Re:Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK
by nkohari on Wednesday December 02, 2020 @12:59PM
(#25279188)
If there is an effective vaccine which is readily available to anyone, there is no need for lockdowns.
Re:Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK
by macintux on Wednesday December 02, 2020 @01:33PM
(#25279630)
People who don’t use the vaccine and get sick still have an impact on healthcare systems.
People who do take the vaccine are likely still able to spread the virus.
The pandemic is not going to go quietly any time soon.
Re:Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK
by nkohari on Wednesday December 02, 2020 @02:52PM
(#25280729)
It's still unknown whether vaccines convey sterilizing immunity. Even if they don't, there will be no political will to institute lockdowns if the people who are getting sick could have been vaccinated. If unvaccinated people getting Covid-19 creates undue strain on the healthcare system, the calls will be for mandatory vaccination, not for lockdowns.
Restricting social interaction and business is a crushing approach to solving the problem, with severe consequences to health and economics. It's brute force, like securing a computer using an air gap. The only reason lockdowns have been used in 2020 is because we have no other options available, but a free and readily-available vaccine changes the calculus.
Pandemics have, since time immemorial, been an exception to the "I can do what I want" rule.
Much like allowing parents to fall into conspiracy theory traps and refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated against measles, resulting in that disease suddenly becoming a threat again, if we're going to get back to normalcy we can't let half the population ignore the vaccine.
But, since we are going to let half the population ignore the vaccine, prepare for a long, drawn-out period of time during which the disease will flare up, lockdowns will be imposed, more people will needlessly die, and conspiracy theories will continue to make a mockery of civilization.