I have not read this entire thread, so excuse me if my comments have been stated before, but this is my perspective on the vaccine, and really, pretty much all healthcare choices. As many of you know already, I am a family doctor. I say this not as a way of saying I know better than anyone. It merely gives those reading a better understanding of what frames my perspective.
The problem with the US system is that we try to blend freedom of choice with absence of responsibility from the consequences of choices that go bad. This is true of pretty much every system we have,m not just healthcare. Understand that I am not advocating we change, but I think it's important to recognize the weakness that exists.
It happens all the time. People talk about the freedom to makes choices, even bad ones, and how it's their body, etc, BUT then expect health insurance system, and all who pay into that system, to pick up the tab when things go south. For example, people want the freedom to choose to smoke, but then want someone else to pay the tab for the lung cancer and the heart attack/strokes that they got, at least in part due to them exercising their rights.
This kind of all started back when the laws changed that made hospitals unable to refuse treatment to someone, in an emergency situation, because they could not pay. The idea was that it is inhumane to refuse in that instance. While I agree that this is cold, it does remove some of the responsibility from the individual to care for themselves, in a manner of speaking, like making sure they have health insurance or having a doctor to take care of their sinus infection instead of showing up in the ER, or not driving drunk, and other examples( I could go on and on). This along with many other incremental changes, mostly based in compassion, has slowly over time created a system where each of us has the freedom to choose, but expects others to foot the bill. (and if you don't think using your healthcare insurance does not affect everyone else's rates/costs, then you do not understand how health insurance works.)
Now, getting back to COVID vaccine specifically...
IMO, both sides of the equation should be balanced. What I mean is this, if there is a risk to getting the vaccine, there should be a s similar risk for not.
So, on one hand, if you get the vaccine and have a side effect, there is a very robust system in place for the person to be compensated for this event.
and to balance it out, if you choose not to get the vaccine, then get COVID, any healthcare costs should be the responsibility of individual and their family. Jobs should be able to say that sick time cannot be used for COVID related illnesses if you CHOOSE not to get the shot.
I think the same logic/system could apply to many other things as well, like flu shots, colonoscopy, etc. Don't get a flu shot, treatment for flu infection and any complications should not be not covered. No colonscopy? then Colon Cancer treatment is not covered.
To me this is the most fair way to do it. We each get the freedom to make our choices and live with the consequences of them. This may sound harsh, but true freedom comes with significant risk. We have, over time, attempted to remove risk from life. Unfortunately, removing risk through things like shared risk means that we give up a certain amount of that freedom by being obligated to each other.
I have personally seen many many people die from this disease. I am in favor of all adults getting the vaccine. I am waiting on the data for children to come out before deciding on if I think it's worth it for them.
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