outbreak! (ebola, sars, coronavirus, etc)

xp We have requirements for kids in schools, but we don't require adults to show the date of their MMR to get into a movie theater or a parent-teacher conference or their job.

― Ima Gardener (in orbit), Tuesday, March 2, 2021 2:08 PM (six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

i'm not saying we should require MMR dates to get into a movie theater! (well, i do think that, but i live in the real world.)

but if the concern is that vaccination requirements will in practice exclude adults from society, it's worth noting that requiring kids to get vaccinated to go to school seems like it has caused poor kids to get vaccinated rather than caused poor kids to leave school.

it wouldn't work like this for adults (they don't have regular contact with institution like a school that can help them, etc., etc.) and we just don't have the public health infrastructure (or even the cultural belief in the idea of public health) to solve those problems. which is too bad!

i keep thinking about this piece:

https://newrepublic.com/article/157704/coronavirus-vaccine-united-states-health-care

if we had an NHS i think the arguments against vaccination requirements (with exceptions! in certain risky settings only!) would be weaker.

I think every situation has different things you have to weigh. Schools are also different from movie theaters because (1) we require kids to attend by law and (2) relatedly, kids themselves are minors and don't have much ability to manage their risk or say in the risk they are subjected to. Also, we don't require every vaccine on the planet. No flu vaccine requirement, for example. Just the ones for diseases considered a serious threat to kids.

I think we're about to see several examples of schools, employers and other private businesses testing these exact boundaries. I already saw one local restaurant owner making the case in some FB comments that he should be able to ask for proof of vaccine before letting a diner into his place. Essentially, his case boiled down to "how is it any different to require proof of vaccination as it is to require a temperature check at the door, if the entire point is to reduce the risk of someone entering my establishment and spreading COVID".

I'm OK with requiring movie theater attendance by law

Coupon, the movie

I'm OK with requiring movie theater attendance by law

Compulsory attendance to one non-tentpole, non-franchise movie every six months, for every household.

"how is it any different to require proof of vaccination as it is to require a temperature check at the door

aiui, the legality of the temp check is based upon the law allowing public health measures and the fact that such measures are universally required, not imposed and enforced by individual restaurant owners. Without the legal sanction provided by a public health order, any place of pubic accommodation refusing service to a patron on the basis of their temperature would be illegal.

That makes sense, I'm just saying that I'm going to bet we are going to see some people trying to push those boundaries and test the law.

I don't think vaccine IDs make sense in any circumstance until vaccines are readily available to anyone whenever they want. At that point, I would be ok with a vaccine requirement for international travel so long as there is a global pandemic. I'd also be ok with schools making COVID vaccines part of their requirements along with other vaccines. Beyond that, not much else is workable. If the virus remains widespread among the anti vax population, perhaps things would have to get more strict.

vaccine IDs make sense, but like most ID requirements the implementation is guaranteed to be hopelessly racist and classist

love this

Nice graphic demonstration of the difference in storage requirements here, the Pfizer vaccine comes in a special cooler spilling with dry ice vapors, this comes shipped like a dang Amazon package https://t.co/xMURYQCx7g

— Ed MD (@notdred) March 2, 2021

Texas is lifting the statewide mask requirement. I assume the governor was starting to worry that vaccines were getting to the major cities too quickly.

I just announced Texas is OPEN 100%.

EVERYTHING.

I also ended the statewide mask mandate.

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 2, 2021

Not just the mask mandate. Abbott wants to ensure that the CDC warnings of another peak aren't wasted.

oh joy

https://i.imgflip.com/504d6a.jpg

You have to give Abbott a lot of credit for throwing open the Texas border like that.

I can't wait for the viral videos of meltdowns when the "open 'er up" morons find out that private stores can still enforce a mask policy.

It's Texas. There won't be meltdowns. There will be shootings.

my local Floridians are panicking that Florida will be next, I'm wondering if they forgot we kind of already did this last September. DeSantis left everything up to local governments to enforce and largely stripped their ability to fine offenders, so there are cities in more conservative counties that have had restaurants at full capacity with fuckin' nobody masked for half a year now.

the area I live, on the other hand, largely takes it seriously and so do most of the residents (though obv not all).

It's just so fucking stupid to see it happening now, when there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But as with most things with the modern day GOP, this is more about grandstanding than actual governing.

they're doing it now because as soon as people shout they will ask these questions:

"wait, don't the vaccines work?"
"wait, didn't you just say we can all have the vaccine in like two months?"
"wait didn't you say it's likely nobody's spreading it if they're vaxed?"
"aren't you saying the hospitalizations are dipping?"

and make it sound (to idiots) like Dem politicians are just introverts who want to shut the country down needlessly.

i would just like to note that i have been on the money

Biden: “We're now on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May.”

— Kate Sullivan (@KateSullivanDC) March 2, 2021

lol was wondering when you'd bring that up

It's just so fucking stupid to see it happening now, when there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But as with most things with the modern day GOP, this is more about grandstanding than actual governing.

― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, March 2, 2021 5:27 PM (thirteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

otm. just wait like 2-4 weeks! i assume this was because he wanted to beat florida with 2024 in mind.

Just...

If you smoke or have previously smoked at least 100 cigarettes, you will qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine in North Carolina starting on March 24

— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) March 2, 2021

I’ve never smoked a cigarette, not sure I can get through 100 in time. But I’m also across the country from North Carolina.

if you smoke chainsmoke 100 cigarettes in a row, you get a free duffelbag

Justin, reopen that border, I'm on my way.

Anti-vaper prejudice IMO

lol how are they gonna know the exact number u smoked historically

If you've kept track of the 99 you've had so far, you can still light up one right before your appointment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVsEWGLC9RI

Those 54 were superfluous imo.

lol how are they gonna know the exact number u smoked historically

they ask you to smoke a couple in front of them and see if you do it right. and even if you do, if you don't roll up your pack in your sleeve and say something iconic, no vaccine for you

that's why you gotta go in there with nothing but two smelly butts, one behind each ear, no pack, and tell them you smoked them on the way up the elevator

then you say "can i ash here", and you smear the ashes all over the signature lines of the vaccination paperwork

ahh i see,so u have to look cool when u light the cigarette, even more points if you can do it hands free, and when you put out your right arm, a hawk has to come and land on it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxigNmhB5KM

what if you've seen half of 200 Cigarettes?

you are eligible in NYS if you have ADHD fwiw

https://www.harihareswara.net/sumana/2021/03/02/0

Countdown to Twitch streams of people chainsmoking 500 cigarettes to get the vax.

no if you smoke 500 cigarettes you get 5 vaxes

500 cigarettes still gets you a duffelbag, i'm sad to say, but it is a big improvement over the 100 cigarette reward bag, with more pockets

And 200 Cigarettes gets you nothing.

truly wild to see these two tweets in rapid succession on my TL: pic.twitter.com/4PA6It24lo

— lil uzi veritas (@polumechanos) March 2, 2021

I'm surprised at how many people on Twitter are not getting that Biden saying we will have enough doses by May does not mean they will be in arms by May. I mean, it's great news regardless and accelerates our timeline, but... there are a large number of states that still need to get their shit together wrt equitable distribution.

the federal sites will be a big help. we're getting 4 in FL.

likewise I think this is where the CVSs/Walgreens and other commercial pharmacies are going to step up when they get an increased amount of the supply. they're used to scheduling systems for their MinuteClinics/etc at the back of the store.

you're right though that having access to does not = completion of vaccination by May.

Oh agreed, it's really good news, and I don't mean to diminish it. But I'm seeing so many people spinning this into "summer will be back to normal bay-beeee" and it's like, well, no. Let's keep some reality in check here.

They're doing vaccines at the CVS two blocks from me, but all the slots are booked and I'm not sure I qualify for one yet.