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Comment by the-dude | Hacker News Reader

What makes you think it is different in other countries?

Canada achieved a high vaccination rate without resorting to lotteries (in most provinces, anyway), or mandates (until this month).

The rate might be higher, but we have our share of anti-vax people - including some violent protests at the Prime Minister lately, causing him to cancel rally events.

In our office, we have a number of people I know aren't vaccinated.

Most EU countries reached high vaccination rate without extreme measures because people here are not poisoned with right wing propaganda.

Not true. Germany has the "three g" mandate (and it has faced significant pushback). France has no vaccination mandate but does have policies to encourage it, which have also faced massive protests. Both and the US have first-dose vaccination rates within ten percentage points of each other.

In all three countries, the pushback is primarily from populist/right-wing political movements. This is not a strictly American phenomenon.

>In all three countries, the pushback is primarily from populist/right-wing political movements.

This article says, at least in the US, the poor and young are the least likely to get a vaccine. You have any data for your political assertion that it's primarily right wingers? Keep in mind, politicizing COVID is what got us where we are today.

https://www.vox.com/22587443/covid-19-vaccine-refusal-hesita...

note that I wrote "MOST EU countries". So, you suggestion that it's not true makes zero sense.

Besides the (insane and infuriating) politicization of the vaccine, I wonder how much of the problem comes down to a fear of the US healthcare system for those who are uninsured or have catastrophic-only coverage. I worry that people fear they'll go in for a “free” shot and end up getting a $300 bill in the mail, because hidden costs abound in the US healthcare system. (Even though we know that they won't)

"They" might. I blacked out after my second Pfizer shot, and was ambulanced to an ER. This was $4k, not really my choice. Yes, I have health insurance. Everything was repriced to the 'negotiated' insurance rate, and it was still ~$2k. On top of the $1k/month I already pay (me and spouse). I would get the shot again, without a doubt, but it still hits people.

This is extremely insightful. I wonder how many uninsured/underinsured people are afraid of getting hit with an unexpected medical bill? I'll be honest, having insurance I often times don't think of these things.

There was a period of my life in which I was underinsured (catastrophic only). I ended up burning my foot badly enough that the nurse line insisted I do to urgent care. Three people walked in, looked at my foot, told me not to pop the blister. I walked away with two pain pills and a bill for $4,000 that I negotiated down to about $3200.

You’re sure as hell right that it was going to take something catastrophic for me to walk through those doors again.

Edit: I have a job that offers decent insurance now, but my immediate emotional reaction to healthcare in the United States is very negative (even though I quite like my doctor, dentist, etc). I believe our system is corrupted and abusive towards the poor.

I think more it’s an indirect side effect. Healthcare is so expensive that people no longer go to a family doctor but avoid the doctor and get their information/advice from their social circle and the Internet or alternative medicine.

I think people are truly terrified of the long-term effects due to over-litigation here in America.

You can't turn on the TV, Facebook, YouTube, etc. without a class action lawsuit message in the form of: "Have you used baby powder in the past 2 years? If so, you may be eligible for compensation under the Talcum Powder Class Action Lawsuit, call us at..."

The seemingly "safe" things in America that we take for granted, like baby powder, or Round-Up weed killer, or even tap water in Michigan has turned out to be not so safe.

so these people are OKAY with getting COVID and die but afraid of hidden costs? how does that make any sense?

The young and minorities have some of the highest rates of not being vaccinated. Are those demographics heavily right wing?

do you have any evidence of what you said?

Just to clarify something. When I said minorities I was only talking about Hispanic and black. Not Asian. I should have been more precise in my wording.

Breakdown by age

https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/vaccine-trac...

Here is a breakdown by race in each state

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-glo...

Did you have breakdown by political party?

Younger people along with Hispanics and blacks are more likely members of the Democratic Party than other parties. I haven't seen the vaccine rate and party breakdown though.

Like it or not, but it's the GOP that fights covid measures tooth and nails and poisons society with insane propaganda while their own supporters die every day. Hopefully any prospect of GOP taking back the house and the Senate will die as well

I didn't, nor did I imply.

OSHA is America-based, yes?

Your comment was literally "#America", certainly this implies you think it's different in other countries, otherwise, why would you highlight the Americanness?

> OSHA is America-based, yes?

You were responding to a tangent about life insurance, that had nothing to do with OSHA nor anything else US-specific.

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