Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates • Hacker News Board

Re: Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

#101

Post by BitwiseFool » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 3:57 PM UTC

somedude895 wrote: post #88

BitwiseFool wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not so sure about this. Call me a cynic, or even a Libertarian (gasp!) but it is generally not in the nature of government to wind down an apparatus that they paid so much for once "the threat" has passed. Now that governments have the infrastructure for requiring and/or showing proof of vaccination, it really isn't a stretch to think they will want to keep that system and have it be readily available for the nex…

Also, a lot of government employees' jobs now depend on keeping these systems in place in one form or another...

Indeed, and I also sense a lot of Department of Healths at the state level will seek to track the yearly flu-shoot with this system as well. Not necessarily mandating it for public participation, but as a public health measure. The amount of productivity lost due to the seasonal flu is substantial, and the amount of data that can be gleaned from such a database is too tantalizing to ignore.

Re: Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

#102

Post by hatware » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 3:58 PM UTC

bencoder wrote: post #24

It's amazing to me that every post that has anybody arguing against the restrictions or similar gets flagged, no matter the source or rationale. It's really the most divisive issue I've ever seen in my life.

If you've been playing pandemic longer than necessary, you'd clutch your pearls too.

Re: Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

#103

Post by giraffe_lady » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 3:58 PM UTC

Bhilai wrote: post #80

I am done. I did my part, wore masks (sometimes double masks,) three shots of vaccines and took all reasonable precautions that a sane person could do. But there are still unmasked people and unvaccinated people (sure, blame me for putting everyone in this binary category) and I am done caring about this class of people. I could not see my family for two years due to one or the other international travel restrictions…

How do you feel about people who are vaccinated but will still likely have permanent serious consequences or shortened life span due to a "mild" infection?

I'm in this category and it doesn't seem particularly rare. Rarely accounted for in these "I am done" type posts though.

Re: Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

#104

Post by rajup » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 3:59 PM UTC

Izkata wrote: post #86

Bhilai wrote: post #80

I am done. I did my part, wore masks (sometimes double masks,) three shots of vaccines and took all reasonable precautions that a sane person could do. But there are still unmasked people and unvaccinated people (sure, blame me for putting everyone in this binary category) and I am done caring about this class of people. I could not see my family for two years due to one or the other international travel restrictions…

> and I am done caring about this class of people. And their response will be "Finally! This is all we've wanted this entire time!" I don't think most here understand just how much "this class of people" value freedom over safety.

You say that like it’s a bad thing

Re: Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

#105

Post by aldebran » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 3:59 PM UTC

Izkata wrote: post #86

Bhilai wrote: post #80

I am done. I did my part, wore masks (sometimes double masks,) three shots of vaccines and took all reasonable precautions that a sane person could do. But there are still unmasked people and unvaccinated people (sure, blame me for putting everyone in this binary category) and I am done caring about this class of people. I could not see my family for two years due to one or the other international travel restrictions…

> and I am done caring about this class of people. And their response will be "Finally! This is all we've wanted this entire time!" I don't think most here understand just how much "this class of people" value freedom over safety.

I don’t think they value freedom. I think it’s mostly a cult following.

People made their decision then looked for reasons to support it.

Re: Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

#106

Post by MagnumOpus » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 3:59 PM UTC

Izkata wrote: post #86

Bhilai wrote: post #80

I am done. I did my part, wore masks (sometimes double masks,) three shots of vaccines and took all reasonable precautions that a sane person could do. But there are still unmasked people and unvaccinated people (sure, blame me for putting everyone in this binary category) and I am done caring about this class of people. I could not see my family for two years due to one or the other international travel restrictions…

> and I am done caring about this class of people. And their response will be "Finally! This is all we've wanted this entire time!" I don't think most here understand just how much "this class of people" value freedom over safety.

No post body was provided.

Re: Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

#107

Post by xadhominemx » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 4:00 PM UTC

quaffapint wrote: post #66

I'm vaccinated and boostered by my own choice. My problem with mandates is where does it end? Why this mandate and not other mandates? Who gets to decide that?

Well we just had a once in a century global pandemic that killed one million Americans and vaccines that work extremely well and there is no mandate - so I think the better question is what would it take for there to be a mandate?

Re: Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

#108

Post by throwaway0a5e » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 4:00 PM UTC

peter422 wrote: post #87

yucky wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interestingly enough, there doesn't seem to be any correlation between states like New York and Florida and their polar opposite approaches to mandates. In the end, the data says it made no difference. Why?

Florida have had way more deaths after vaccinations were widely available. Also don’t compare to NY… New York is such a unique state due to how it was hit so hard right away. Compare Florida and California. Florida has 50% more deaths per capita. That’s a lot!

I don't understand how you can say this in good faith. The state by state death rates were and are all over the map. Death rates seem to have far more to do with the prevalence of underlying conditions and some key decisions made regarding vulnerable sub groups early on. In light of this your comment basically boils down to "don't pick a state that has policy I like that's on the high end, pick one on the low end"

Re: Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

#109

Post by VaxWithSex » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 4:00 PM UTC

robrorcroptrer wrote: post #77

peter422 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It ends with covid vaccines because that is the only pandemic that is currently raging across the globe. The politicians we elect democratically makes the decisions.

Could the global obesity epidemic not also be handled through mandates?

You don't get fat, because your neighbour coughs on you.

Re: Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

#110

Post by missedthecue » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 4:01 PM UTC

sudosysgen wrote: post #10

Some people are saying that this is notable because Pfizer has a financial incentive to keep vaccine mandates. That is not true. Pfizer is going to be making a lot more money from their COVID treatments than from the vaccine.

Why not promote both though?