83636
  • Log in
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result

Another Question for Chris Whitty

by Noah Carl
3 November 2021 8:16 AM
Another Question for Chris Whitty

I previously posed a question for Chris Whitty here on the Daily Sceptic. (Outrageously, I have not yet had a response.) To jog your memory, here’s what I asked.

In an interview with The BMJ on 4th November 2020, you (Whitty) characterised the Great Barrington Declaration as “wrong scientifically, practically, and probably ethically as well”.

Yet five months earlier, you had outlined a plan to the Health and Social Care Committee which sounded an awful lot like focused protection. You said that we’re “very keen” to “minimise economic and social disruption”, and mentioned that “one of the best things we can do” is “isolate older people from the virus”. 

Given that you were recommending focused protection as recently as March of 2020, why did you subsequently describe the Great Barrington Declaration as “wrong scientifically”?

I now have a follow-up question for Professor Whitty. (If he answers this one promptly and in a satisfactory manner, I am willing to forgive his having ignored my first question.)

Professor Whitty, you opined that the Great Barrington Declaration is “probably” wrong ethically. I presume you said this because you believe that focused protection would have led to a higher death toll (notwithstanding the fact that you were recommending it back in March of last year).

The UK’s official death toll is on the order of 150,000. Let’s assume that if we had followed focused protection, the death toll would be double – i.e., 300,000. Note: I don’t consider this remotely plausible, but let’s assume it for the sake of argument.

Now, the ‘UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011’ states that planners should “aim to cope with up to 210,000 – 315,000 additional deaths across the UK over a 15 week period”.

Given that “315,000 additional deaths” is comparable to the number of people who would have died if the UK had followed focused protection, which you regard as unethical, you must regard the UK’s pandemic preparedness plan as unethical too?

If so, why did you not seek to change the plan while you were Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care between 2016 and 2021? Note: the ‘UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011’ was published by this very department.

Thank you for listening, and I once again look forward to your answer.

Tags: Chris WhittyEthicsGreat Barrington Declaration

Donate

We depend on your donations to keep this site going. Please give what you can.

Donate Today

Comment on this Article

You’ll need to set up an account to comment if you don’t already have one. We ask for a minimum donation of £5 if you'd like to make a comment or post in our Forums.

Sign Up
Previous Post

2021 is An Average Year for Deaths so Far. But What is Killing the Under-65s?

Next Post

CDC Approves the Pfizer Vaccine for Five Year-Olds

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
Please log in to comment

Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.

53 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

NEWSLETTER

To view today's newsletter click here

To receive our latest news in the form of a daily email, enter your details here:

DONATE

LISTED ARTICLES

  • Most Read
  • Most Commented
  • Editors Picks
Age-Adjusted Excess Mortality Since January of 2020

Excess Non-Covid Deaths Top 12,500 in 14 Weeks As Oxford Professor Joins Call for Government to Investigate Alarming Trend

10 August 2022
by Will Jones
TWICE as Many Vaccine Deaths as Covid Deaths in U.S. Households, Poll Finds

How Many Lives Did the Vaccines Save and How Many Did They End?

10 August 2022
by Will Jones

News Round-Up

11 August 2022
by Will Jones
Restrictions to Be Scrapped in Denmark as Covid No Longer “A Critical Threat to Society”

Denmark Ends Vaccination For Under-50s as it Shifts to Treating Covid Like Flu

11 August 2022
by Nick Rendell
Kelly Smith, 31, Died Weeks After Her Chemotherapy Was Cancelled Due to Lockdown

Kelly Smith, 31, Died Weeks After Her Chemotherapy Was Cancelled Due to Lockdown

11 August 2022
by Will Jones
TWICE as Many Vaccine Deaths as Covid Deaths in U.S. Households, Poll Finds

How Many Lives Did the Vaccines Save and How Many Did They End?

54

News Round-Up

33
Restrictions to Be Scrapped in Denmark as Covid No Longer “A Critical Threat to Society”

Denmark Ends Vaccination For Under-50s as it Shifts to Treating Covid Like Flu

24
Anthony Fauci Booed as He Throws First Pitch at Baseball Game

Anthony Fauci Booed as He Throws First Pitch at Baseball Game

15
PM Contender Liz Truss Pledges Free Speech Will Be No Less Protected Online Than Offline – But is it Enough?

PM Contender Liz Truss Pledges Free Speech Will Be No Less Protected Online Than Offline – But is it Enough?

15
Restrictions to Be Scrapped in Denmark as Covid No Longer “A Critical Threat to Society”

Denmark Ends Vaccination For Under-50s as it Shifts to Treating Covid Like Flu

11 August 2022
by Nick Rendell
TWICE as Many Vaccine Deaths as Covid Deaths in U.S. Households, Poll Finds

How Many Lives Did the Vaccines Save and How Many Did They End?

10 August 2022
by Will Jones
Age-Adjusted Excess Mortality Since January of 2020

Excess Non-Covid Deaths Top 12,500 in 14 Weeks As Oxford Professor Joins Call for Government to Investigate Alarming Trend

10 August 2022
by Will Jones
Are There Any Conservatives Left at Harvard?

Are There Any Conservatives Left at Harvard?

9 August 2022
by Noah Carl
There is No Food Crisis – If Only We Stopped Burning it as ‘Green’ Biofuel

There is No Food Crisis – If Only We Stopped Burning it as ‘Green’ Biofuel

8 August 2022
by David Craig

POSTS BY DATE

November 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  
« Oct   Dec »

SOCIAL LINKS

Free Speech Union
The Daily Sceptic
  • Home
  • About us
  • Donate
  • Privacy Policy

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

RSS

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2022 Skeptics Ltd.

No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Newsletter

© 2022 Daily Sceptic.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Please note: To be able to comment on our articles you'll need to be a registered donor

Already have an account?
Please click here to login Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
wpDiscuz
You are going to send email to

Move Comment