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You have to be very careful” before tying COVID-19 vaccines to complications, Nath cautions. “You can make the wrong conclusion. … The implications are huge.”

You have to be very careful” before tying COVID-19 vaccines to complications, Nath cautions. “You can make the wrong conclusion. … The implications are huge.” No, you just tell the truth, every time, all the time. This foolish gymnastics where government and public health authorities are putting themselves through because they're scared of potential negative outcomes has resulted in a catastrophic collapse in trust by the public. This itself will have huge implications for any future society-wide initiatives that we may need for the public good. For reference, here is one counter example from Japan[0][1], where the benefits and risks are communicated clearly. Will crackpots still behave like crackpots? Sure, but crackpots are like that now any way. This "paper over the truth" has damaged credibility amongst a lot of moderates. [0]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIm_mrZXEAYUuLq?format=jpg&name=large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIm_mrZXEAYUuLq?format=jpg&name=... [1]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIm_meqX0AUH6jh?format=jpg&name=medium https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIm_meqX0AUH6jh?format=jpg&name=...

phonypc 5y ago
The quote is clearly about the potential implications of incorrectly tying the vaccines to complications. Do you imagine that you can't find a nearly identical blurb about myocarditis risk from the CDC? Or what point are you trying to make with the link?
- musicale 5y ago
  PP isn't wrong about communication about vaccine risks being abysmal (in the US at least) or about the erosion of trust in public health agencies and officials. Even those awful "ask your doctor for a reason to take it" drug ads have a lengthy disclosure list of (often serious) potential side effects. Most of the "get the vaccine" ads I've seen have no such disclosure. It's disappointing, because being forthright about, for example, how many people have died from the vaccines vs. how many lives have likely been saved by them could help the public to assess the overall benefit without discounting the risks. And this should also be sliced by risk groups, such as young or old or people with secondary conditions. Moreover, vaccine mandates should include compensation for lost work (or school) time not just due to rare side effects but also due to feeling ill after getting the vaccine (or booster, which seems even more likely to make you feel unwell for multiple days.)
john_moscow 5y ago
- dang 5y ago
  Would you please stop posting unsubstantive flamewar comments? It's not what this site is for, and it destroys what it is for. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - john_moscow 5y ago
    I am sorry, my intent was to pinpoint a possible conflict of interest between policy makers and specific policies benefiting specific for-profit entities. With all due respect, I believe this is a fair point to consider, even though I expressed it in a rather sarcastic way.

phonypc 5y ago

The quote is clearly about the potential implications of incorrectly tying the vaccines to complications. Do you imagine that you can't find a nearly identical blurb about myocarditis risk from the CDC? Or what point are you trying to make with the link?

musicale 5y ago
PP isn't wrong about communication about vaccine risks being abysmal (in the US at least) or about the erosion of trust in public health agencies and officials. Even those awful "ask your doctor for a reason to take it" drug ads have a lengthy disclosure list of (often serious) potential side effects. Most of the "get the vaccine" ads I've seen have no such disclosure. It's disappointing, because being forthright about, for example, how many people have died from the vaccines vs. how many lives have likely been saved by them could help the public to assess the overall benefit without discounting the risks. And this should also be sliced by risk groups, such as young or old or people with secondary conditions. Moreover, vaccine mandates should include compensation for lost work (or school) time not just due to rare side effects but also due to feeling ill after getting the vaccine (or booster, which seems even more likely to make you feel unwell for multiple days.)

john_moscow 5y ago

dang 5y ago
Would you please stop posting unsubstantive flamewar comments? It's not what this site is for, and it destroys what it is for. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- john_moscow 5y ago
  I am sorry, my intent was to pinpoint a possible conflict of interest between policy makers and specific policies benefiting specific for-profit entities. With all due respect, I believe this is a fair point to consider, even though I expressed it in a rather sarcastic way.