Coronavirus (OLD)

[downquark1]

Originally Posted by ianch99

I am surprised you say this. Applying pure capitalism to something that is chronically needed by the whole world is immoral. Putting aside the greed, who do you think would benefit from these profits? Would 3rd world countries be able to afford these prices or would we just let them die?

Not if capitalism does a good job distributing it at low prices. I don't care if someone makes a profit in the process.

Originally Posted by downquark1

Not if capitalism does a good job distributing it at low prices. I don't care if someone makes a profit in the process.

That's not working so well for insulin users in the USA at the moment...

[downquark1]

Originally Posted by Hugh

That's not working so well for insulin users in the USA at the moment...

The US medical system is messed up you'll get no argument from me on that. It is simultaneously under-regulated and over-regulated.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by jfman

Well that depends really. If the UK found the vaccine we should extract maximum revenue from the rest of the world for it. That's exactly what the United States would do, so good practice for us.

It's just statistically improbable that we would, so yes hedge our bets.

Mismanagement of the virus is likely to make a vaccine pointless anyway. While it might prevent more serious outcomes, it is likely to start to wearing off after 3 months to 1 year (like the flu jab) so it's now a certainty to remain within the global population for years to come to a greater or lesser degree. Great news for the capitalists who thought that the long game was better for economic outcomes.

Previous generations fought wars for years and we couldn't support (as a planet) everyone sitting on their arse for three months. I think that says a lot about us really...

That's a good point. It won't just be a case of vaccinating everyone and that's it, it will have to be repeatedly done.

Maybe to cut costs it will only be given to people with a high risk of complications from contracting Covid-19? Trouble is, the rest of the population might not die, but it will result in higher rates of sickness abscence. Ripe for fraud too, how many managers would want to insist that someone claiming to have the symptoms comes into work?

Does anyone think that there will be forced vaccinations (here or elsewhere) when/if one is found? It sounds like a draconian measure, but if some people refuse to have one, how are Governments likely to react?

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

That's a good point. It won't just be a case of vaccinating everyone and that's it, it will have to be repeatedly done.

Maybe to cut costs it will only be given to people with a high risk of complications from contracting Covid-19? Trouble is, the rest of the population might not die, but it will result in higher rates of sickness abscence. Ripe for fraud too, how many managers would want to insist that someone claiming to have the symptoms comes into work?

Does anyone think that there will be forced vaccinations (here or elsewhere) when/if one is found? It sounds like a draconian measure, but if some people refuse to have one, how are Governments likely to react?

No chance of forced vaccinations. Some people react very badly to flu type jabs. Someone might know for sure, but I believe a SARS jab, for example, can send the immune system haywire in older people.
Forced jabs is Nazi stuff.

[nomadking]

Not all people can be vaccinated. Eg those with a compromised immune system.

[downquark1]

Need 60 to 80% for herd immunity so it doesn't necessarily need to be everyone.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by ianch99

I am surprised you say this. Applying pure capitalism to something that is chronically needed by the whole world is immoral. Putting aside the greed, who do you think would benefit from these profits? Would 3rd world countries be able to afford these prices or would we just let them die?

This is the only solution that should be considered ..

While I've got many reservations about capitalism I'm able to observe it and comment on how it will act in practice.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Not with my tax payer’s money.

Originally Posted by ianch99
I am surprised you say this. Applying pure capitalism to something that is chronically needed by the whole world is immoral. Putting aside the greed, who do you think would benefit from these profits? Would 3rd world countries be able to afford these prices or would we just let them die?

I'll qualify my remarks further. Vaccine would be reasonable use for the DfID money if a moral dimension were to be followed. Anyway, 3rd world countries might yet attain herd immunity through natural processes.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by jfman

While I've got many reservations about capitalism I'm able to observe it and comment on how it will act in practice.

"In accordance with AstraZeneca's commitment globally, the company will supply the vaccine to countries without considering profit during the pandemic, understanding that this is a global problem and that it needs an answer considering the impact on global public health," an AstraZeneca spokeswoman said in an email.

Which part of "without considering profit" do you not understand?

[jfman]

Originally Posted by nomadking

Which part of "without considering profit" do you not understand?

Is that a contractual commitment?

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by nomadking

Which part of "without considering profit" do you not understand?

Not that you were asking me, but who's gonna pay AZ the cost price for the vaccine for 3rd world countries?

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Not that you were asking me, but who's gonna pay AZ the cost price for the vaccine for 3rd world countries?

AZ, and various countries medical organisations are (during the pandemic) - investing in future customers...

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Hugh

AZ, and various countries medical organisations are (during the pandemic) - investing in future customers...

Woke, woke, woke. Ridiculous. AZ won't invest in the poor, oppressed (by their own regimes who should apologise immediately) in the third world, who have no chance of doing well for themselves in the way we're used to.

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

No chance of forced vaccinations. Some people react very badly to flu type jabs. Someone might know for sure, but I believe a SARS jab, for example, can send the immune system haywire in older people.
Forced jabs is Nazi stuff.

I will not be able to have any vaccination in the form that it is being currently developed.

My only hope is that I get a very mild form of covid-19 and that it triggers an immune response to SARS-CoV-2 without triggering my immune system to destroy all my red blood cells. Bloody scared.