Pandemic Thread (CoronaVirus etc.)

[Crazed_Insanity]

I really believe we ought NOT to have vaccine mandates..., highly encourage, yes, but not mandates.

Our stance really ought to be consistent. I think I've stated before that I'm both pro-life AND pro-choice. Pro-life as to highly encourage life... which is try our best to save the babies... and try our best to get vaccinated... However, if people for whatever reasons choose something else when it comes to their personal medical care, governments ought to respect people's choice. Every life/situation is unique, governments should not impose one size fits all mandates.

Lastly, you probably don't want to piss your truck drivers off. Surely we've all heard of supply issues?

[Leon]

Mandate because "people" (the species of) are stupid, and selfish. I refer you as an example, most drivers on the roads.

Talking of mandates, one of my gym instructors has gone back to Texas with her husband & kids, because she is anti vax, and is afraid her kids (born and raised in NZ) will be subject to a vax mandate.

Her and her husband got jabbed, because they had to, to remain able to work. But apparently none of her kids have ever been vaccinated.

I now have 0% respect for her.

[Tom Servo]

That's shockingly common here too. My wife was going to a gym and then found out that pretty much everyone working there was anti-vax.

It's weird. It's like we've just become unable to want to contribute to the common good.

[Yw-slayer]

Fine. You're being tacky insensitive.

Yes. I can also perceive others as being insensitive.

[sandydandy]

I really believe we ought NOT to have vaccine mandates..., highly encourage, yes, but not mandates

We have mandates, in the civilized world at least, that you must be (mostly) sober to drive an automobile. You don’t want to comply, you don’t get to drive. (Remember, I have experience in that arena. )

How is this any different?

BTW, I just learned over the weekend that another friend of mine is kind of an antivaxxer. He’s like a second-tier friend, I suppose. Not meaning that in a bad way, it’s just he was always more of a clubbing friend. That activity is something so far in the rearview now, but we’ve still always kept in touch. Had a WhatsApp conversation with him over the weekend about those freedumb bozos and I called them retards at some point. He objected. “Why are they retards?”

I said uh oh to myself. Fuck not you too. AFAIK he’s not gotten any jab, as he believes it’s not necessary because he had the virus early last year. It was before the vaccine was readily available, as I remember it was an excruciatingly slow rollout around here. I told him WTF, you do know those antibodies only last for a few months at most, right? He ignored it and we continued talking about freedom and stuff, and I was getting annoyed and tried steering the conversation somewhere else. At the end I said let’s meet up sometime…with no intention of actually meeting him.

[Crazed_Insanity]

I used to think vaccine mandate really shouldn’t be a big deal too, we all obey seatbelt laws, who’d protest against measures designed for your safety? But obviously half of our population doesn’t agree with me!

So I guess this is similar to abortion issue now except each side suddenly decide to switch sides for different reasons.

These medical procedures should remain a private issue and should not be used to judge someone… regardless of which side you’re on.

[Tom Servo]

I would totally agree with you if it wasn't for the whole "it's wildly contagious" part.

[FaultyMario]

It's like we've just become unable to want to contribute to the common good.

That shit's fueled by News Corp.

No evidence, no doubt either.

[Crazed_Insanity]

I would totally agree with you if it wasn't for the whole "it's wildly contagious" part.

I would totally agree to a vaccine mandate if 1) vaccines are available to all around the globe 2) vaccines can actually stop the spread! Then everyone gets jabbed one time and we solve the problem right there and then.

Vaccines will lower transmission for sure, but still won't stop it. I think that's one of the reason why Omicron got out of control more... and that sort of gave ammunition to the anti-vaxxers, claiming that vaccines don't work because vaccinated people got sick too...

If anything, I'd advocate n95 mask mandate because that's probably the most effective at stop the spread, but then, we just don't have enough for everyone.

That's the main issue for me... there just isn't enough to go around for everyone. Even if 100% of americans got vaccinated, there will still be variants coming from abroad because our big pharma are not going to give their vaccines away to all. So what's the point?

Might as well just save the vaccines for those who actually want them... and let the rest get immunity naturally or just die off if that's what they want.

Absolutely no need to be so judgemental one way or another. We just don't have the perfect solution either way... so just let people choose.

We, the vaccinated, along with masks, should be sufficiently safe already. Remember Omicron did not come from a red state. Unless we can vaccinate the entire world, what's the point of pushing for vaccine mandate? Supposedly African nations have already reached herd immunity thru natural infection. We'll see if that's true in time...

This is going to be like another flu. We don't mandate flu shots, right? Do we need to mandate flu shots? Flu can be incredibly contagious as well.

[Tom Servo]

I'm impressed at the very different reaction from when I posted about how effective the vaccines actually are. Yes, infections are up, but it's making it closer to the flu when it comes to people dying.

The thing is, it's *not* there yet. Almost 900,000 Americans are dead. There is absolutely the need to be judgmental about people who have the means and the ability to get a free shot that will help.

Yes, of course we should try to get vaccine availability around the globe, but the fact that we haven't gotten there doesn't mean anti-vax dipshits are somehow justified.