Lack of common sense in setting policies, such as young children wearing masks while napping, can lead to a loss of trust in authorities. Policies that go against basic common sense are likely to be perceived as 'trust shredders,' diminishing people's trust in those implementing the policies.
The Covid vaccine saved many lives but so many mistakes were made in how public health officials discussed it, implemented it, and assessed its effectiveness. Epidemiologist Vinay Prasad of the University of California, San Francisco talks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about what went wrong, the costs of the mistakes that were made, and what we can do better the next time.