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I truly don't understand what is so difficult about getting the booster shot. Outside of that, a private institution is absolutely allowed to make a rule like

I truly don't understand what is so difficult about getting the booster shot. Outside of that, a private institution is absolutely allowed to make a rule like this. If you don't want to get a booster shot that's fine - the government should not force you to do so, but that action has consequences. Private - and several public - institutions should impose vaccine requirements as they deem fit. I want to be able to go see a play, or a movie, or to a restaurant without fear that I'm putting myself more at risk because someone at the table next to me got a vaccine 8 months ago and is no longer protected and far more likely to be carrying and spreading covid. I want to be able to see friends and then my family without having to wait days at a time in between to get a covid test result back because places are allowing not fully vaccinated people in. My personal belief is that fully vaccinated should, today, equate to the initial vaccine plus the booster. I expect it might even further change to include a second booster. I have a difficult time understanding why compliance with a life saving decision that is in the best interest of the individual as well as society is so hard. Reasonable exceptions should continue to exist. If you choose not to get a booster then I don't want you to be able to continuously put me at risk. I fully support mandates by private and public entities. This does not mean I will always do so - I'm not playing the slippery slope argument fallacy game. For covid booster shots I would be in full support of a government mandate.

iamdamian 5y ago
> I want to be able to go see a play, or a movie, or to a restaurant without fear that I'm putting myself more at risk because someone at the table next to me got a vaccine 8 months ago Why do you believe that you're any more at risk in this situation if you're boosted? > ... and is no longer protected and far more likely to be carrying and spreading covid Antibody levels are not the full story. Cell-based immunity remains intact without boosters and is key to preventing hospitalization/death.
- bern4444 5y ago
  > Why do you believe that you're any more at risk in this situation if you're boosted? Covid spreads far more easily indoors. Breakthrough cases are becoming more common. Group immunity through boosters (or exposure) is more effective at preventing the spread of covid and reduces the chance that any one individual will catch COVID (and continue to spread it). > Cell-based immunity remains intact without boosters and is key to preventing hospitalization/death. Source? And further, preventing hospitalization and death is great - but we should aim to do better, preventing sickness, stopping the spread, reducing the chance of mutation etc which is what the vaccines (initial and boosters) enable. ETA: in another of your comments you cited an article with this conclusion: "Across the age groups studied, rates of confirmed Covid-19 and severe illness were substantially lower among participants who received a booster dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine than among those who did not." and still somehow came to the conclusion that not getting boosted is better for society.
  - MaxHoppersGhost 5y ago
    Do you also wear a helmet while driving? Your tolerance for risk is pretty low it seems.
    - bern4444 5y ago
      Cars are mandated to include safety features and undergo testing to be deemed safe. This was not done of the car companies' own volition. They were forced to adhere to safety standards. An obvious example of which is to include seat belts. Now every car company boasts about how safe their vehicles are. Of course I'd wear a helmet while riding a bike. Have you seen what a sidewalk can do to a watermelon?
  - iamdamian 5y ago
    > Covid spreads far more easily indoors. Breakthrough cases are becoming more common. Group immunity through boosters (or exposure) is more effective at preventing the spread of covid and reduces the chance that any one individual will catch COVID (and continue to spread it). I'm not aware of any data saying that group immunity through boosters has significantly stronger effect than boosting itself or than group immunity through the original vaccination. Care to share that? My priors are that group immunity among boosted individuals would be very mildly better, but I'm not aware that that study has been done. When we evaluate policy decisions, we should base those decisions on quantifiable tradeoffs, not simply on whether there is benefit to a policy. At some point, the diminishing returns of marginally increased safety are not worth the societal costs. To me, given the current data, it seems we're at that point for vaccination. As to the other comment thread, I'm happy to address any questions you have there, in order not to repeat the discussion here.
q423 5y ago
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iamdamian 5y ago

> I want to be able to go see a play, or a movie, or to a restaurant without fear that I'm putting myself more at risk because someone at the table next to me got a vaccine 8 months ago Why do you believe that you're any more at risk in this situation if you're boosted? > ... and is no longer protected and far more likely to be carrying and spreading covid Antibody levels are not the full story. Cell-based immunity remains intact without boosters and is key to preventing hospitalization/death.

bern4444 5y ago
> Why do you believe that you're any more at risk in this situation if you're boosted? Covid spreads far more easily indoors. Breakthrough cases are becoming more common. Group immunity through boosters (or exposure) is more effective at preventing the spread of covid and reduces the chance that any one individual will catch COVID (and continue to spread it). > Cell-based immunity remains intact without boosters and is key to preventing hospitalization/death. Source? And further, preventing hospitalization and death is great - but we should aim to do better, preventing sickness, stopping the spread, reducing the chance of mutation etc which is what the vaccines (initial and boosters) enable. ETA: in another of your comments you cited an article with this conclusion: "Across the age groups studied, rates of confirmed Covid-19 and severe illness were substantially lower among participants who received a booster dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine than among those who did not." and still somehow came to the conclusion that not getting boosted is better for society.
- MaxHoppersGhost 5y ago
  Do you also wear a helmet while driving? Your tolerance for risk is pretty low it seems.
  - bern4444 5y ago
    Cars are mandated to include safety features and undergo testing to be deemed safe. This was not done of the car companies' own volition. They were forced to adhere to safety standards. An obvious example of which is to include seat belts. Now every car company boasts about how safe their vehicles are. Of course I'd wear a helmet while riding a bike. Have you seen what a sidewalk can do to a watermelon?
- iamdamian 5y ago
  > Covid spreads far more easily indoors. Breakthrough cases are becoming more common. Group immunity through boosters (or exposure) is more effective at preventing the spread of covid and reduces the chance that any one individual will catch COVID (and continue to spread it). I'm not aware of any data saying that group immunity through boosters has significantly stronger effect than boosting itself or than group immunity through the original vaccination. Care to share that? My priors are that group immunity among boosted individuals would be very mildly better, but I'm not aware that that study has been done. When we evaluate policy decisions, we should base those decisions on quantifiable tradeoffs, not simply on whether there is benefit to a policy. At some point, the diminishing returns of marginally increased safety are not worth the societal costs. To me, given the current data, it seems we're at that point for vaccination. As to the other comment thread, I'm happy to address any questions you have there, in order not to repeat the discussion here.

q423 5y ago

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