Usually, when we see one elite fighting with another we just sort of point and laugh, but this argument about who should be vaccinated first was just annoying (ok, this editor may have laughed a little bit but holy cow, what a bunch of nonsense). Even though it’s clear the elderly are being hit the hardest by the COVID virus (they are the majority of deaths), it seems the same people who have spent months shaming anyone who questioned the restrictions or metrics of killing grandma now want to argue about which grandmas should be vaccinated first.
Because you know, it wouldn’t be important if we couldn’t somehow make it racial or about equity.
Don’t make that face.
OK. I may get slaughtered here, but there is a kind of pundit who doesn't know what he doesn't know. I'm not talking about ordinary people on @Twitter who shoot the shit on a variety of topics, but people with millions of followers, readers. 1/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
Hoo boy.
These are usually men, who will assume expertise because they've always been told they were the smartest in the room, were given a platform because of who they are, and feel no sense of humility when they decide to ramble off and take down others. 2/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
‘They are usually men’ …
Yup, you can already tell where this is going, right?
Here I am talking about @NateSilver538 @mattyglesias and @DouthatNYT who have decided they are the arbiters of truth in science and public health. 3/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
Hoo boy again.
It started with the #ACIP recommendations on the next phase of #COVID19 vaccination (which as far as I know is still pending). All three of them are suggesting that #ACIP doesn't know what it's doing because there are discussions happening about how to manage trade-offs. 3/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
Basically, these gents think the elderly should be the first vaccinated no matter what.
That’s their big indiscretion.
Seriously.
Remember when it was simple and grandma only had to worry about getting run over by a reindeer? Good times.
All three believe age-based allocation is the only way to triage vaccine delivery and they've been scornful of the deliberation of #ACIP for talking about things like equity, essential workers, etc. 4/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
Because the majority of people dying ARE THE ELDERLY.
This isn’t about equity, it’s about LIFE and DEATH, Gregg.
I'll wait and see how the recommendations play out, but let it suffice to say that there are complex trade-offs that have to be considered and the "certainty" of these three gentlemen, their easy derision of the process is sorta gross. 5/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
This is not complex.
COVID kills the elderly far faster than any other group.
‘Nuff said.
Don't get me wrong. I am all for criticizing scientists. I did it for years as an AIDS activist but what I think differentiates us from them is that we dug deep into the science, had mentorship from some great researchers, took on problems, analyzed them sometimes for years. 6/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
If we rolled our eyes any further back in our heads we would see China where incidentally Mitch McConnell’s wife is NOT FROM, Kimberly Klacik.
We weren't spouting off for this week's column or a series of tweets. And we got things wrong and were ruthless with each other about our failures. 7/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
Gold star?
But now @NateSilver538 and @DouthatNYT are going after "public health," suggesting they know the contours of what is scientific and "para-scientific." Go ahead fellas. Tell us what you really feel. 8/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know the virus is more dangerous to the elderly
Dude.
Nate Silver in discussing ACIP over the weekend, decides that all of public health has got it wrong. 9/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
Not exactly and trust us, if there was something to mock Nate over we would be front and center.
I dunno Nate, is that the basic scientists who helped sequence the #SARSCoV2 genome, developed new tests for detecting the disease? 10/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
Or the biostatisticians who analyzed the vaccine trial results, the modelers who have been helping hospitals gauge ICU capacity? 11/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
It's all public health. I see. Yes. Those who've made sure the water you drink is safe, that you don't get food poisoning from your local restaurant, who've kept us from having other epidemics or battled other ones for, I don't know decades? 12/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
Oh but it's not you, it's them the front-line public health workers who are making sloppy decisions out there. You mean, those who've gotten death-threats, who are screamed at from left and right for doing their jobs? 13/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
One day we should go all Lysistrata on you. See how well you fare if public health went on strike. We would never do that because even if we get paid terribly, work long hours, get shit thrown at us, we do our jobs, from bench to the field, in research and practice. 14/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) December 20, 2020
Ok, you know what, we can’t with this thread.
It just goes on and on and on and on … and the virtue-signaling actually makes our teeth itch.
And all because they want the elderly vaccinated first.
A problem, Gregg, with your critique of @NateSilver538 @mattyglesias & @DouthatNYT is that a panel of scientists in the UK have also come up w/ a list of priorities which is heavily age-weighted. Here are their recommendations: 1/2https://t.co/gteVad4JLX
— Michael Otsuka (@MikeOtsuka) December 20, 2020
Oops.
Yes. And gives 30+ tweet summary as to why. These people genuinely want us to take them seriously. Scream you’re killing grandma and then months later, tells you that they mean only certain grandmas and here’s why.
We live in a circus world & the clown show is the media.— JDwithJD (@JDwithJD) December 20, 2020
You know the thread is bad if Soledad O’Brien runs with it to slam Nate Silver …
Lol “I’m a good reader—it’s part of my job”
Dude-over-confidence is quite a thing. https://t.co/BbCciIcCYI
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) December 20, 2020
Pradheep J. Shanker, an actual health professional, chimed in …
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) December 20, 2020
The best part?@NateSilver538 is right. The research clearly shows that age based vaccine stratification saves the most lives.
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) December 20, 2020
OMG NO WAY.
Reporters like Obrien taking about over confidence is hilarious.
Reporters on average are really terrible at science.
That said, Silver is being modest. He's not saying he is an expert…Just saying he reads the literature.
That is an honest take, and all you can ask for here.
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) December 20, 2020
But EQUITY! WOKE! RACE!
We’re getting too old for this crap.
***
Related:
Join the conversation as a VIP Member