying to do humanitarian work in Vietnam tomorrow, I absolutely need a booster shoot. Right now, the only way to get that is to go to a state which doesn'…

Not quite sure why you absolutely need the booster shot, could you explain more there? Is that personal preference. Having both almost entirely eliminates the risk of hospitalisation from the other strains.

People who got vaccinated five or six months ago are seeing their immunity rate drop to around eighty percent. That's double the risk compared to a fresh vaccination.

Re: Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

#109

Post by refurb »

ctrlp wrote: post #99
refurb wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I'm assuming people were more critical before covid because it's easy to thrown stones when there isn't an epidemic going on a millions dying?

Are you suggesting the criticism was/is unfounded?

No, I’m suggesting it’s easy to criticize when you aren’t immediately benefiting.

Re: Vaccine experts: Covid-19 booster shots aren't needed now

#110

Post by standardUser »

causi wrote: post #108
neximo64 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not quite sure why you absolutely need the booster shot, could you explain more there? Is that personal preference. Having both almost entirely eliminates the risk of hospitalisation from the other strains.

People who got vaccinated five or six months ago are seeing their immunity rate drop to around eighty percent. That's double the risk compared to a fresh vaccination.

Studies have primarily observed a modest decline in effectiveness among older people and the immunocompromised, which is why some jurisdictions have recommended boosters for these people (Israel, California). There is a reason boosters have not been approved anywhere for the general population, and that is because so far the data does not indicate they are necessary.
Post reply on HN