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Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 2, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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COVID Omicron is endemic and, for the healthy and young/middle aged, a few days of light flu-like symptoms. Is there now any steelman justification for keeping unvaxed like me (who’ve had all vaccines except any of the COVID ones) from getting an organ transplant? (Not that I need one now.)

The only argument that sounded half plausible was this one:

  1. Donated organs are rare so there will be lots of people who don't get them.
  2. People who receive organs need to maintain a mix of anti-rejection drugs and regular doctor check-ins.
  3. People who have not received the Covid vax are less likely to listen to doctors, less likely to take the anti-rejection drugs, etc.
  4. Therefore, people who have not received the Covid vax should be further down on the recipient list from those with a proven track record of doing what their doctors say without backtalk.

I think it's a false equivalence because maybe your primary doctor actually didn't recommend the Covid vaccine because of a contraindication or something, but you're highly unlikely to have a doctor not recommend needed anti-rejection drugs. But that's the argument that seems most logical.