HACKER Q&A
📣 simonebrunozzi

Best resources for a Covid-19 and vaccination discussion/debate?


I recently had to discuss covid-19 and vaccination with a few people that could be loosely defined as "no vax", or against vaccination.

Despite my best effort, I found it very hard to provide reliable, clear data points and/or research to use in the discussion.

For example, impact of vaccination by age group, in terms of reduction in hospitalization/death, compared to non-vaccinated people.

There's plenty of data sources out there; it would be helpful if you could share your best ones. Thanks!

  👤 jjgreen Accepted Answer ✓
In a debate, both sides of the argument are up for questioning. You can enter a debate certain that you are right, but if you're not prepared to entertain the idea that the other side might be right, then it's not a debate, it is hectoring.

If your aim is to convince others of your views, expect to be disappointed -- ask yourself, how would you respond to hectoring by someone who is absolutely certain that you don't know what you're talking about, you just need to have the facts explained to you? With hostility I'll wager.

I speak here as someone who is pro-vaccine, and who's had the vaccine. I have (much younger) friends who choose not to take the vaccine, I don't try to convince them to, "that's your lookout antivax boy, no skin off my (well vaccinated) nose ". I take the piss out of them, we remain friends, but in the end it is their choice, and people respect the choices of their friends.

👤 ipspam
You aren't going to find what you are looking for.

There is Zero benefit to vaxxing children or those that have already been sick with Coronavirus. Yet that's exactly what is being done.

The vaccine is Generally safe, and generally effective at preventing sickness and death, even still above 90% with the Delta variants.

What it has totally failed to do (courtesy of the Delta Variant) is stop the spread of the virus.

Data out of Israel says only 40% effective at preventing symptomatic infection. That also doesn't address asymptomatic spread after vaccination.

Conclusion: Vaccine is safe, and will help save healthcare system. Also, vaccines can't stop Covid, only natural immunity can stop Covid.

So to answer your question, the information you seek is hidden, for the public good. And maybe even for good reason. Admitting to anti-vaxxers that whether they take the vaccine or not will only serve to unburden the healthcare system but not end the pandemic isnt going to convince them to take the vaccine. It will probably only embolden them to start using the words "experimental gene therapy" instead of "vaccine".