As a child, I recall a few occasions whereby I was labelled ‘defiant’ or ‘challenging authority.’ These occasions were never related to breaking the rules of the land merely questioning those who perhaps felt they were above being questioned. But I was encouraged by my parents to questions things I didn’t agree with and to form my own opinions. As an adult that has provided for robust debate and discussions with like and unlike minds alike. I respect those with different opinions and value their input.
Watching the October 11th update from the Prime Minister worried me. It’s not so much what she says, but what she doesn’t. Removing the right to work in industries that are responsible for educating the minds, hearts and spirits of our young people for refusing to vaccinate themselves risks the loss of valuable experience that we will never recover from. Schools are full of passionate individuals that empower our young to follow their own dreams and achieve the impossible. And I don’t just mean Teachers. Schools are full of volunteers in the classrooms, on the sports fields, that accompany field trips and camps and on boards of trustees. Do we really want to have them full of people who all follow the same narrative?
Its not just schools: industries like midwifery are already pushed to the edge with underpaid, overworked members who now have to question their own right to choose vaccination over their jobs. They are all intelligent people who will know that for some of them the risk of a relatively unknown vaccine is greater than the risk of dying from what is supposed to protect them from. When it is time for my grandchildren to arrive; (not just yet thanks kids) do I want their lives to be put at risk because the industry is understaffed or staffed with those with little experience!
Don’t get me wrong, vaccinations have been shown to save lives and prevent hospitalizations from covid, but they are not a silver bullet. It may only be a small minority that can’t or won’t choose to be vaccinated, but we will be a much less richer society for losing them from our health and education sectors.
We cannot keep Covid out forever, and we need to be prepared. The UK now has more deaths amongst fully vaccinated people than unvaccinated. https://theconversation.com/most-covid-deaths-in-england-now-are-in-the-vaccinated-heres-why-that-shouldnt-alarm-you-163671. The report shows that 163 of the 257 people (63.4%) who died of the delta variant within 28 days of a positive COVID test between February 1 and June 21 had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
I don’t need to know how many people have COVID and where they are every day. Sure, encourage people to get vaccinated but show us what has been done to prepare our health system for what is the inevitable. Tell us what is being done to ensure our children will have the opportunity to achieve the necessary qualifications before leaving school to equip them for a meaningful contribution to society. Have an open discussion about vaccine adverse reactions and assure us that these people will be looked after. The UK has a COVID-19 Vaccine Damage Bill currently in its 2nd reading. https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2926 If you are in the UK you currently get a vaccine damage payout of £120,000 if you die or are severely injured from a vaccine. We have nothing. Show us that they have been looking at protocols that have been used successfully to treat COVID. https://covid19criticalcare.com/
They have after all had nearly 2 years to prepare.