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I feel like we’re watching a medical ethics textbook unfold in real time. When the cold judgement of impartial history books come out, it will be interesting to read about. I also am wondering about the mindset of people getting a 60% vaccine. Maybe they will expand access to it to younger front line workers, who know they would have to wait really long for the mRNA version

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I expect if you are offered the Oxford/AZ vaccine and refuse it, you would not later be offered one of the mRNA vaccines.

But aren't 50% vaccines usually deemed effective enough?

50% is effective enough for a society to squash corona, but a purely self motivated person will surely prefer the 90% version.

Yes. The wacky back-seat epidemiology is new with the many vaccine candidates. Most people won't get an actual choice, they'll be offered what their healthcare provider offers and they can take it or leave it.

Well typically there isn't such a large gap in vaccine performance.

62% is about as bad as vaccines get, and in any other circumstance the manufacturer would retrial instead of seek approval. Even the WHO recommends a 70% minimum during pandemic times (with 50%+ being a measure of last resort, which I guess we're at now).

On the other hand, 95% is better than the best of the best.

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