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New Zealand was, on paper a lot less prepared than the USA. We still have some polarisation and presumably some burnout among healthcare workers, but nothing like at the level of the USA, so I'm not sure if we are better or worse off now.

One thing that fascinated me about the story of the smallpox vaccine was the fact that even after Jenner's vaccine, some people preferred the old approach using smallpox scabs. Also that there was plenty of anti-vaccine sentiment despite the massive risk of smallpox and the effectiveness and comparative safety of the vaccine.

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This was well written. A little bit journalistic, a little bit of opinion. I wrote about Jenner and smallpox a long time ago from a different angle. Even after 225 years, our objective minds know vaccination is an amazing thing yet we still fight it tooth and nail! Not that different from very well educated people, despite enormous evidence, still wedded to a young earth. It doesn't seem to have much to do with what we know but rather what we were taught and have locked in our heads and identity. I genuinely believe crazy lefties led society to vaccine hesitancy. Once Trump was in office, magical thinking led to them changing sides. It was never what was objective, it will often reside in feelings and tribalism.

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