5 ms·

Colorado is paying social media influencers to tout Covid-19 vaccines

22 points by lsllc 5y ago

MikeUt 5y ago
> But the cost of the effort — and the identities of the influencers — remained undisclosed until now. This implies the influencers did not disclose that those messages were government-sponsored. Is secret government-funded astroturfing legal?
SV_BubbleTime 5y ago
At this point it would be far more effective to just say there is a vaccine shortage. Stop paying people to take it, stop making a big deal about, stop begging. Just start shipping them to other countries, and declare a shortage here. The remaining people that want it will get it, the people that don’t, they’re lost to you. There aren’t going to get it the bigger deal you make. Actual FDA approval would help also. But really… on no topic should anyone be taking social media influencer’s medical opinions on anything even this.
yann2 5y ago
In some countries they pay them to be Presidents and Prime Ministers.
nyx 5y ago
Maybe this works, maybe it doesn't, but I'd think the contingent of unvaccinated people who are intentionally avoiding vaccination are going to see this story and think, "Why would they be spending so much time and money trying to convince us to get the vaccine? Now I really think the vaccine has mercury/5G/mind control, etc."
- mc32 5y ago
  I agree that it’s a bad look when the influencers don’t disclose this. They should have done it like the gov does PSAs. Get the word out, evangelize, and realize that some people for their own reasons will willfully remain “pagan” and and there is little you can do to convert them.
- pizza 5y ago
  Heard a good take on this by Matt Christman: what, of any value, is ever given away in this country for free? Americans are so used to being forced to pay out the nose for any quality health product that the vaccine being truly effective and freely available, let alone 'pushed' in some sense, sets off alarm bells in people used to being ripped off in one way or another.
- SMAAART 5y ago
  “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”
  - Fjolsvith 5y ago
    The thing that "stupid people" often wonder in this argument is this: Why are the unvaxxed being blamed for endangering society when the vaccinated spread the virus too?
    - treesprite82 5y ago
      That person would be acting as if only a binary "100% spreads virus" vs "100% doesn't spread virus" is possible/relevant. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/fully-vaccinated-people.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-br... > A growing body of evidence indicates that people fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) are less likely to have asymptomatic infection or to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others.
      - forcry 5y ago
        What I don't get is this this "growing body of evidence" does not seem to apply when it comes to things like Ivermectin, where they don't consider anything other than some high quality RCT, and reject all observational data. But when it comes to vaccines, they are so OK to make suggestions (to put it mildly) based on observational data..
        shadowgovt 5y ago
        I don't think I've encountered vaccine suggestions based on observational data. Can you give an example?
        forcry 5y ago
        I mean, I think there are no RCTs done for supporting the following claims. 1. That vaccines will reduce transmission, even when it does not prevent infection. 2. That vaccines will reduce hospitalisations even when it does not prevent infection.
loonster 5y ago
Michigan also has paid influencers. Not sure whom is paying them.
jacob2484 5y ago
Yay large government budgets.... aided by billions given to states via the stimulus. Meanwhile, inflation
- Robotbeat 5y ago
  If this helps at all, it easily pays for itself in reduced hospital fees and improved economic activity.
Barrin92 5y ago
if you're already going down this route why not just be direct. I assume most unvaccinated people right now are younger, so just give them 100 bucks cash on hand if they get vaccinated at least you're not funneling it through these marketing agencies then
forcry 5y ago
Meanwhile I posted this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mxqC9SiRh8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mxqC9SiRh8 here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27941820 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27941820 And some people here have promptly flagged it for some reason. @dang can we please give this a second chance. I think these people should be heard and acknowledged, if they want it. I think we, as a society, owe them at least that. And if possible, for the medical community to figure out a way to help them. And I wonder why the companies are not providing support for these people. Does the agreement of the trial include a clause that deny them medical support if they get injured by the vaccine during the trial?

22 points by lsllc 5y ago

> But the cost of the effort — and the identities of the influencers — remained undisclosed until now. This implies the influencers did not disclose that those messages were government-sponsored. Is secret government-funded astroturfing legal?

SV_BubbleTime 5y ago

At this point it would be far more effective to just say there is a vaccine shortage. Stop paying people to take it, stop making a big deal about, stop begging. Just start shipping them to other countries, and declare a shortage here. The remaining people that want it will get it, the people that don’t, they’re lost to you. There aren’t going to get it the bigger deal you make. Actual FDA approval would help also. But really… on no topic should anyone be taking social media influencer’s medical opinions on anything even this.

yann2 5y ago

In some countries they pay them to be Presidents and Prime Ministers.

nyx 5y ago

Maybe this works, maybe it doesn't, but I'd think the contingent of unvaccinated people who are intentionally avoiding vaccination are going to see this story and think, "Why would they be spending so much time and money trying to convince us to get the vaccine? Now I really think the vaccine has mercury/5G/mind control, etc."

mc32 5y ago
I agree that it’s a bad look when the influencers don’t disclose this. They should have done it like the gov does PSAs. Get the word out, evangelize, and realize that some people for their own reasons will willfully remain “pagan” and and there is little you can do to convert them.
pizza 5y ago
Heard a good take on this by Matt Christman: what, of any value, is ever given away in this country for free? Americans are so used to being forced to pay out the nose for any quality health product that the vaccine being truly effective and freely available, let alone 'pushed' in some sense, sets off alarm bells in people used to being ripped off in one way or another.
SMAAART 5y ago
“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”
- Fjolsvith 5y ago
  The thing that "stupid people" often wonder in this argument is this: Why are the unvaxxed being blamed for endangering society when the vaccinated spread the virus too?
  - treesprite82 5y ago
    That person would be acting as if only a binary "100% spreads virus" vs "100% doesn't spread virus" is possible/relevant. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/fully-vaccinated-people.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-br... > A growing body of evidence indicates that people fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) are less likely to have asymptomatic infection or to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others.
    - forcry 5y ago
      What I don't get is this this "growing body of evidence" does not seem to apply when it comes to things like Ivermectin, where they don't consider anything other than some high quality RCT, and reject all observational data. But when it comes to vaccines, they are so OK to make suggestions (to put it mildly) based on observational data..
      - shadowgovt 5y ago
        I don't think I've encountered vaccine suggestions based on observational data. Can you give an example?
        forcry 5y ago
        I mean, I think there are no RCTs done for supporting the following claims. 1. That vaccines will reduce transmission, even when it does not prevent infection. 2. That vaccines will reduce hospitalisations even when it does not prevent infection.

loonster 5y ago

Michigan also has paid influencers. Not sure whom is paying them.

jacob2484 5y ago

Yay large government budgets.... aided by billions given to states via the stimulus. Meanwhile, inflation

Robotbeat 5y ago
If this helps at all, it easily pays for itself in reduced hospital fees and improved economic activity.

Barrin92 5y ago

if you're already going down this route why not just be direct. I assume most unvaccinated people right now are younger, so just give them 100 bucks cash on hand if they get vaccinated at least you're not funneling it through these marketing agencies then

forcry 5y ago

Meanwhile I posted this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mxqC9SiRh8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mxqC9SiRh8 here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27941820 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27941820 And some people here have promptly flagged it for some reason. @dang can we please give this a second chance. I think these people should be heard and acknowledged, if they want it. I think we, as a society, owe them at least that. And if possible, for the medical community to figure out a way to help them. And I wonder why the companies are not providing support for these people. Does the agreement of the trial include a clause that deny them medical support if they get injured by the vaccine during the trial?