The incoming Presidents head medical advisor wrote a few years back:
What about simple stuff? Flu shots are out. Certainly if there were to be a flu pandemic, a younger person who has yet to live a complete life ought to get the vaccine or any antiviral drugs. A big challenge is antibiotics for pneumonia or skin and urinary infections. Antibiotics are cheap and largely effective incuring infections. It is really hard for us to say no. Indeed, even people who are sure they don’t want life-extending treatments find it hard to refuse antibiotics. But, as Osier reminds us, unlike the decays associated with chronic conditions, death from these infections is quick and relatively painless. So, no to antibiotics. Obviously, a do-not-resuscitate order and a complete advance directive indicating no ventilators, dialysis, surgery, antibiotics, or any other medication —nothing except palliative care even if I am conscious but not mentally competent—have been written and recorded. In short, no life-sustaining interventions. I will die when whatever comes first takes me.
As the CDC heads to allocate the vaccines we truly hope they do not follow this, in my opinion, immoral and possibly evil advice. Now I am told that this individual actually practiced medicine. What about the "do no harm" issue? But alas we have more people like this entering into the "science" part of this pandemic.
Why not be even more selective? Let's not just stop as say 75, try 60, perhaps 45? All men? You can see where this goes on.
Medical ethics is an oxymoron. In medicine you do what you have to, what the patient needs, often if not always independent of their age, sex, or otherwise. Admittedly there are people whose suffering is great and further treatment makes it futile. But that is their choice. It is the basis of true individualism. Social Justice warriors like this author content that they are the true holders of how society must be run. Social Justice is a theory that a few enlightened individuals can tell all other what is the correct path.
Well we have seen how that works out. The CDC votes today. We have seen how well they have performed to date. Not well. Worse they can be over-ridden by the Social Justice Warriors of the incoming administration as the fellow noted above.
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