The PR damage alone from this move is undeniably going to cause an unimaginable amount of loss. People who were on the fence of taking the vaccine have just solidified on their decision.
The PR damage happens when authorities engage in noble lying and all of this weird non-transparent messaging.
Public health really hasn't been upfront with a lot, and their back and forth on a number of issues, while maintaining this air of authority is ultimately counter-productive to building trust.
