Rachael Terry, South Golden Beach
I am really shocked and disappointed at the one-sidedness of The Echo reporting on the COVID-19 vaccination debate. Any dissenters are dismissed as selfish whackos who are gullible enough to believe right wing propaganda and don’t want to wear a mask.
Whereas the truth is that many, maybe even most of those of us opposed to the vaccination, don’t really mind wearing masks, don’t have a problem with social distancing, are prepared to put up with lockdowns, but don’t want to be injected with something that hasn’t gone through the usual clinical trials (my understanding is that it will be the end of 2023 before the testing period is finished) and that has never before been approved for use in humans.
Here are some things I’m led to believe: COVID-19 has a 99 per cent overall survival rate; children and young healthy adults are almost certain to experience nothing more than mild symptoms. Never in human history has the testing of healthy asymptomatic individuals been conducted en masse to attain the numbers to declare a pandemic.
Mandy talks about division in the community, but seems to have little tolerance for anyone who questions ‘the party line’.
Just when did she decide to become a mouthpiece for the government and big pharma? Myself and many of my cohort, are not anti-vax for others, if that’s what they choose for themselves. We just don’t want to be part of the trial. And we don’t want to be penalised for that choice. Vaccine passports will never be acceptable. We demand the right to access flights, venues, public transport etc. Those who choose vaccination should have confidence in their choice and know that they are protected. Otherwise, what’s it all about?
Rachael, you really need to keep up to date with developments with this mutating virus.
With the virus reaching such high numbers of infections there have been all the more opportunities for the virus to mutate and throw up new variants. What has emerged is a series of variants each one increasingly contagious – perhaps more virulent- and each one muscling out the others because of its improved survival. With infection running unabated in many countries where else can this trend go but in the same direction?
The data is always emerging but it is becoming increasingly accepted in the scientific community that Delta, the variant that Sydney has now lost control of, is affecting younger cohorts and is also more virulent. 15 cases of children under 10 in the Queensland – how many in Sydney is anyones’s guess. The more cases there are the more instances of serious illness there will be in this cohort – this without regard to unknown long-term consequences.
An otherwise healthy man in his twenties died in the last few days in Sydney’s outbreak
Our children will become increasingly vulnerable as it will be who knows how many months/years before vaccine trials can be completed for this cohort and approved in Australia.
Professor Alan Cheng, Vice-President of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) and chair of the Advisory Committee for vaccines recently stated that people will either get the vaccine or get infected (no the former doesn’t preclude the latter)
No one will make you get the vaccine, Rachael but I have already had it – for me, my family and community. Most recently I’m thinking thank goodness for my grandchildren under 10.
I’m happy for you to make your decision but I hope that you won’t object to doing all the social distancing you want to at home – until 2023 – while I am free to visit family interstate, attend the activities that give me joy etc and don’t think your rights override mine to health and a reasonably normal life.
No the Echo does not censor alternative views it’s just that many think their progressive paper shouldn’t reflect scientific consensus. There is nothing progressive about that.
So you demand the right to travel ,do you Rachael .? Wow are you in for a shock !!! Mass travel. Hither and tither at your whim is a thing of the past …. A good thing too ! Get used to it .
Rachael but you are one of those whackos ignoring what is happening in the world. I don’t know where you get your information from but it is probably social media reinforcing misinformation. Nearly all the rudeness seems to come from the antivaxxer, anti virus and anti mask proponents. I really don’t know how you became a disease lover over the health of the community.
Rachael your information is basically misinformation! If you cannot see with your own eyes, what the reality of this situation is then really, you need to look a lot further than where ever you are getting your current information from! With the Delta variant now actually infecting far more YOUNG people in our country, your statement is so out of touch with the reality of what we are seeing. This 99% survival has to stop! It is blatant misinformation! Right now you have a 2.6% chance of dying if you contract covid in our country at the moment no matter what your age. The age profile of people becoming seriously ill has changed with the Delta variant and 70% of new cases in NSW are under 40, and 58% under the age of 30. This is also reflected in those who are hospitalised and in the ICU and on respirators. There are teenagers seriously unwell in the ICU. If you can take the time to write to a newspaper, maybe you can also take the time to educate yourself on current facts and not on fictional information spread by anti-vaxxers.
Rachael makes some good points that are clearly illustrated by the comments above, which also indicate the kind of audience that shares the opinions reflected in the editorial stance of the Echo.
Don’t keep us in the dark, John. Which opinions are the ones you object to?
Just suppose …If children start dying due to the parent’s disbeliefs in the ‘jab’ & the child dies then
who is responsible for the son or daughter’s death.
356 cases in NSW today & 4 deaths. And perhaps, just an idea – check out ‘ivermectin’s treatment
for horses.
Hi Stefanie, be careful with advice about ivermectin, some people are suckers for taking advice everywhere, except from where the should, cheers.
Dear Rachael, I did some research for you that you should have done before writing your letter. Firstly, If you research the testing of Covid vaccines, you’ll find that testing has been incredibly thorough. This was due in large part because of the very large numbers of volunteers prepared to take part in trials. Moving on, and to your defence, your belief that there is a 99% survival rate overall is actually lower than some knowledgeable estimates. That 99% you stated is a 1% death rate, however, estimates for infected death rates (IFD) are estimated to be as high as 3.4%. There can only be educated estimates because not every one gets tested every 2 weeks. Let’s use your 1% death rate for the argument and see what we have. If the death rate in Oz were 1%, we’re looking at roughly 250,000 dead or soon to be dead people. If we use the overall higher IFD estimate, Likely if we did nothing and we were overwhelmed with the sick, we’d be looking at around 850,000 dead people in Australia. So far, even with the more virulent strain starting to take it’s toll, we have less that 1,000 deaths so far. Why do you think we have such a low number of deaths? Firstly, we are a first world people of privilege. We have good medical care and financial support. Lock downs, vaccines and vigilance have kept the hospitals from being overwhelmed. We’d see a lot more younger folk dying if care wasn’t accessible. The majority of us have been wearing masks, maintaining distance and limiting interactions to help keep the transmission of the bug under some control. Masks are not perfect but they are a hell of an effective tool to help control the spread of air born moisture particles that carry Covid. I have no problem with people who do not want to get the jab, as long as that decision is based on factual data or ones own beliefs and as long as those individuals do their bit to keep us all safer. Why have nurses and doctors been wearing masks for so many years? BECAUSE THEY WORK. Walking around or running a business without masks, assaulting or abusing people who call for those not wearing masks to do the best thing for all of us is simply not civilised behaviour. It’s selfish, disrespectful and so easy to do, I don’t understand why not. This attitude of ‘I’m so special’ needs to be looked at more closely. None of us are that special to not take part in community. We won’t die wearing masks. Even if you feel that wearing a mask is not necessary, please at least do so ‘just in case’ and anyway, it may help reduce the angst.
Keith, my comment is tongue-in teeth not cheek because non thinking adults are still
gabbing on & on supporting the use of ivermectin. It’s all about the ‘good’ versus the
bad & the ugly. Some won’t mask-up & get the jab – they think it’s a joke. My focus is
on the children of parents refusing to believe the reality that surrounds the world.
Rachael you state that ” the truth is that many, maybe even most of those of us opposed to the vaccination, don’t really mind wearing masks, don’t have a problem with social distancing, are prepared to put up with lockdowns” so can you explain why the markets have had to close and the region is in lockdown? The reason is because of non-compliance, so sorry, not believing your truth!