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It's a technical concern. Publishing will only cause fear and doubt. In any case, it's a matter of weighing risks. Even if there's a 10⁻⁶ probability of compli
by johbjo 6y ago
It's a technical concern. Publishing will only cause fear and doubt.
In any case, it's a matter of weighing risks. Even if there's a 10⁻⁶ probability of complications, giving the vaccine and stopping serious illness/deaths is still a better decision overall. Even if it means hundreds of cases of complications across Europe. And then, the complications might turn out to be statistically difficult to discern from uniform random anyway.
A probability of 10⁻⁶ is difficult to conceptualize so if it is published with scary words, people might interpret it as "will probably happen to me". Then if that affects vaccine roll-out negatively, publishing might be a bad decision.
Millions of people in the UK have received the AZ vaccine, which has demonstrated safety and efficacy.
The efficacy metric means protection against infection, which is not complete. But as far as I've heard, not one person who has received either Pfizer or AZ has become seriously ill or died. In other words, it "flattens the curve" instantly.
- matwood 6y ago> people might interpret it as Unfortunately we/they are in a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. If it was published, you can be sure the misinformation around what it meant would be through the roof. Having it hidden, and now come out may end up lending more credence to the conspiracy theories.
- cheaprentalyeti 6y agoIf you take the approach that it's going to be leaked by Chinese and/or Russian intelligence anyway, you might as well tell the truth to begin with rather than let Ivan or Winnie 'reinterpret' it for you.
- coldtea 6y ago>It's a technical concern. Publishing will only cause fear and doubt. And who appointed them as arbiters or censors of truth for "the public's own good" as opposed to researchers that should make their results public whatever they are?
- flyinglizard 6y agoOn weighing risks, in a pandemic like that your choices are statistically limited to either getting vaccinated or getting ill. Not getting either, over time, is not a viable option.
- dehrmann 6y ago> Publishing will only cause fear and doubt. Less fear and doubt than if it gets leaked.