I agree that this is the FDA’s model. It implies a “strange” unawareness of the underlying statistics. The p-values of the vaccines are really really small because their effect sizes are may orders of magnitudes above most drugs. Also the drug companies in this case could not run many RCTs. So if the FDA were maximizing lives they would authorize them. If they are making an incentive system that requires no deep understanding of statistics, it’s not “strange”.
Importantly, the FDA is “strange” relative to the calculus of politicians, who to survive must be utilitarian and use induction.
I agree that this is the FDA’s model. It implies a “strange” unawareness of the underlying statistics. The p-values of the vaccines are really really small because their effect sizes are may orders of magnitudes above most drugs. Also the drug companies in this case could not run many RCTs. So if the FDA were maximizing lives they would authorize them. If they are making an incentive system that requires no deep understanding of statistics, it’s not “strange”.
Importantly, the FDA is “strange” relative to the calculus of politicians, who to survive must be utilitarian and use induction.