A Brief Note on Coronavirus Vaccines

So… They finally approved a vaccine. A vaccine that had been invented in two days last January. A few reactions:

• I had figured the delay was due to investigating the usual blind alleys found in scientific research. I was wrong.
• The anti-vaccine fanatics pretending to be libertarians rolled out their usual complaint that the vaccine approval was a “rush job.”
• To make matter worse, many of the same people are complaining about masks, social distancing, and people staying home. All of those were due to the delay, a delay caused by bureaucrats trying to avoid blame by anti-vaccine people.
• In a libertarian paradise, the vaccines would have been sold openly in March. By April, the fake vaccine sellers would be out of business. By May, the vaccines would be affordable to anybody.
• Of course, the anti-vaccine people would blame Big Pharma for the deaths caused by the frauds. Meanwhile, the standard caution caused 400,000 deaths.
• The Left, of course, would weep about the deaths caused by people being unable to afford vaccines last spring. In Leftworld, a few thousand poor people dying is more horrible than 400,000 people of all social classes dying. The latter is, of course, equitable.
• We must, of course, remember that every person vaccinated protect the surrounding people as well. Slogan: Save the butlers! Let billionaires buy vaccines.
• The fact much of the US has a downturn might possibly mean that much of the spread is due to health professionals (who are at the front of the line).
• When vaccines really do have problems, Big Pharma will admit it. Big Pharma, nuclear energy, and airlines appear to be the three most honest parts of the the Establishment.
• Much of the opposition to vaccines is due to contrarianism in general. “If THEY lied about X, THEY might be lying about coronavirus.” This is accompanied by exhortations to look into the contrarian claims. Well…
  • I looked into the claim that masks block oxygen. They don't.
  • I looked into the claim that US government data shows a normal death rate this year. It doesn't.
  • I looked into the claim that polio death rates plummeted before the polio vaccine. They didn't.
  • I looked into the claim there is a cancer epidemic. There isn't.
  • I looked into the claim that Fukushima poisoned the Earth. It didn't.
  • I looked into the claim that depleted uranium is a weapon of mass destruction. It isn't.