"“If you’re a healthy person, and you’re exercising all the time..." Joe Rogan
There is no logic to this. None at all. COVID-19 is an infectious disease, not diabetes, high blood pressure, or arteriosclerosis. Besides, young people's version of exercise is eSports.
Here's what to do. When I was a child, living in a third-wor... - excuse me, developing nat..., excuse me, lower and middle income country - the government came to our school one day, lined all the children up against the wall, and shot us - with the polio vaccine. The greedy, corrupt government (of a CONCACAF nation, but I'm repeating myself) did one thing right. So line them up and shoot them - with a vaccine.
I realize that there are many Conservatives and Libertarians who will lose their shit over mandatory vaccinations and vaccine passports. However, as pointed out, this is settled law for over 100 years. So those who object will just have to put on their big boy pants and get with the program or they will have to endure a more restrictive lifestyle. It's time to get serious about mandatory vaccinations and FDA approval for the vaccines. Let's end the idea that an Emergency Use Authorization is enough.
Yeah, Matt Yglesias had a good article this morning about the importance of full approval. For the record, mine went up TWO FULL MINUTES BEFORE HIS and we did not coordinate.
This morning I overheard a 20-something male say, in a Texas accent, "Nothin's gonna kill me! I'm gonna live forever!" There you have it: Real men don't vax. So, yes, absolutely, change the incentives. How about a pair of curvy-girl mudflaps?
So how about this?... Health Insurance companies are sometimes allowed to mitigate their risk of insuring “higher risk” populations by charging a lower premium to those populations who practice less risky lifestyles (for example, those who do not use tobacco). So offer a premium reduction to those plan participants who have received the vaccine. (In many cases the insurance company is already knows who of those enrolled in their plans have received the vaccine because they processed the claim).
OK, so maybe rather than an actual premium reduction (I know that NEVER HAPPENS) allow them to increase the premium on those who have not been vaccinated, or to deny claims for COVID hospitalization to unvaccinated policy holders.
This is all in the "give people incentives" area -- and you're right that practices like this are well-established -- so personally I'm all ears. FWIW, I didn't get into the whole "just pay people" discussion because there's a lot of debate about how effective that would be and I wasn't able to parse it, but if that could work, I'm open to that, too. Whatever gets shots in arms.
While I agree on a fundamental level with the whatever gets shots in arms discussion, let’s try something with real push behind it. I am all in on restrictions on some activities for the unvaccinated. Let’s mandate vaccinations for some populations, starting with healthcare workers and the military. Let’s have the private sector start mandating vaccinations for their workers. I prefer a restaurant where I know all workers are vaccinated. Teachers and school staff should be required to be vaccinated if working with children under 12. All childcare workers and those caring for the elderly as well.
We have seen the legal foundation for mandatory vaccinations and it is solid. So just do it.
If the “conservatives and libertarians” object, tough shit. We need to get tough on this and run them over. No more mister nice guy.
As a libertarian leaning political orphan, I would oppose any sort of GOVERNMENT payment for getting a vaccine (the fact that the government pays for the vaccine is generous compensation indeed). Allowing PRIVATE (or even government supported) health insurance companies to “reward” an obvious healthy choice like getting a vaccine while (in a fiscally neutral way) charging the unvaccinated a fair additional premium for the added risk that they incur is sound business and would have immediate wallet impact on the unvaccinated and I believe would get a few more of the, uh, “hesitant” to roll up their sleeves.
To be fair to everybody, I would even say it is fine if some insurance company decides that the risk of getting a vaccine is greater than going without and therefore wants to reward their unvaccinated policy holders – BUT I seriously doubt there would be any responsible actuary who would come up with that calculation.
While I would break with many of my more libertarian brethren, I am also fine with private companies (airlines, event venues, even stores and restaurants) requiring patrons to be vaccinated and setting up whatever protocols they deem acceptable to determine compliance.
Is there any data on whether the you-don't-have-to-wear-a-mask-if-you're-vaccinated proclamation led people to get vaccinated? Because where I live I'd say the majority of people are no longer wearing masks even though the data shows my county has just over 40% vaccinated. It seems like the honors system is the same as it was in high school: honors schmonors (sp?).
My father-in-law and one of my brothers-in-law live in Mississippi, and I can attest that Mississippi is just as proudly assholic as they come across. (An aside: I think you have written before that popular social justice sentiment insists today's America is no different than Alabama in 1960; totally agree. However, some places, particularly in the deep south, *are* still like Alabama in *1970*, including Alabama. So maybe the social justice activists could get a little more specific in their assertions, acknowledging that there's a difference in racial reckoning between Portland and Tunica, Mississippi.)
The vaccination rate (jabs per 100 people) peaked in mid-April and started to come down. There were some small upticks in June and July that may correlate with mask-optional policies, but it's not clear. On the bright side, the rate didn't drop to zero. You can select US only and look at the graphs here https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
It is the messenger not the message, so trying to get the ideal PSA is futile. Many people do not trust the powers that be partly because of missteps early in the pandemic or because they stopped trusting the powers that be long ago. Not all of the mistrust is conspiracy theory. Also, I think any fence sitters have got vaccinated and we are down to folks that have dug in - mostly not from any risk calculation or heart felt aversion to vaccinations. Any mandated measures will intensify the cultural war and probably not accomplish the desired goal while resulting in lots of unintended consequences of polarization. Any federal measures will be counter productive, so it will have to be left to the states. Either option 1 or 2 seems inevitable, so lets move on and make the best of it.
If I had to bet on which scenario is most likely, I'd bet on scenario 2. But I don't think it's certain yet. It's hard to gauge how much pressure there would be to get the vaccine if harsh restrictions start being put back in place.
Your number (6) is too myopic. With billions of people not even having the chance to be vaccinated for another 1-4 years there will be more mutations. The point is to build a "vaccine wall" to keep the "mutant immigrant Covid 19" out of the country. To get age groups 12-60 more vaccinated need to start a counter conspiracy theory that even in cases of light Covid, in a small percent of people, dicks for limp and clits go numb for life. Or even just that all your hair falls out..
"“If you’re a healthy person, and you’re exercising all the time..." Joe Rogan
There is no logic to this. None at all. COVID-19 is an infectious disease, not diabetes, high blood pressure, or arteriosclerosis. Besides, young people's version of exercise is eSports.
Here's what to do. When I was a child, living in a third-wor... - excuse me, developing nat..., excuse me, lower and middle income country - the government came to our school one day, lined all the children up against the wall, and shot us - with the polio vaccine. The greedy, corrupt government (of a CONCACAF nation, but I'm repeating myself) did one thing right. So line them up and shoot them - with a vaccine.
1) What country? and 2) Are you my father-in-law (who also grew up in Central America and then moved to DC)?
1) T&T and 2) See 1.
I realize that there are many Conservatives and Libertarians who will lose their shit over mandatory vaccinations and vaccine passports. However, as pointed out, this is settled law for over 100 years. So those who object will just have to put on their big boy pants and get with the program or they will have to endure a more restrictive lifestyle. It's time to get serious about mandatory vaccinations and FDA approval for the vaccines. Let's end the idea that an Emergency Use Authorization is enough.
Yeah, Matt Yglesias had a good article this morning about the importance of full approval. For the record, mine went up TWO FULL MINUTES BEFORE HIS and we did not coordinate.
https://www.slowboring.com/p/vaccine-fda-approve
This morning I overheard a 20-something male say, in a Texas accent, "Nothin's gonna kill me! I'm gonna live forever!" There you have it: Real men don't vax. So, yes, absolutely, change the incentives. How about a pair of curvy-girl mudflaps?
So how about this?... Health Insurance companies are sometimes allowed to mitigate their risk of insuring “higher risk” populations by charging a lower premium to those populations who practice less risky lifestyles (for example, those who do not use tobacco). So offer a premium reduction to those plan participants who have received the vaccine. (In many cases the insurance company is already knows who of those enrolled in their plans have received the vaccine because they processed the claim).
OK, so maybe rather than an actual premium reduction (I know that NEVER HAPPENS) allow them to increase the premium on those who have not been vaccinated, or to deny claims for COVID hospitalization to unvaccinated policy holders.
This is all in the "give people incentives" area -- and you're right that practices like this are well-established -- so personally I'm all ears. FWIW, I didn't get into the whole "just pay people" discussion because there's a lot of debate about how effective that would be and I wasn't able to parse it, but if that could work, I'm open to that, too. Whatever gets shots in arms.
While I agree on a fundamental level with the whatever gets shots in arms discussion, let’s try something with real push behind it. I am all in on restrictions on some activities for the unvaccinated. Let’s mandate vaccinations for some populations, starting with healthcare workers and the military. Let’s have the private sector start mandating vaccinations for their workers. I prefer a restaurant where I know all workers are vaccinated. Teachers and school staff should be required to be vaccinated if working with children under 12. All childcare workers and those caring for the elderly as well.
We have seen the legal foundation for mandatory vaccinations and it is solid. So just do it.
If the “conservatives and libertarians” object, tough shit. We need to get tough on this and run them over. No more mister nice guy.
As a libertarian leaning political orphan, I would oppose any sort of GOVERNMENT payment for getting a vaccine (the fact that the government pays for the vaccine is generous compensation indeed). Allowing PRIVATE (or even government supported) health insurance companies to “reward” an obvious healthy choice like getting a vaccine while (in a fiscally neutral way) charging the unvaccinated a fair additional premium for the added risk that they incur is sound business and would have immediate wallet impact on the unvaccinated and I believe would get a few more of the, uh, “hesitant” to roll up their sleeves.
To be fair to everybody, I would even say it is fine if some insurance company decides that the risk of getting a vaccine is greater than going without and therefore wants to reward their unvaccinated policy holders – BUT I seriously doubt there would be any responsible actuary who would come up with that calculation.
While I would break with many of my more libertarian brethren, I am also fine with private companies (airlines, event venues, even stores and restaurants) requiring patrons to be vaccinated and setting up whatever protocols they deem acceptable to determine compliance.
Is there any data on whether the you-don't-have-to-wear-a-mask-if-you're-vaccinated proclamation led people to get vaccinated? Because where I live I'd say the majority of people are no longer wearing masks even though the data shows my county has just over 40% vaccinated. It seems like the honors system is the same as it was in high school: honors schmonors (sp?).
My father-in-law and one of my brothers-in-law live in Mississippi, and I can attest that Mississippi is just as proudly assholic as they come across. (An aside: I think you have written before that popular social justice sentiment insists today's America is no different than Alabama in 1960; totally agree. However, some places, particularly in the deep south, *are* still like Alabama in *1970*, including Alabama. So maybe the social justice activists could get a little more specific in their assertions, acknowledging that there's a difference in racial reckoning between Portland and Tunica, Mississippi.)
The vaccination rate (jabs per 100 people) peaked in mid-April and started to come down. There were some small upticks in June and July that may correlate with mask-optional policies, but it's not clear. On the bright side, the rate didn't drop to zero. You can select US only and look at the graphs here https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
It is the messenger not the message, so trying to get the ideal PSA is futile. Many people do not trust the powers that be partly because of missteps early in the pandemic or because they stopped trusting the powers that be long ago. Not all of the mistrust is conspiracy theory. Also, I think any fence sitters have got vaccinated and we are down to folks that have dug in - mostly not from any risk calculation or heart felt aversion to vaccinations. Any mandated measures will intensify the cultural war and probably not accomplish the desired goal while resulting in lots of unintended consequences of polarization. Any federal measures will be counter productive, so it will have to be left to the states. Either option 1 or 2 seems inevitable, so lets move on and make the best of it.
If I had to bet on which scenario is most likely, I'd bet on scenario 2. But I don't think it's certain yet. It's hard to gauge how much pressure there would be to get the vaccine if harsh restrictions start being put back in place.
Your number (6) is too myopic. With billions of people not even having the chance to be vaccinated for another 1-4 years there will be more mutations. The point is to build a "vaccine wall" to keep the "mutant immigrant Covid 19" out of the country. To get age groups 12-60 more vaccinated need to start a counter conspiracy theory that even in cases of light Covid, in a small percent of people, dicks for limp and clits go numb for life. Or even just that all your hair falls out..