While there are no directly comparable pandemics in recent time, there are plenty of data concerning other related health issues where some countries enforce by

While there are no directly comparable pandemics in recent time, there are plenty of data concerning other related health issues where some countries enforce by law what is a matter of individual responsibility in neighboring countries. One clear such example is the vaccination of children, which has been repeatedly cited as one data point on how to set policy. There are medical professionals dedicating their careers to policy issues. It is very far from a "nationalist self-image". If you have doubts about the quality of data used for setting policy, there are plenty of ways to express this in a qualified manner.