Emily Oster included a few comments about vaccines in Cribsheet that I thought might be of interest given the current state of world affairs. First, she notes that vaccination rates tend to go down in areas with more education, indirectly addressing a perception about the types of people who oppose them. This may be due to the origin of the anti-vaccination movement, which she traces to a deliberately misleading paper published by a since-discredited doctor - the purpose of the work was to build a case for a lawsuit against manufacturers, but to me it seems the effect was to rubber-stamp a fringe idea. The government may have unwittingly lent credibility to these (and similar) theories when they protected companies from vaccine-related lawsuits - some felt this was an admission that errors were commonplace.
A good way to frame the opposing point of view is to note that although side effects from approved vaccines are exceedingly rare, the possibility of vaccine harm generally far outweighs the known debilitations of the disease. In the case of COVID, the death toll should speak for itself, but there are also concerns about the long-term effects on respiratory function for its survivors that should contextualize any downside effects of a vaccine. It's also important to note that the most significant problems - catastrophic side effects, if you will - are often observed in the first few weeks of a vaccine being administered; we're past this mark for most of the COVID vaccines currently under trial (1).
But the best argument for a vaccine is one Oster presents in her book - there are people restricted by disease or immune deficiencies who cannot get vaccinated. When I hear it like this, I recognize that my own apprehension about a fast-tracked vaccine isn't particularly relevant in the context of how I see a certain obligation healthy people have to their less fortunate peers. It's vital for each of us to think individually - there is no other way to think, really - but with rare exceptions, it's critical to remember that our thinking should always take a backseat to communal action.
Footnotes
1) I pulled this note from How to Vaccinate the World, a BBC podcast series hosted by longtime TOA favorite Tim Harford. I'd recommend it to anyone who is currently wasting time scouring news sites for vaccine information.
