Thread by @ASlavitt

COVID Update: After recent FDA approval, society is moving towards, requiring vaccines at a rapid pace.

And that’s about to get another jolt. 1/

Over 5.5 billion vaccines have been administered around the world. Think about this from a safety standpoint. Rare things happen when they occur a few times per MILLION. So we’ve seen it all.

At this point the safety record would have to be called impeccable. 2/

Over 5.5 billion shots, given to people of all ages & health, you would expect everything to occur. Yet there are only very modest & rare adverse events.

Even anti-vax strategies seem to acknowledge this reality. 3/

Anti-vax rhetoric is not the same as people who have concerns or questions. The rhetoric, perpetuated by a small number with dark motives, aims to sow doubt about vaccines.

The rhetoric began emphasizing “it’s unsafe” but evidence is it has had to shift to “it doesn’t work.” 4/

But they do work. They don’t work like we thought they did last December but they work.

Immunity wanes. Against variants like Delta, symptoms can break through. It reduces but doesn’t eliminate spread. But it delivers on what it was asked to. 5/

The latest data show a 5x benefit from a vaccine against being sick & a 29x benefit against being hospitalized.

It you told me something was free & proven safe and gave me a 29x benefit against being hospitalized (about 95%), I’d say that seems like a good deal. 6/

Even if that data were to change a little, things in the category of simple to do, carry almost no risks & can save lives are what’s called in policy circles a “home run.”

Seatbelts are an example from 5 decades ago. 7/

I remember when people faught seatbelt laws. Would make cars too expensive. Would trap people. In many collisions, people will still die.

But most of the resistance in the face of data ended up turning on rhetoric. But soon enough almost everyone made this slight adjustment.8/

Vaccines are even more obvious from a public policy standpoint.

Not only will they save lives, but unlike seatbelts, they reduce deaths for others, protect kids who can’t vaccinate themselves, reduce economic pain for businesses & families. 9/

So different sectors requiring vaccines to be around large crowds, particularly if done while offering people choices, is more than justified on the facts. 10/

So what’s the argument against? What protests will be thrown up around this tweet?

With 5 billion facts, there is surely a rhetorical storm about rights, coercion and tyranny.

An argument by the way that Washington overcame when he required vaccines against small pox. 11/

There will be other concerns, many of them valid.

The cost to business
The inconvenience
The ability to enforce 12/

But here the secret must finally come out.

In a global pandemic we do occasionally have to inconvenience ourselves & make adjustments to protect against it.

I know I know. But I’m sorry. But it just fucking is what it is. 13/

But whatever the arguments, the news here is very good.

20% of people are saying they face a vaccine requirement at work
900 universities now require it
2/3 believe in mask mandates for schools
LA County is adding a requirement, others likely to follow 14/

With the President’s speech today & the FDA’s approval, the burden is shifting from employers , schools & venues having to answer “why a requirement?” to “why not a requirement?” 15/

If you enter a school, a bar, the place you work or a concert, you should be able to know whether your risk of getting infected is high or whether precautions are being taken.

And this is where the requirement becomes a little weaker but much more tolerable…16/

The concession that vaccines should be required in many cases is creating an exception for frequent testing which demonstrates people aren’t infectious. 17/

This requires many more low cost tests be available— one of the critical components of Biden’s initiative today. 18/

We have a choice to spread small obligations among many that would lessen significant burdens to others.

Societies face these choice frequently & the decisions need to be made respectfully & with care.
19/

The changes the president announces today will do more good for more people.

As always, not everyone will get on board right away. Their concerns should be listened to & attempts should be made to accommodate them, but no one should be granted a heckler’s veto. /end