The Republican Death Cult is preparing to kill a lot of people just for funsies. Let's talk about the new COVID booster rules, and how you can continue to stay safe from a preventable disease.
https://skepchick.org/2025/05/republicans-want-you-to-die/
Republicans Want You to Die

Transcript: About 15 years ago, the dumbest politician to take the national stage up until that point was Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and, at that time, the Republican Vice President…

Skepchick

@rebeccawatson unfortunately the FDA are right about the UK's Covid booster policy, it's now only free on the NHS every half year for over 75's + the immunocompromised and care home residents.
And if you are rich or concerned enough you can buy one, but it costs £75-£99.

Of course our 'experts', the JVCI, are also equally wrong-headed. They are using a limited form of cost-benefit analysis to decide who gets the booster but they ignore the economic costs of people getting ill, but not badly enough to be hospitalised, and of course the economic costs of long COVID.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026

JCVI statement on COVID-19 vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026

GOV.UK
@marjolica @rebeccawatson First time in my life I ever wished I was a bit more asthmatic.

@denisbloodnok @rebeccawatson unfortunately immunosuppression doesn't include asthma, diabetes or a host of physical weakening conditions that in earlier rounds were acceptable reasons for younger people to get the booster.

Also they have raised the age threshold, last year it was only 75 for the spring booster: I got the last autumn booster but will miss out this autumn and have to wait until April 2026 when I turn 75.

This is the list of eligible immunosuppressive conditions:

"Immunosuppression due to disease or treatment, including patients
undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression, patients
undergoing radical radiotherapy, solid organ transplant recipients, bone
marrow or stem cell transplant recipients, HIV infection at all stages, multiple myeloma or genetic disorders affecting the immune system (e.g. IRAK-4, NEMO, complement disorder, SCID).
Individuals who are receiving immunosuppressive or immunomodulating biological therapy including, but not limited to, anti-TNF, alemtuzumab, ofatumumab, rituximab, patients receiving protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors, and individuals treated with steroid sparing agents such as cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil.
Individuals treated with or likely to be treated with systemic steroids for
more than a month at a dose equivalent to prednisolone at 20mg or more
per day for adults.
Anyone with a history of haematological malignancy, including leukaemia,
lymphoma, and myeloma.
Those who require long term immunosuppressive treatment for conditions including, but not limited to, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, scleroderma and psoriasis."

@marjolica @rebeccawatson It sounds wrong and evil, but at least doing a cost-benefit analysis shows that a non-zero amount of thought went into making this decision.

The decisions by the US government now are driving by Facebook memes around vaccine safety. The fact that many of them were once taken down for spreading misinformation has only boosted their validity in the eyes of those in charge.

@rebeccawatson But it's a good thing protest voters kept Kamala Harris out of office, because otherwise we'd REALLY be fucked...
@rebeccawatson Vinay Prasad should be charged with crimes against humanity
@rebeccawatson It's eugenics: they only want "productive" white people to survive.
@rebeccawatson 500 people a week die in the USA from Covid, thanks to the fucking looney in the WH! 8647!

@rebeccawatson

yet the MAGA cult is willing to die for their leader. Oblige them.

During Dotard Trump first term I would not make such a statement, but after ten years of Trumpism, it is obvious they want to give their life for him.

@rebeccawatson

amazing article! It did dawn on me that if someone smoked even a single cigarette, it wouldn't be a lie to say they were a former smoker.

@rebeccawatson They believe it will never be their death that will be happening
@rebeccawatson yeah any time I go to the grocery store or visit a friend it could mean either being involved in a mass shooting, getting one of many infectious diseases, or I could be arrested for something I said online a hundred years ago. I'm having a great time! I can't help but wonder to which new horror beyond human comprehension I will be sacrificed! I'm living in a flesh prison because legions of white men decided that going two weeks without a haircut was simply a bridge too far!