whether or not the "scaling effect" is the same is irrelevant to whether or not the vaccine provides a societal benefit, which it does

whether or not society must continue to pay an ongoing price for mitigations is irrelevant to whether or not the vaccine provides a societal benefit, which it does

whether or not society can move on after a one-time vaccine cost is irrelevant to whether or not the vaccine provides a societal benefit, which it does

the goalposts were set at "provides a societal benefit", which it does