Time for burning

Thanks for support

On behalf of Warragul RSL sub branch I wish to thank the local community for its support of our recent Remembrance Day Poppy appeal.

The community was very generous in its reponse to our annual appeal.

We had restrictions placed on us because of COVID-19 but still had a successful appeal thanks to the generous nature of our residents.

Thank you on behalf of the Warragul RSL, your contribution goes to support local veterans.

Ben Vahland, acting president Warragul RSL

What to look at

A few year ago I came across a compilation of Australian data showing large declines in infectious diseases that occurred before specific vaccines were applied, the rates of decline after vaccine application and the closely parallel rates of decline in diseases for which no vaccines were developed.

My belief in the effectiveness of vaccines was challenged. This work, “Fooling ourselves” by Greg Beattie covers the period 1870 onwards. Death rates in the 1880s were as high as 170 per 100,000 of the population for measles, 280 for croup and diphtheria, 95 for whooping cough, and 240 for scarlet fever.

By the time vaccines became available, death rates had declined to 0.7 in 1968 for measles, 0.2 in 1953 for diphtheria, 3 in 1953 for whooping cough, and 0 in 1955 for scarlet fever (for which there is no vaccine.)

What caused the decline before vaccination? Did Dr Forge give us a clue (Gaz 15/9) when he wrote, “Most infections are more common in people living in low socioeconomic circumstances.” Did the death rate decline because of improvements in nutrition, sanitation and hygiene?

Why do we credit the small remainder of the decline to vaccines, especially when other diseases continued their decline without vaccines? Do you also feel challenged by this narrative that is so different from what we have been told so often by the experts?

The infection rate can only ever be an estimate; the notification data is patchy so it is inconclusive. Does someone have the infection-caused disability rate data? What about the vaccination rate data? What other history should anti-vaxxers look at?

Janet Cowden, Neerim South

It was amazing to learn after the fires last summer, experts telling us fuel reduction burns were becoming more difficult because of climate change.

They must be joking. With four years of drought, there had to be record opportunities for fuel reduction burns in late autumn and winter.

Our government is setting us up for a disaster. Our roadsides have dangerous trees hanging over them that will create traps in severe weather, power lines within reach of, or swinging between trees, which can also ignite fires.

The money spent on trimming them is only partially effective. Many of these trees are invasive self sown weeds that should be removed.

The Marysville/Kinglake fires should have made it clear to all, what can happen.

So called landcarers have encouraged land holders to plant fire hazards.

Councils and developers have created fire hazards in our communities with wetlands, planting gum trees, tussocks and all sorts of tall grasses, which can ignite so easily in summer with burning embers, burning nearby houses to the ground.

We have to take fuel reduction seriously. Warning about fire danger all summer, telling us to leave early, and then leave all we own to burn to the ground, is hardly an acceptable alternative.

All previous Royal Commissions have told us, fuel reduction is the answer, if this continues to be ignored there will be many more deaths, and massive damage to our environment.

Our politicians and councillors are willfully ignorant or is it invincibly ignorant, of the dangers we are facing.

Hank Schellekens, Neerim South

Wake up Victoria

Many days with no new covid case throughout Victoria.

Regional Victoria has been free from new cases for more than two months. There are minimal live cases, much less than our neighbours in NSW and South Australia, or in Queensland.

Yet people in the rest of our land, living in states which have handled the pandemic so much more successfully than Victoria, enjoy freedoms still denied to us.

We can now only enjoy the open air mask free, having to continue to wear them indoors.