[tomrod]

I took grandparent comment's reference to be the resistance to COVID-19 vaccines, which could have prevented endemic establishment in the US of COVID-19 had the GOP base adopted them quicker (along with non-pharmaceutical interventions). The mRNA vaccines are an absolute gamechanger in this space. I am glad we have the technology available.

EDIT: Whoa, people surprisingly hate this comment. It's true though -- rural red counties have been hit much harder, due to demographic factors, lower vaccine uptake as well as boosting, lower access, and lower testing generally (leading to higher serology rate differentials to reported counts). The entire state of GA, for example, looks like each county has low case counts compared to the rest of the US until you realize testing there only captures 1 in 4 cases. This selective intransigence to public health measures was a problem when there was one case, and has persisted to be a problem until today.

[vanattab]

This is false. There was no chance of ever stopping covid-19 from reaching endemic status with vaccines. Covid simply is too tranmisable and rapidly changing and spread quickly too wild animal populations such as deer. It was right to be cautious and attempt continment/eradication initially when there was still so much unknown but it's clear now we never stood a chance.

[tomrod]

> There was no chance of ever stopping covid-19 from reaching endemic status with vaccines

>> COVID-19 vaccines, which could have prevented endemic establishment in the US of COVID-19 had the GOP base adopted them quicker _(along with non-pharmaceutical interventions)_.

[xorcist]

What are those interventions? Killing off all deer?

[tomrod]

Feel free to research what each state/county chose to implement, most of which were never actually solidly set up (meaning the policies had large loopholes that made the NPi fairly ineffective). Note that the US Federal Govt could not implement a global set of policies, instead relying on antiquated design where individual states and counties implemented what they felt like without regard to geographical integration.

[tuatoru]

It's more likely to be vaccines for measles and DPT (diptheria, pertussis [whooping cough], and tetanus).

No one gets those diseases [because of vaccines, unstated and ignored] and so there's no point inflicting the unspeakable horror of an innoculation on your precious precious baby... is the reasoning.

My first wife was in this camp.

[treeman79]

A GOP president pushed hard to get vaccine released in under a year. Also strongly recommend people take it.

The issue came in forcing vs persuading.

Also people who got Covid before vaccine were totally ignored and let in an awkward position of being demonized for a vaccine that is to late.

[tomrod]

They weren't ignored, they were given the same advice and a subset did not think it applied. That's different, in my view. Reinfections can and do occur -- lower than vaccine breakthrough for Delta, but not necessarily true for other strains like Omnicron and subvariants.

[JacobThreeThree]

>A GOP president pushed hard to get vaccine released in under a year. Also strongly recommend people take it.

And his political opponents were actively undermining trust in the vaccines at that time.

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/563771-guess-who-und...

Seems like even people here have latched onto this partisan merry-go-round.

[TheBlight]

Hmm. Did the GOP's reach extend to the island nation of New Zealand on the other side of the globe?

[nxm]

What economic and costs are you willing to pay to be on lockdown for so long?

[TheBlight]

"Pay" implies there was some benefit that was purchased.

[Schroedingersat]

> Did the GOP's reach extend to the island nation of New Zealand on the other side of the globe?

Well, yeah. New Zealand had great policies and good compliance.

Then the same shitty murdoch and facebook led conspiracy theories, selfishness, and lies spread. Now they're dealing with the same issues as everyone else. Plus without the insane propaganda machine, lack of aid, and hoarding of unused vaccines we may not have even developed some of the mutations or had it become endemic in animal populations.

At least people in new zealand had a chance to get fully vaccinated there and avoid the short term death toll though.