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This right here is the argument, and has been since February 2020. We got a little lost along the way, but our original social measures to reduce the spread of

This right here is the argument, and has been since February 2020. We got a little lost along the way, but our original social measures to reduce the spread of COVID was due to our inability to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Now that we have the vaccines, we have no moral reason to now baby the people who refuse to protect themselves.

atomicnumber3 5y ago
Children can't get vaccinated yet, though, and I do still want to protect them. It's why my wife and I, though fully vaccinated, haven't totally returned to normal, since our toddler and infant are still susceptible.
- quickthrowman 5y ago
  I understand wanting to protect your kids, but here’s some statistics (United States): on average, 500 kids a year die from RSV, a respiratory virus for which there is no vaccine. Last year, 200 kids died from COVID-19, for which a seemingly safe and effective vaccine exists. I understand this probably doesn’t help much since you don’t hear and think about RSV every day for a year straight, but hopefully the vaccines are approved for children soon. Hang in there :)
- josephcsible 5y ago
  For children, COVID is less dangerous than the seasonal flu, and we've never mandated masks or vaccines to protect children from that.
  - bitcoinmoney 5y ago
    Source for this??
    - josephcsible 5y ago
      https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm > The risk of complications for healthy children is higher for flu compared to COVID-19.
    - loveistheanswer 5y ago
      Kind of amazing people are still so unaware of the vastly varying relative risk among different demographic groups
- samatman 5y ago
  On an objective basis, the risk to children is in line with colds and flu. Which isn't zero, colds and flu kill a few children a year. I support you in keeping your children healthy, not trying to second guess you as a parent. But "think of the children" is not a good basis for policy here.
- waiseristy 5y ago
  Good point! And I don't want to imply that the only people left without a vaccine are those who "refuse" it. We're not there yet, but were close! Stay safe! (what in the world is going on with downvotes in this thread? Are HNers really unable to have difficult conversations?)
- stjohnswarts 5y ago
  Kids are more likely to die in the car/bus on the way to school than by covid. Still it's good to get them vaccinated so they don't end up killing older people.
  - anoncake 5y ago
    Forcing children (or anyone really) to undergo a medical procedure for the benefit of other people is evil.
    - scrollaway 5y ago
      What the fuck? You're aware that we vaccinate children for a lot of things, right? It's not evil, it's common sense. COVID may be the first pandemic you've lived through/remembered, but it's not the first pandemic, and there are far more dangerous diseases out there we don't want coming back. I was vaccinated as a child of things i am still immune to today.
      - anoncake 5y ago
        > You're aware that we vaccinate children for a lot of things, right? Yes. So they don't get sick, i.e. it's for their own benefit.
        DanBC 5y ago
        We also vaccinate them so they don't infect people who can't be vaccinated.
        anoncake 5y ago
        If their own health wouldn't justify a vaccination, we should stop that. They can still consent to get vaccinated out of altruism when they're adult.
        cout 5y ago

atomicnumber3 5y ago

Children can't get vaccinated yet, though, and I do still want to protect them. It's why my wife and I, though fully vaccinated, haven't totally returned to normal, since our toddler and infant are still susceptible.

quickthrowman 5y ago
I understand wanting to protect your kids, but here’s some statistics (United States): on average, 500 kids a year die from RSV, a respiratory virus for which there is no vaccine. Last year, 200 kids died from COVID-19, for which a seemingly safe and effective vaccine exists. I understand this probably doesn’t help much since you don’t hear and think about RSV every day for a year straight, but hopefully the vaccines are approved for children soon. Hang in there :)
josephcsible 5y ago
For children, COVID is less dangerous than the seasonal flu, and we've never mandated masks or vaccines to protect children from that.
- bitcoinmoney 5y ago
  Source for this??
  - josephcsible 5y ago
    https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm > The risk of complications for healthy children is higher for flu compared to COVID-19.
  - loveistheanswer 5y ago
    Kind of amazing people are still so unaware of the vastly varying relative risk among different demographic groups
samatman 5y ago
On an objective basis, the risk to children is in line with colds and flu. Which isn't zero, colds and flu kill a few children a year. I support you in keeping your children healthy, not trying to second guess you as a parent. But "think of the children" is not a good basis for policy here.
waiseristy 5y ago
Good point! And I don't want to imply that the only people left without a vaccine are those who "refuse" it. We're not there yet, but were close! Stay safe! (what in the world is going on with downvotes in this thread? Are HNers really unable to have difficult conversations?)
stjohnswarts 5y ago
Kids are more likely to die in the car/bus on the way to school than by covid. Still it's good to get them vaccinated so they don't end up killing older people.
- anoncake 5y ago
  Forcing children (or anyone really) to undergo a medical procedure for the benefit of other people is evil.
  - scrollaway 5y ago
    What the fuck? You're aware that we vaccinate children for a lot of things, right? It's not evil, it's common sense. COVID may be the first pandemic you've lived through/remembered, but it's not the first pandemic, and there are far more dangerous diseases out there we don't want coming back. I was vaccinated as a child of things i am still immune to today.
    - anoncake 5y ago
      > You're aware that we vaccinate children for a lot of things, right? Yes. So they don't get sick, i.e. it's for their own benefit.
      - DanBC 5y ago
        We also vaccinate them so they don't infect people who can't be vaccinated.
        anoncake 5y ago
        If their own health wouldn't justify a vaccination, we should stop that. They can still consent to get vaccinated out of altruism when they're adult.
        cout 5y ago