[0xbadcafebee]

If it was Ebola instead of COVID-19, 1000% guaranteed that all those antivaxxers would have been banging down the doors to get a vaccine, and would have been raging if the government hadn't rushed it out. All their antivax outrage was because they didn't think they personally were going to die from COVID, and didn't want to help save anyone else's life.

2 million dead Americans later and people still complain that they were asked to get a vaccine to try to save lives. or complain about a shutdown which should have lasted a few months max if people had done what they were supposed to and would have saved millions of lives.

[s1artibartfast]

> If it was Ebola instead of COVID-19, 1000% guaranteed that all those antivaxxers would have been banging down the doors to get a vaccine, and would have been raging if the government hadn't rushed it out. All their antivax outrage was because they didn't think they personally were going to die from COVID, and didn't want to help save anyone else's life.

I think you are largely right, but I dont think they have any obligation to save anyone else's life.

I think there would have been better uptake amung republicans if it was presented a optional healthcare choice or suggestion.

[hammock]

> If it was Ebola instead of COVID-19, 1000% guaranteed that all those antivaxxers would have been banging down the doors to get a vaccine

Sadly, no. There is a theory that Ebola cases are really just arsenic poisoning from the mines in the area. That’s the kind of narrative that would take hold realistically.

I would also point out that prior to Bidens election it was mostly Democrats who were saying they weren’t going to take the vaccine when it came out, that it would be rushed and have something wrong with it.

[jghn]

> it was mostly Democrats who were saying they weren’t going to take the vaccine

Sadly, no. I live in one of the bluest corners of the US. A constant discussion was when the jab would come available so that we could get it. I knew no one who didn't want it.

[Terr_]

> prior to Bidens election it was mostly Democrats who were saying they weren’t going to take the vaccine

Nope, look at Figure 10 in this poll [0]. Asked about a hypothetical vaccine in the next ~2 months before the election was held, the answer "Yes, would want to get vaccinated" was 50% for Democrats and only 36% for Republicans.

Democrats may have become more confident after the election--for damn good reasons--but there was no flip or reversal.

[0] https://www.kff.org/health-information-trust/kff-health-trac...

[lmm]

> All their antivax outrage was because they didn't think they personally were going to die from COVID, and didn't want to help save anyone else's life.

Suppose you're right. They're still entitled to their views, they're entitled to honesty from their government, and frankly I'd say the government should not be trying to coerce people into taking an officially-experimental vaccine by the back door any more than they should be directly forcing people to do so.

> 2 million dead Americans later

Maybe. Depends very much on who's doing the calculations.

> complain about a shutdown which should have lasted a few months max if people had done what they were supposed to

Bullshit. Countries with much higher social compliance saw the same endless lockdowns.

[jghn]

> taking an officially-experimental vaccine by the back door

Two things.

1) mRNA technology was not experimental

2) I don't know about you but I got my shot in the shoulder, not the back door

[lmm]

> 1) mRNA technology was not experimental

Perhaps, but the specific vaccines were.

> 2) I don't know about you but I got my shot in the shoulder, not the back door

As I'm sure you understood, I was talking about coercion by the back door - the whole "we're not going to force individuals to vaccinate, but we're going to force restaurants and gyms to require vaccination" approach. (And don't try to say it was an objective public health measure - if that was the case they would've made natural immunity as acceptable as vaccination)