The vaccine is the only way out of this, so let’s not put others at risk

THIS week heralded a sense of freedom or something close to it. The kids are back in school, (that in itself makes me giddy with excitement!), we are allowed travel within our county or up to 20 km and we can meet up with another household just not in our own back gardens.

If I had read that paragraph last year before the proverbial hit the fan, I would have thought the person writing it was living in a police state. It sounds absolutely bonkers. Imagine not being allowed leave your county or meet up with people in your own garden? What kind of Government imposes such draconian measures?

Well as it turns out, it’s the kind of government that has your best interests at heart. It’s the kind of government who wants to protect the vulnerable in our society and ensure that as few people as possible die as a result of this global pandemic.

And no it hasn’t been easy. I’m sure most of you will agree when I say it has felt like the longest bloody year of our lives. And there were times I did give out and I did complain and there were days when I felt I may as well be in prison. But…….I’m still here and so are my loved ones and for that I’m thankful.

Funnily enough it’s only now that we’re coming to the end of this horrendous nightmare, that I’m starting to get really annoyed with the anti-vaxxers who spout their conspiracy theories all over social media.

Up until now they didn’t bother me. I, like everyone else I know, was too busy just trying to survive this awful ordeal. Even the queue jumpers don’t bother me as much as those who refuse to acknowledge that this is a life or death situation.

But having seen so many people die, so many people suffer, it makes me furious to see someone coming towards me in a shop not wearing a mask or saying they won’t be getting the vaccine, they won’t be told what to do. I want to throttle them. Are they entitled to their opinion? – We live in a democracy so yes they are. Are they entitled to put other people’s lives at risk? No they are not.

The vaccine is the only way out of this. That is the bottom line. That is not my opinion. That is fact. A fact that has been delivered to us by experts. I am willing to trust them, basically because I don’t think we have any other choice.

My diary has been empty for over a year now. Engagements, appointments and events are few and far between. But there will be one appointment written in big red letters as soon as it is confirmed – my vaccine date. More important than any birthday or anniversary, it will be the day my life begins again.

I cannot wait.

HAVING SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE DIE, SO MANY PEOPLE SUFFER, IT MAKES ME FURIOUS TO SEE SOMEONE IN A SHOP NOTWEARING A MASK