Carol McGiffin: To vax, or not to vax?
‘Ibelieve in vaccines – and I’ve had loads of them. I wouldn’t dream of going to certain places in the world without a typhoid or yellow fever jab. I had the MMR when I was young (still had both measles, though). I’ve had one for TB and get regular top-ups of tetanus.
So, I’m not an ‘anti-vaxxer’. But, I’m pretty anti this vax, the one for Covid-19 – at least until we know more.
Last week, the NHS was still asking people to sign up for trials to ‘see which possible vaccine works best’. Meanwhile, the BBC announced the government has signed up for 90 million doses still being developed.
I just don’t quite trust why they’ve done that, or why they seem hell-bent on getting it out there straight away.
I know a lot of people are clamouring for a jab that’ll see off the Coronavirus for good, and are seeing it as their only way back to normal. Which is why it’s no surprise that the news of one has been welcomed like it’s the saviour of human life itself.
I’m not judging anyone. I just feel questions still need to be asked. Not least the one that says why is this all happening for the sake of a virus that has so far shown a worldwide mortality rate of less than 0.1 per cent.
But, once again, anyone who questions this bizarre mission is basically labelled a ‘murderer’. As Matt Hancock said in the Houses of Parliament, ‘They are threatening lives and we should all in this house stand shoulder to shoulder against the anti-vax movement.’
What does that mean? Sounds like a call to take the choice away and make it mandatory, although there’s already been talk of a ‘ health passport’ that would stop you doing anything, unless you have had it. Hopefully, it won’t come to that – especially as this is still a free country ( just) and respect for the choices of others should be paramount.