This twitter thread by Zeynep Tufekci is important. She’s responding to people who are complaining that scientists and doctors, as well as politicians, are being hysterical about COVID:
There seems to be people who are convinced getting infected is some sort of heroic effort, and vaccines are for the weak? I increasingly suspect this may be driven in some by fear of needles, which is exactly why letting people know this is a common condition is important.
Boosters will definitely reduce the risk, and many vaccines are three-dose primary series. Likely this one is too. Maybe there will be annual boosters, like flu. Still, avoiding vaccination isn’t like storming the beach at Normandy. Why is it valorized?
Because the pandemic isn’t over, and we now have yet another variant. Resisting the ways to end the pandemic is big part of the problem. Again, avoiding vaccines isn’t some heroic act.
“EARNED.” Is this a version of how real man don’t need to look at the map or ask for directions? The virus isn’t a moral agent, nor does it live by Calvinist ethics and strictures. Vaccines strengthen immunity, and lessen chances of transmitting. Simple.
If the beef is immunity from natural infection hasn’t been taken enough into account in policies and messaging. Sure. I’ve agreed with that all along. But vaccines help even those with prior infections and infectious diseases are a risk to others. It’s not heroic to avoid a dose.
People don’t know any history. Perhaps the core story of that “more enlightened” 20th century has been an immense effort and the wholesale transformation of our societies to lessen the scourge of infectious diseases, which stalked humanity forever.
Yes, I wish we lived in a world where squashed the early outbreaks with effective mitigations, and then quickly got enough vaccines to vaccinate globally. Letting the virus continue to explore the whole @#$! fitness landscape like this really wasn’t a good idea. But here we are.
Originally tweeted by zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) on December 8, 2021.
This idea that this has all been a waste of time in the face of nearly three quarters of a million dead people in the US alone boggles my mind. And look at the latest from the Economist:
That is not ok. How could anyone think so?