Safe Vaccines

 A rather unreal problem seems to be looming on the

vaccination question. People currently enrolled in phase 3 trials for

the Johnson and Johnson candidate are starting to say they too

would like to get vaccinated with a safe vaccine when these

become available. For recall, those in a study do not know if they

have received an actual dose or just a placebo, and the tesearchers

themselves don't know. Is the argument specious!?  Once people

opt out, we will never know the true effectiveness of that vaccine.

Here's the thing to my mind: whatever happens, the study context

will have changed with vaccination. Even if the placebo group does

not break rank, they will become less likely to develop covid-19 because

those around them won't have it. Effectively, there will be a lot less

going on not because the virus is less virulent, but because it is less present.

One can see where this is going; each national context will be different although

I would urge not to loose sight of the question of how different age groups

are protected, or how the elderly and vulnerable might spring back or not...

One moves on to the information one get get!!