IvanKaramazov said:
Any comment on the ethical implications of allowing tens of thousands of people to suffocate to death while they debate this sort of stuff?
I asked her that yesterday. The repsonse from my wife (who was also on the chat) was this:
"One of the big problems with not doing all the sub-group analyses is that we don't know what we don't know. So you don't want to find out that the vax isn't working in male smokers under 40 in 3-6 months when their morbidity and mortality rates overtake 65+. And it may not seem ethical to the 65+ BUT there is a whole field of bioethicists who have studied this a long time.
You cannot endanger one group to benefit another without a really good reason and "we can't wait 3 weeks" isn't good enough. Esp. because (PhD neuroscientist) has pointed out we already have 2 viable vax for the group at greatest risk of death. It's not a zero sum game."
"PLUS, if the concern is supply (approve this so we have more options), then deal with pipeline, manufacturing, distribution and implementation. Rushing the FDA won't help as much as improving vax distribution"
I said that it
feels like the approval is a foregone conclusion, and any delays cause more death and more spread. She replied:
"How big (plus or minus) do you think the scandal would be if they just approved it without full review and something happened? Or anti-vaxxers got a hold of the process and called foul?"
I said it might be a smaller problem than people more people dying. She replied:
"DUDE NPIs KEEP PEOPLE FROM DYING. I don't see you picketing Gov. Hogan's house asking for more restrictions. FFS, a widget isn't going to fix the whole problem."
At that point I told her not to yell at me.
"I'm yelling because we have covered-at length-that the FDA piece isn't the biggest issue here, whether your concern is vax availability or actual mortality. Incidentally, where's the outrage about the US pre-buying so much vax that most non HICs can't have any regardless of approval processes? Let me rephrase: what are you most concerned about vax availability, mortality or FDA being a bureaucratic bottleneck?"
I said, I was most concerned with mortality stemming from things that are (even somewhat) in our control from a policy and bureaucracy standpoint.
Wife Reply: "OK, then worry about NPIs and the vax distributions system. More supply won't help if the system can't actually deliver it. FDA approval process isn't the biggest challenge. It is not ideal that the pandemic hit when we're at an all-time high for ##### nationalistic pigs as country leaders."
So there you have it folks! I love my wife. She's smart as hell and has a mouth like a sailor and doesn't hold back her opinions.