Ultimately it comes down to not only the science, but what is being communicated to us. I'm not sure if I'll get another vaccine for COVID. I certainly won't be getting a 'booster'.

I'm not anti-vax either - or anti-science - but i'm anti scientists spreading misinformation/suppressing information due to some self-constructed notion of the 'common-good'. That thinking in itself is against the principles of scientific endeavour - and it's downright dangerous.

It started - actually it's been going on for centuries - but in relation to Covid it started with Lipkin et al's Proximal Origins pangolin paper which was purpose written to shut down speculation of a possible lab-leak. It's release was co-timed with Dazak's infamous petition saying China was "open and transparent".

Only they really know why they did it but i can take a pretty good guess:

'As scientists involved in gain-of-function experiments and infectious disease research we are doing crucial work to protect everyone. Yes, we fucked up by letting Covid escape from the lab, but we can't undo that now, so given that circumstance, what's the best thing for the common-good going forward?

If we 'fess up, the reputation of all scientists will suffer - we'll be handing a rod to 'right-wing nutters' to beat us over the head with. Gain-of-function experiments will be banned (again), as will co-operation with Chinese scientists, and our funding will dry up. Who's gonna fund a bunch of scientists who caused Covid and killed millions of people? Imagine the damage that will do to the overall progress of science...

So we lie about it - for the common good. These are the difficult decisions you have to make when you're an elite. And btw, it's purely a coincidence that what's best for the common-good is also best for us financially.'

Once you've made this leap, it's kinda liberating - there's an un-mooring from the constraints of morality. Now you can justify whatever action you like because you're doing it for the common-good - you're doing it for a higher truth.

This thinking rolled straight over to vaccines.

'The best way to fix up this mess (that scientists created) is through the creation of vaccines. One of our biggest challenges, apart from the science side, is overcoming vaccine hesitancy. As any negative news will fuel the tin-foil hat conspiracy theorists, we need to make sure we tightly control the messaging. If this includes suppressing information or spreading misinformation, then so be it - it's all for the common-good'.