Vaccines are no magic solution to the public health challenges of the COVID pandemic

In a masterpiece of sophistry, AstraZeneca boss Pascal Soriot, without telling a lie, encourages the false belief that his vaccine, along with the others, will stop COVID-19 in its tracks. (“‘This is our Dunkirk evacuation’: vaccine will save us all”, 5/3).

In mentioning the Therapeutic Goods Administration, he fails to disclose that it has gone no further than saying that vaccination will, potentially, lessen the severity of the condition and improve the chances of recovery.

The federal government’s COVID-19 Vaccination Taskforce states clearly, “Until there is a better understanding of this (protection from contracting the virus and spreading it), the primary objective of the vaccine rollout is to protect individuals from developing life-threatening disease, rather than protecting individuals from infection”.

It also clearly states that, “TGA has found that there is not yet enough evidence to be certain that the vaccine also prevents a vaccinated individual from transmitting the virus to others”.

If Mr Soriot wants to confound the anti-vaxxers, he could start by telling the whole truth about his vaccine.

Frank Pulsford, Aspley, Qld

I just wanted to get in first with this, rather than waiting to hear a health minister declaim it at a press conference.

With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to the general public due to start soon, there will be some people who will decline immediate vaccination. Not COVID-deniers or anti-vaxxers, these are the people who would prefer to wait a bit for the supposedly better sort of vaccine that might become available later.

They are the “jab snobs”. Keep an eye out for them; they will soon be walking among us.

Garry P Dalrymple, Earlwood, NSW