'YOU did this, pal': Scott Gottlieb all but blaming unvaccinated for 'political divide' around COVID vaccination and mandates does NOT go well

Sorry, but reading a thread written by Scott Gottlieb about the COVID vaccine and mandates politically dividing us is ALMOST a bridge too far.

Almost.

We still have a little bridge left BUT NOT MUCH.

You guys think he’s the least bit aware that he has helped create and perpetuate this political divide?

THREAD: If a legacy of Covid is vaccines and vaccine mandates (which existed well before Covid) become another issue dividing us politically and culturally, the consequences will be durable, profound; we could see vaccination rates decline if this becomes another political wedge https://t.co/XTE8o5xtTq

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) October 3, 2021

The legacy of COVID will be the huge mistakes our government made over and over and over again that makes a good many Americans doubt their intentions.

Yup.

For Covid we should set a goal and then decide what policies best achieve that goal with the least acrimony. We’re at ~78% of adults with at least one dose. A reasonable goal may be to reach 85%. Most will complete the two dose series. If 85% is the target what will get us there?

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) October 3, 2021

Not mandates.

Not threats.

Not firing people.

Studies.

Time.

And no more politics.

Mandates should be local whenever possible. Some federal mandates make sense: federal employees, DoD, healthcare workers. Even requirements on Medicare plans to achieve higher coverage in their populations. But mandate on private business is the one that will create most division

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) October 3, 2021

No kidding.

Ya’ think?

Is the benefit of business mandate worth cost of more political acrimony, making vaccination a more objectively political debate? Could rich business incentives (tax breaks) inspire them to impose their own requirements, without mandate? I’ve seen little weighing of these issues

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) October 3, 2021

Careful policy making lays out a clear goal with a clear rationale and then weighs the measures to achieve that goal based on their relative cost. What is the end goal? What are the measures that can achieve it? What are their relative merits in terms of uptake vs discouragement?

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) October 3, 2021

This is fair, but too late in this conversation. Fauci and the CDC have done SO much damage with crap messaging already that most Americans question what comes out of these policies.

The anti vaccine sentiment taking hold on political right is deeply discouraging to this conservative, and worrisome for future. But public health policy makers can’t just wish it away, we must be thoughtful how we achieve end goal of higher vax rates with the least acrimony.

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) October 3, 2021

Sure, Scott, blame the unvaccinated.

It’s totally the Right’s fault the CDC and Fauci hosed the messaging and the Left played politics with the vaccine for a year. *eye roll*

Also remember: many employers have chosen to mandate vaccine and more will do the same. This is a collective decision and should be made by local communities, businesses. The government should support private businesses to make these decisions because this is in the public good.

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) October 3, 2021

In the public good.

You “experts” along with our leadership has caused the divide. One expert says one thing, another says different. Then you switch positions. People are just plain tired.

— Smitty (@RDSUK) October 3, 2021

Some of that sounds reasonable. The problem is that your President is busy encouraging businesses to put people out of work and destroying their lives.

— Phyliss Walker (@pdkwalk) October 3, 2021