Christian group rap for Dale doc in vaccine row
AFOOTBALL league team doctor has been criticised over comments he made about the low numbers of players who have been double vaccinated.
Rochdale AFC’S Dr Wesley Tensel told BBC mid-day news on October 5 that players will be watching ‘misinformation’ about Covid or vaccines on social media.
He told viewers: “You can spend two hours moving from one video to another and because of the algorithms on social media, the next thing you know is that you believe the earth is flat.”
Dr Tensel complained: “Whenever I’m running a vaccination clinic I’ll
Whatsapp all the boys but it’s got to the point where nobody replies.”
He told BBC’S Rachel Burden that ‘anti-vax messages’ mean that only around 20% of his (Rochdale) players are double vaxxed.
But a Christian group has said his comments ‘lack humility’ and due respect for players.
Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice, a nationwide prayer and research group, said today: “Dr Tensel is not just refusing to grant players basic intelligence but criticising players in public.
“Dr Tensel has been wrong before.
“He called for the whole football league season to be stopped in December 2020 amid a rise in cases at the time.
“Some games were postponed including two involving Rochdale but the season continued.
“One week later cases and deaths started falling as fast as they had risen.
“The doctor ended up on the wrong side of history.”
Stephen Green continued: “It isn’t misinformation to observe, as Gareth Southgate has admitted: ‘that even with the vaccination, it’s not going to stop people catching it.’
“Players know from published figures they are at little risk from the Covid virus.
“They are also aware of the risks, chiefly possible heart inflammation, particularly for young men, with the vaccine. That was one reason the UK’S JCVI decided not to recommend vaccination to adolescent children.
“Players are intelligent, thoughtful beings whose sincerely-formed opinions should be treated with respect.
“Rather than follow the proud men in power, it would be better for Dr Tensel to stand with his players in humility.”