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.
New Zealand, Vietnam, and Uruguay really did a great job with the pandemic. I'm not sure there are many other good role models from this crisis. So, while on paper NZ might have looked less prepared, the response worked, and I remember feeling quite inspired by what seemed to be a real team effort by most New Zealanders.
I also loved the idea that while the rest of us were wearing masks everywhere and avoiding restaurants, New Zealanders spent most of that time attending concerts, eating at restaurants, traveling domestically and generally living pre-pandemic life. It was a nice idea that there was a bubble somewhere in the world where COVID wasn't pervading every minute.
Also, that's crazy (and yes, fascinating!) about people preferring the smallpox scabs to the cowpox vaccine. Another thing I find interesting is that no one really knows what the vaccinia in the smallpox vaccine really *is* anymore.... it's not cowpox! Best current thinking is that it might be some extinct strain of.... horsepox? Totally wacky (still better than smallpox, though). Article: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/08/mystery-inside-monkeypox-vaccines/671256/
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.
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.
New Zealand, Vietnam, and Uruguay really did a great job with the pandemic. I'm not sure there are many other good role models from this crisis. So, while on paper NZ might have looked less prepared, the response worked, and I remember feeling quite inspired by what seemed to be a real team effort by most New Zealanders.
I also loved the idea that while the rest of us were wearing masks everywhere and avoiding restaurants, New Zealanders spent most of that time attending concerts, eating at restaurants, traveling domestically and generally living pre-pandemic life. It was a nice idea that there was a bubble somewhere in the world where COVID wasn't pervading every minute.
Also, that's crazy (and yes, fascinating!) about people preferring the smallpox scabs to the cowpox vaccine. Another thing I find interesting is that no one really knows what the vaccinia in the smallpox vaccine really *is* anymore.... it's not cowpox! Best current thinking is that it might be some extinct strain of.... horsepox? Totally wacky (still better than smallpox, though). Article: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/08/mystery-inside-monkeypox-vaccines/671256/
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.