3 ms·

It is just a credibility issue. I was talking with a doctor friend that oversees an ambulatory care group for the county, and they were able to allocate vaccin

It is just a credibility issue. I was talking with a doctor friend that oversees an ambulatory care group for the county, and they were able to allocate vaccines for the EMTs (first-responders). Over 50% refused to be vaccinated. Not sure how we overcome that.

_ph_ 6y ago
This is a huge problem and not limited to anti-vaccination propaganda. The even bigger problem, climate change, suffers from the same problem. There is very loud propaganda out, especially on social media, which tries to deny the existance, throws doubt at attempts to limit it. Because it is spread by certain political forces, and this is an international problem. One which we have to address quickly, both now for the pandemic and long term (as in the next years) the climate change. I am especially baffled by the anti-vaccination movement, as I grew up in a world where smallpox and polio had been basically erradicated due to vaccinations as were most of the typical childhood diseases. But where all the victims of those diseases were not forgotten yet. There was no doubt whatever to be vaccinated, I still can remember the polio vaccinations I got in school. And those were ridiculously risky compared to a modern Covid-19 vaccination. But overall the vaccinations saved so many more people than they harmed. One can only hope that the next months will bring a change. On the one side, there will still be many deaths due to Covid-19, as the death spike follows 4-8 weeks after the infection count spike. On the other side, in two months the effect of the vaccinations should become very visible.
- daniellarusso 6y ago
  I do hope you are right, this is so agonizing to watch. The other concern I have are these cases with mild symptoms, but then becomes a psychotic issue several months later. It seem to affect a small percentage, but a small percent of a big number can still be a big number. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/28/health/covid-psychosis-mental.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/28/health/covid-psychosis-me...
  - _ph_ 6y ago
    Scary things, as if the other known long term damages from Covid-19 were not enough. In any case, the vaccination should be magnitudes less risky than catching Covid-19. And as things are, there is a likelyhood that basically everyone would get infected at some time, if we don't put a hard stop to this.
amanaplanacanal 6y ago
Simple: tell them if they don’t get vaccinated, they need to find another job. I bet most would gladly take the vaccine at that point. Do these folks also refuse to wear masks and gloves when doing their job?
- jimmyswimmy 6y ago
  I think you'd be surprised. Despite the ease of obtaining an EMT license in states in the US, it is relatively difficult to hire them [at the wage the market wants to pay, which is near minimum for commercial services]. You'd likely lose a substation portion of your service's staff by making that rule. I think there's a substantial difference between wearing PPE and vaccination, both on the employer's side as well as the individual employee's perspectives. Mandating proper use of PPE can never have unintended side effects. No adult has ever died from improper use of an n95 face mask or nitrile gloves. The jury on the new vaccines is going to be out for a while on long term effects. It's not reasonable for an employer to require them yet. Besides, that would spread the legal burden to the employer were something to go wrong.
ashtonkem 6y ago
That doesn't seem plausible to me. Medical professionals are generally very pro vaccination, especially right now.

_ph_ 6y ago

This is a huge problem and not limited to anti-vaccination propaganda. The even bigger problem, climate change, suffers from the same problem. There is very loud propaganda out, especially on social media, which tries to deny the existance, throws doubt at attempts to limit it. Because it is spread by certain political forces, and this is an international problem. One which we have to address quickly, both now for the pandemic and long term (as in the next years) the climate change. I am especially baffled by the anti-vaccination movement, as I grew up in a world where smallpox and polio had been basically erradicated due to vaccinations as were most of the typical childhood diseases. But where all the victims of those diseases were not forgotten yet. There was no doubt whatever to be vaccinated, I still can remember the polio vaccinations I got in school. And those were ridiculously risky compared to a modern Covid-19 vaccination. But overall the vaccinations saved so many more people than they harmed. One can only hope that the next months will bring a change. On the one side, there will still be many deaths due to Covid-19, as the death spike follows 4-8 weeks after the infection count spike. On the other side, in two months the effect of the vaccinations should become very visible.

daniellarusso 6y ago
I do hope you are right, this is so agonizing to watch. The other concern I have are these cases with mild symptoms, but then becomes a psychotic issue several months later. It seem to affect a small percentage, but a small percent of a big number can still be a big number. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/28/health/covid-psychosis-mental.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/28/health/covid-psychosis-me...
- _ph_ 6y ago
  Scary things, as if the other known long term damages from Covid-19 were not enough. In any case, the vaccination should be magnitudes less risky than catching Covid-19. And as things are, there is a likelyhood that basically everyone would get infected at some time, if we don't put a hard stop to this.

amanaplanacanal 6y ago

Simple: tell them if they don’t get vaccinated, they need to find another job. I bet most would gladly take the vaccine at that point. Do these folks also refuse to wear masks and gloves when doing their job?

jimmyswimmy 6y ago
I think you'd be surprised. Despite the ease of obtaining an EMT license in states in the US, it is relatively difficult to hire them [at the wage the market wants to pay, which is near minimum for commercial services]. You'd likely lose a substation portion of your service's staff by making that rule. I think there's a substantial difference between wearing PPE and vaccination, both on the employer's side as well as the individual employee's perspectives. Mandating proper use of PPE can never have unintended side effects. No adult has ever died from improper use of an n95 face mask or nitrile gloves. The jury on the new vaccines is going to be out for a while on long term effects. It's not reasonable for an employer to require them yet. Besides, that would spread the legal burden to the employer were something to go wrong.

ashtonkem 6y ago

That doesn't seem plausible to me. Medical professionals are generally very pro vaccination, especially right now.