Octopus Overlords

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - A bill that would prevent state or local authorities from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations is moving forward after passing a state Senate committee on Wednesday.

Senate bill 187 would prohibit anyone from requiring a person to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Emergent’s $628 million Warp Speed deal was made as part of a long-standing contract between the company and the office in the Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) responsible for preparing for public health threats.

At the time of the award, that office was led by Assistant Secretary Robert Kadlec. The Post previously reported that before joining the Trump administration, Kadlec was paid as a consultant to Emergent and formed a start-up company with Emergent’s chairman. Kadlec did not mention either role in a questionnaire about his career that he completed for the Senate when it considered his nomination by Trump in 2017. Kadlec and Emergent previously told The Post that Kadlec’s past work for Emergent had no bearing on the firm’s government contracts.

hitbyambulance wrote: Sun Apr 04, 2021 9:52 pm 4.1M vaccinations administered yesterday - that's pretty good?

But across the country, states are rushing to lift mask mandates, tolerance for physical distancing is flagging, and vaccinated people are amending the new guidelines as they see fit. Some, like our would-be dinner-party hosts, are planning mixed-vaccination events, and pushing the boundaries of what makes a gathering “small.” Others are holding birthday bashes, or starting to creep back to in-person work. People are also shaving time off the two-week period that the CDC advises waiting after the final shot, so that immunity can mature. “What difference is a few days going to make?” a friend asked me the other day.

Amid all the fudging, that sentiment is starting to become a constant refrain: Really, what’s the harm?

The harm is, frankly, mathematical. Over time, our vaccine cheat days start to add up. It might truly be innocuous for a few people to cut a couple of corners on occasion. But eventually, a series of flubs will allow exposures, which will in turn beget disease. Our shortcuts also signal to others that it’s okay to chill out when it is very much not.

Smoove_B wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 8:44 am Vaccine cheat days are adding up:

But across the country, states are rushing to lift mask mandates, tolerance for physical distancing is flagging, and vaccinated people are amending the new guidelines as they see fit. Some, like our would-be dinner-party hosts, are planning mixed-vaccination events, and pushing the boundaries of what makes a gathering “small.” Others are holding birthday bashes, or starting to creep back to in-person work. People are also shaving time off the two-week period that the CDC advises waiting after the final shot, so that immunity can mature. “What difference is a few days going to make?” a friend asked me the other day.

Amid all the fudging, that sentiment is starting to become a constant refrain: Really, what’s the harm?

The harm is, frankly, mathematical. Over time, our vaccine cheat days start to add up. It might truly be innocuous for a few people to cut a couple of corners on occasion. But eventually, a series of flubs will allow exposures, which will in turn beget disease. Our shortcuts also signal to others that it’s okay to chill out when it is very much not.

Stay vigilant!

malchior wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:05 am We're vigilant but for us we feel like we're the only ones.

Smoove_B wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:24 am

malchior wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:05 am We're vigilant but for us we feel like we're the only ones.

I know someone else in NJ that is super ultra vigilant.

malchior wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:05 am Anecdotally I heard at least 4-5 people in our friend's circle who basically got the 2nd shot and then acted like they were 100% immune immediately. We actually got guilt tripped about not coming to Easter dinner yesterday with a bunch of unvaccinated folks. We're vigilant but for us we feel like we're the only ones.

Lauri Armstrong, a Bible-believing nutritionist outside of Dallas, said she did not need the vaccine because God designed the body to heal itself, if given the right nutrients. More than that, she said, “It would be God’s will if I am here or if I am not here.”

The deeply held spiritual convictions or counterfactual arguments may vary. But across white evangelical America, reasons not to get vaccinated have spread as quickly as the virus that public health officials are hoping to overcome through herd immunity.

...

There are about 41 million white evangelical adults in the U.S. About 45 percent said in late February that they would not get vaccinated against Covid-19, making them among the least likely demographic groups to do so, according to the Pew Research Center.

“If we can’t get a significant number of white evangelicals to come around on this, the pandemic is going to last much longer than it needs to,” said Jamie Aten, founder and executive director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, an evangelical institution in Illinois.

Smoove_B wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 12:13 pm Another data point that's going to be difficult to overcome:

Lauri Armstrong, a Bible-believing nutritionist outside of Dallas, said she did not need the vaccine because God designed the body to heal itself, if given the right nutrients. More than that, she said, “It would be God’s will if I am here or if I am not here.”

The deeply held spiritual convictions or counterfactual arguments may vary. But across white evangelical America, reasons not to get vaccinated have spread as quickly as the virus that public health officials are hoping to overcome through herd immunity.

...

There are about 41 million white evangelical adults in the U.S. About 45 percent said in late February that they would not get vaccinated against Covid-19, making them among the least likely demographic groups to do so, according to the Pew Research Center.

“If we can’t get a significant number of white evangelicals to come around on this, the pandemic is going to last much longer than it needs to,” said Jamie Aten, founder and executive director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, an evangelical institution in Illinois.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 3:24 pm An immediate family member not in my household or state tested positive ~2 weeks ago. Individual was given convalescent plasma and responded strongly, going home the next day. I learned that this past week this individual went on vacation to Coral Gables.

My wife had to say goodbye to her grandfather over the phone just over a week ago and my kids spent spring break in the house.

This will make for interesting talk over Thanksgiving dinner. Whenever that happens.

Zaxxon wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 4:11 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 3:24 pm An immediate family member not in my household or state tested positive ~2 weeks ago. Individual was given convalescent plasma and responded strongly, going home the next day. I learned that this past week this individual went on vacation to Coral Gables.

My wife had to say goodbye to her grandfather over the phone just over a week ago and my kids spent spring break in the house.

This will make for interesting talk over Thanksgiving dinner. Whenever that happens.

Ugh. Condolences.

Zarathud wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:02 am Don’t spike the football at the 2 yard line!

President Joe Biden is set to announce that he’s shaving about two weeks off his May 1 deadline for states to make all adults eligible for coronavirus vaccines.

An administration official confirms with NewsNation that Biden plans to announce that every adult in the U.S. will be eligible to be vaccinated by April 19. Biden will make the announcement at the White House on Tuesday following a visit to a vaccination site in Virginia.

Biden is also expected to announce that 150 million doses have been put into people’s arms since his inauguration on Jan. 20. That puts the president well on track to meet his new goal of 200 million shots administered by April 30 — his 100th day in office.

Biden’s original goal had been 100 million shots in arms by the end of his first 100 days.

The announcement about vaccine eligibility is somewhat symbolic and comes as states already were moving up their deadlines from the original May 1 goal. It also comes as a flood of vaccine supply is being sent to states this week.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 9:43 amAs of yesterday in NJ, 55+ could be vaccinated. Magically in 14 days, we're going to start with everyone over the age of 18.

Zaxxon wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 10:20 am I'm sure everything will go smoothly, as it has so far.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 10:25 am "All adults over the age of 18" is the first category my wife fits into, so I'll have first-hand knowledge on how long it will take from when she's eligible to when she's actually fully vaccinated - which I think it's going to be be the issue.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 10:25 am

Zaxxon wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 10:20 am I'm sure everything will go smoothly, as it has so far.

I can only hope national media picks up on the unmitigated disaster I'm expecting. Granted, the actual vaccination process *seems* better (malchior's story from last week is an outlier from what I've been hearing).

"All adults over the age of 18" is the first category my wife fits into, so I'll have first-hand knowledge on how long it will take from when she's eligible to when she's actually fully vaccinated - which I think it's going to be be the issue.

coopasonic wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:36 amWhen Texas announced opening it to everyone, about a week before it was effective, I added myself to the waitlist in my county (Denton, pop ~900k) the next day and a couple days later, 4 days prior to the order going into effect got an email and text saying I had an appt for 8am on Day 3 at the local megasite.

I have a bunch of coworkers that are trying to find slots at various pharmacies and such so they don't have to drive to the megasites. *shrug* our employer gives us 4 hours PTO per shot so the drive doesn't bother me. The fact that they were so quick I didn't miss any work DID bother me though!

Blackhawk wrote: Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:30 pm Indiana's mask mandate lifted today. Wal-Mart still officially requires shoppers to have masks. I had to swing by the local store to pick up some water today.

I'd estimate that about 40% of the people I saw were wearing masks. All of the employees were, of course, including the employee wearing a confederate flag mask (which I reported to their ethics hotline when I got home.)

Whada woild.

Trump appointees in the Health and Human Services department last year privately touted their efforts to block or alter scientists’ reports on the coronavirus to more closely align with then-President Donald Trump’s more optimistic messages about the outbreak, according to newly released documents from congressional investigators.

The documents provide further insight into how senior Trump officials approached last year’s explosion of coronavirus cases in the United States. Even as career government scientists worked to combat the virus, a cadre of Trump appointees were attempting to blunt the scientists’ messages, edit their findings and equip the president with an alternate set of talking points.

Disturbing forecast that US may be hitting #CovidVaccine wall and we will a shift in vaccine vs supply by end of month with only 52% vaccinated by July. Also, rural, Republican-heavy states are likely blowing through their vaccine-eager populations.