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Pfizer board member suggests end to mask, vaccine mandates

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

#11
post #8

I think this is kind of a big "duh" statement. Mandates were issued in the face or surging numbers and we now have waning numbers. I'm very hesitant to declare victory too soon but the day is seemingly coming soon. Of course, we'll have to reverse course yet again if there's a new wave which very well might happen. The next stage should shipping billions of doses to the poor nations that haven't gotten any yet.

Millions of people died, there's no victory.

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

#12
post #3

Unscientific mask and vaccine mandates should be dropped regardless of the opinion of someone on Pfizer's board.

It’s notable because the board member will lose financially with this statement. It’s in their interest to keep quiet or push more vaccine mandates; especially as they have the “best” one as of now.

You never know, maybe he invests heavily in hospitals and respirators.

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

#13
post #6

Why is this comment being downvoted? What part isn't true? This statement seems very specific to the US cultural context: “The only way to get compliance from people and get accommodation [is] if we demonstrate the ability to withdraw these [mandates] in the same manner in which we put them in,” Gottlieb added. In Canada, there have been experiments with slowly increasing the number of areas where you are required to…

Why you care if others get the vaccine if it does not stop the spread and new mutations as we saw with the recent variants

I’m fully boosted etc. I don’t think it’s fair to compare it to Polio

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

#14
post #8

I think this is kind of a big "duh" statement. Mandates were issued in the face or surging numbers and we now have waning numbers. I'm very hesitant to declare victory too soon but the day is seemingly coming soon. Of course, we'll have to reverse course yet again if there's a new wave which very well might happen. The next stage should shipping billions of doses to the poor nations that haven't gotten any yet.

The B.A2 variant has emerged and is spreading. I’m not sure we’re rounding the corner just yet.

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

#15
post #13
post #6

Why is this comment being downvoted? What part isn't true? This statement seems very specific to the US cultural context: “The only way to get compliance from people and get accommodation [is] if we demonstrate the ability to withdraw these [mandates] in the same manner in which we put them in,” Gottlieb added. In Canada, there have been experiments with slowly increasing the number of areas where you are required to…

Why you care if others get the vaccine if it does not stop the spread and new mutations as we saw with the recent variants I’m fully boosted etc. I don’t think it’s fair to compare it to Polio

It doesn't stop the spread, but it slows it and reduces the severity of the disease. Both of which help our health services to cope. You might care because you want healthcare to be available for yourself or your loved ones should they need it.

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

#16

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.

I think so too, but do you know? I mean, only a few per cent of infectees require much medicine, and Pfizer's market share won't be 100% of that. It's not obvious that x>y.

Anyway, he may also well be thinking that the best policy is to have a history of assessments that turn out to be correct in hindsight. "Drop restrictions when the number of infections declines" is at least plausible.

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

#17
post #13
post #6

Why is this comment being downvoted? What part isn't true? This statement seems very specific to the US cultural context: “The only way to get compliance from people and get accommodation [is] if we demonstrate the ability to withdraw these [mandates] in the same manner in which we put them in,” Gottlieb added. In Canada, there have been experiments with slowly increasing the number of areas where you are required to…

Why you care if others get the vaccine if it does not stop the spread and new mutations as we saw with the recent variants I’m fully boosted etc. I don’t think it’s fair to compare it to Polio

It greatly reduces deaths, which is the point of a vaccine:

https://twitter.com/OurWorldInData/status/148607668061993779...

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

#19
post #16

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.

I think so too, but do you know? I mean, only a few per cent of infectees require much medicine, and Pfizer's market share won't be 100% of that. It's not obvious that x>y. Anyway, he may also well be thinking that the best policy is to have a history of assessments that turn out to be correct in hindsight. "Drop restrictions when the number of infections declines" is at least plausible.

Paxlovid is interesting in that it is only really effective if you take it as soon as you show any symptoms. Once production is scaled up, hundreds of millions of courses of treatment will be sold. Each around 100x more expensive than a vaccine dose.

It will soon be Pfizer's financial benefit to have as many infections as possible.

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

#20
Actually seems like a very level headed guy.

His record at the FDA is better than I would have expected from someone with such deep industry ties but it looks like he took the job to heart and did it well.

At this point with the rate Omicron has been spreading here in Australia I don't think masks are making much/any difference anymore - seems like this variant is just off the charts w.r.t transmissibility.

Vaccine mandates though I think make sense for the same reason we have mandated immunization in Australia for many other diseases. Unlike somewhere like the US you can't attend a school (any school, not just public schools) without the appropriate vaccines or a medical diagnosis exempting you. So a vaccine mandate for Covid-19 isn't really anything new here. Despite that there is now some political debate about it because we seem to have imported a lot of US hysteria the last decade or two.

Vaccine mandate will help keep herd immunity maintained which reduces deaths among those that actually can't get the vaccine rather than just anti-vax nonsense.

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