“I am extremely puzzled why China or one of the other ahem non-individualist governments didn’t do these.”
Even in China, politicians and scientists fear public backlash, especially considering how to Chinese eyes the virus seems much more dangerous/lethal than to Europeans, given what happened in Wuhan:
In mainland China, scientists are intrigued by the idea, but they said it would be difficult for the public to accept.
“It is difficult to do it in China. Recently there were some articles [online about HCT] and they drew a lot of criticisms,” said Zhu Fengcai, deputy director of the Jiangsu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tao Lina, a Shanghai-based vaccine expert, said the risks were too great for researchers.
“Most people would not accept it … it is also hard to pass the ethical requirements,” he said.
Sure. Challenge trials polled well in the West, but you’re right that Wuhan could have been scarifying. Test of this: how did they poll in Lombardia?
My contention is that (in the US and UK at least) bioethicists and policymakers overestimated the controversy, possibly projecting their own misgivings.
“I am extremely puzzled why China or one of the other ahem non-individualist governments didn’t do these.”
Even in China, politicians and scientists fear public backlash, especially considering how to Chinese eyes the virus seems much more dangerous/lethal than to Europeans, given what happened in Wuhan:
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3082570/coronavirus-vaccine-who-issue-guidelines-proposed-use-human
Sure. Challenge trials polled well in the West, but you’re right that Wuhan could have been scarifying. Test of this: how did they poll in Lombardia?
My contention is that (in the US and UK at least) bioethicists and policymakers overestimated the controversy, possibly projecting their own misgivings.