Disagree. We should be honest. IT IS A ZERO-SUM GAME. Vaccine manufacturers are not able to meet demand. Production is already maxed out. If we hoard or have vaccines expire rather than share, that doesn't make it a non zero-sum game, it just makes us morally bankrupt.https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1438103141216575490 …
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I'm not disagreeing that boosters may well be indicated for the elderly and the immunocompromised. J&J needs a booster. But, let's not lie to ourselves. SUPPLY IS LIMITED. A third dose here is a first dose denied to someone else. Whatever we choose, that is just plain reality.
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted Lúcás Meier
Yep. That is not the case whatsoever. Look, I understand nations make such choices. There are groups for whom a third shot can provide a measurable benefit, and I'm not begrudging any individual at risk wanting one. Of course. But it *is* a zero-sum game.https://twitter.com/cronokirby/status/1438115186813063173 …
zeynep tufekci added,
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted Diego Bez.
I've been writing, begging whatever little I can do since the beginning that we should do *whatever* we can do to increase supply—waiving patents is "thoughts and prayers", not enough—and to be serious about dose sparing and prioritizing. But here we are.https://twitter.com/Diegobez/status/1438117288331431950 …
zeynep tufekci added,
Diego Bez. @DiegobezI wish we don't see the vaccine supply as an inevitably-limited supply.I'd like to see more effort in increasing that supply. It's "just" a (not huge)money problem, a problem that should not be left to private company's decision. It's a public health matter, live or die decisions https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1438115805342932997 …5 replies 18 retweets 172 likesShow this thread -
zeynep tufekci Retweeted Chase W. Nelson 倪誠志
Yeah. Even countries with money can't find vaccines to purchase. Honestly, I think vaccine manufacturers have increased supply as much as they can, and it's not really patents that are the key bottleneck. We needed government-level global action. Tragic.https://twitter.com/chasewnelson/status/1438117742209495043 …
zeynep tufekci added,
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted jj ⌛️ 💡 🔭
I've no interest in defending patents *but* I believe this belief to be a misunderstanding and a leftover from the HIV fight. Scaling up/transferring vaccine production in a pandemic timescale needs much more than opening up the tech. We didn't do it.https://twitter.com/murchiston/status/1438122674874691591 …
zeynep tufekci added,
jj ⌛️ 💡 🔭 @murchistonReplying to @zeynepVaccine manufacturers may not be able to meet demand, but by open sourcing the vaccines and increasing production to first max out available capacity with a view to building out new plant could change the game from artificial scarcity to positive sum (except for narrow interests)10 replies 19 retweets 167 likesShow this thread -
It's appealing to believe there is a non-zero sum solution to the global vaccine supply crisis—magical supply increase via waiving patents etc. There is not. Not blaming individuals. Not saying boosters wouldn't help (though clearly some more than others). But reality is reality.
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Replying to @zeynep
I also think the “implementation” issues are a bit of a misnomer. The Ebola vaccine has ultra cold requirements in some of the most rural regions of central and west Africa - and were dealt with. There will be hurdles but we they can be overcome.
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Yes, of course. Many LMIC countries are perfectly capable of administering vaccines, including ones with cold-chain requirements. (I know too much about this history: people opposed HIV medication distribution in poorer countries saying they couldn't manage to take it daily).
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