Pray that the side effects are well-studied before the CDC decides to administer it to every infant within minutes of birth (like they did with Hep B, another sexually-transmitted disease to which most people will never even be exposed.)
At one point, we should stop saying that hep-* or HIV are STDs, in several countries the bulk of transmissions are from mother to infant during delivery or other means that sex transmissions. With the way the world is connected, these virus can travel easily.
> in several countries the bulk of transmissions are from mother to infant during delivery
Is this the case in the United States, where the CDC makes recommendations?
And if so, why not administer it only to those children of mothers who test positive?
We don't put everyone on a statin simply because most (i.e. more than half of) people will eventually develop heart disease. Instead, we test and administer statins to only those people who have heart disease risk factors.
We don't give everyone bariatric surgery or weight loss drugs simply because most Americans are overweight or obese. Instead, these remedies are administered only to those who are most likely to benefit.
No drug or vaccine is without side effects. It's clear that there's no such thing as informed consent in today's world. The patient cannot be informed because the side effects are hidden from him. And he definitely hasn't consented if coercion was involved in his decision to receive the treatment.
Because the HepB could disappear within a generation with mass vaccination, the vaccine is rather cheap, almost lifelong and offers a full protection. And I bet it wasn't because of a bunch of antivax. Fuck them for ruining everything.
As a French who was teenager in the 90s, I got vaccinated as almost everyone in my class age, and I am glad that French had it as otherwise I could have catch this fucking virus.
> We don't put everyone on a statin simply because
Because there are known side effects that make them not suitable to some people. Pregnant women should not take them (nor those thinking about getting pregnant). Those of Asian decent need a smaller dose. Those who drink alcohol shouldn't take them. Those who take part in extreme exercise shouldn't take them. They cannot be mixed with some other drugs.
The above is off the top of my head. It probably doesn't apply to them all, there are several different statins to choose from, and many different dosages. A doctor really needs to work through the above (and probably more factors I'm not aware of) to figure out what is best for you.
Given that you can enter in life with HIV "given" by the mother, it does not seem too crazy to administer it to some babies (given there is no counter indication for that obviously)
