I'm sick of this pandemic just like everybody else.
However, I have completely lost patience with the idea of antivaxxers.
I can see the points the antivaxxers bring up but it's what they do with the information is where they fall off the bus.
Today I listened to a call in show and that's the bee under my bonnet today. People called in and were not in any way prepared to listen to science people and the research they quoted.
Yes, we know vaccines are not 100% protective but that's no reason to not be vaccinated. We want as few people as possible to not get sick or die. We want the pandemic to fade away.
Yes, there may be things people don't want to put in their body but there are many other things they put in their body. Have they ever looked at food labels to see what's in the food they eat? It would curl your hair to see the stuff that goes in processed food. To look at medications and across the counter medications would scare you . I just looked at one of the things I take regularly and I'm going to ask to be put on something else.
The freedom of choice thing is a complete joke. Our freedoms are regulated so that it's fair for all. So some of these freedoms are for the good of all. Somewhere we must have a little care and responsibility for others. Somehow, we must not want people around us to get sick and die. Is it too much to get vaccinated to protect others?
People mix apples and oranges when it comes to comparing viruses to other germs. Polio, measles etc. have almost been eradicated .
Many people die from influenza each year. Influenza is not a pandemic. Flu shots are available to prevent most from getting flu.
In Canada we have truckers making a trek to Ottawa to protest about their lack of freedom because the government has mandated that they be vaccinated to cross the border. The American government has done the same thing.
The list of whiny excuses is almost endless. I'm just as frustrated as anybody by how long the pandemic has gone on. I would very much like to be able to come and go freely without getting covid or endangering the next guy.
Protests are not going to make the pandemic go away any quicker. Irresponsible behavior will ensure that the pandemic lasts longer.
I have a 60 year old cousin who refuses to get shots. I am honest with her telling she is a smoker and if she catches it she probably will not survive it. I am also tired of it all.
ReplyDeleteWe have suffered enough without having to put up with anti vaxxers.
Delete"Rights" come alongside "Responsibilities". Can't have one without the other. You have the "right" to not put something in your body that you don't want, but you then have the responsibility to not make others sick (or die) by your choice. You have no "right" to cross the US-Canada border while possibly infected, putting so many others at risk. Don't want the vaccination? Stay home.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting Hiawatha House. As you point out it's simple. Why can't people get it.
DeleteAn excellent rant Red and every word is justified. In my humble opinion, the stupidity, arrogance and selfishness of the anti-vaxxer brigade represents an affront to civilised society.
ReplyDeleteYou've chosen three excellent words!
DeleteVery well said Red,
ReplyDeleteThank you. They have no consideration for others.
DeleteI am not happy to listen to the antivaxxers. They are putting their friends and family at risk. Take care,stay safe. Have a happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteThey don't seem to be able to see what harm they could do.
DeleteMost of the anti-vaxxers have had many vaxes that they don’t know what is in them. This is a dumbass protest.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think they know what they're protesting about.
DeleteI agree with everything you said here, Red. And we are all so tired of it, but I sure don't want to get omicron so I'm behaving myself and staying away from others pretty much.
ReplyDeleteWe've gone this far so let's work together and get rid of the beast.
DeleteYou are preaching to the choir, Red! I agree with you and it is frustrating to say the least!
ReplyDeletewe'd all like to see an end to this.
DeleteThank you for writing this, Red. That's exactly how I feel about it. The anti-vaxxers are making this pandemic go on with their utter selfish ignorance. We're all so tired of this new way of life. Who would have guessed we'd be living during a pandemic and have our lives upended by ignorant people? Crazy times.
ReplyDeleteCovid tough to get rid of it but it's doable.
DeleteSaying that antivaxxers are making the pandemic go on is just flat out incorrect. Here in NSW, Australia 95.4% of the population is fully vaxxed but Omicron roared through the state.
DeletePretty much every one of the peoplpe infected was fully vaxxed
My husband made the point these truckers bring our food to us being a valuable part of the supply chain. Unfortunately this is their mentality, it takes all kinds to make a world. No way we are in support of them but what to do besides look at the positives.
ReplyDeleteThe protesting truckers are a minority. The working truckers will have to work a little harder and that's not fair.
DeleteThank you.
DeleteSing it, brother. I'm so tired of the ridiculousness of it as well. A friend and I were talking in the grocery store. We both had breast cancer a few years back. We both agreed. Neither one of us worried about what was in the chemo. We were too busy being happy that it was available.
ReplyDeleteExcellent example on breast cancer and cancer. Keep well and no more chemo.
DeleteI don't understand it either Red. If you don't take the vaccination for yourself take it for someone else who if infected may die:(
ReplyDeleteThey have no consideration for others.
DeleteI agree with everything you said. Whatever happened to doing things for the greater good and looking out for and protecting others?
ReplyDeleteKay
What you say is so simple so why can't they get it. Thanks for visiting Hiawatha House.
DeleteI'm 100% with you, Red. Exercising such 'freedoms' limits the freedoms of others. Some of us can stay away from others most of the time. But if an unvaccinated health professional passed Covid on to me I would not be pleased.
ReplyDeleteFor some of us covid is a much greater risk than for others. Keep well.
DeleteI totally agree with you. They are clueless!
ReplyDeleteAnd there's still no law against being clueless.
DeleteI am tired of this whole thing. I feel like I’ve stopped living these days with the amount of omicron on this island. We almost got through two years without any deaths and in the last few weeks we’ve had nine. I don’t understand the anti vaxers and never will. They keep this thing going when we could have fewer hospitalizations etc. It’s as if they’ve lost the ability to reason. Is there too much information available to everyone now, lies mixed with the facts?
ReplyDeleteIn the days of polio, we took the vaccine without question. God help us if something like that comes around in these times.
It was not only for polio , measles and more. Dad's cousin lost two teen age daughters before there were shots for scarlet fever.
DeleteYes! I agree with everything you said, and I also really like what Jim R said in his comment. Rights go with responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteI will be posting soon with a personal reason why I am especially unhappy with those who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID.
Yes I read your post. There are all too many people in your situation.
DeleteRed, I could not agree with you more! It is selfish to not get vaccinated. All these protests about vaccinations and masks drive me crazy. Isn't it bad enough to have a pandemic without all this? Like many others, as a child I was vaccinated against things like polio and smallpox. If we had not had those vaccinations those diseases would still be around. I don't remember protests about it back then and I am sure thankful that we had such vaccinations.
ReplyDeleteAnd if we hadn't been vaccinated as children , many of us would not be here.
DeleteYou got my vote!
ReplyDeletePeople like you have a greater need for protection from the pandemic.
DeleteThere seems no way to eradicate arrogant and stupid. It seems to be a slow moving line. I wonder if your version of the National Guard go walk along jabbing arms. Offering up vaccine laced lollipops.
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to make a law to not allow people to be idiots.
DeleteCouldn't agree more, Red. What an ignorant bunch. Somehow they seem to think that they know better than the experts and that their opinions are the same as facts, but they don't and they're not. Thank you for a very well-written post.
ReplyDeleteWell said Red. I'm tired of those that don't listen to reason or to science. In BC the government is talking about restrictions possibly being lifted by February 21 with some limited ones remaining. Somehow I know that won't be enough for the anti-vaxxers who put lives at risk every time they go out or have people visit them. They are many anti-vaxxers who have died and before doing so they express remorse at not having had the vaccinations. Sadly by then it's usually too late and others don't seem to listen to them. Keep well.
ReplyDeleteYou know I agree with you 110% I have a friend who even ordered ivermectin. I tried to convince her to be vaccinated but she insisted it was against her religion. She said the vaccine was made with aborted fetuses. Sigh… I tried and tried to convince her otherwise and finally just had to give up.
ReplyDeletei really liked your point regarding things people put in their body without giving a single thought dear Red and i agree you with this completely .
ReplyDeletei read some disturbing comments of anti vacciners and i admit they spoiled my few days that went in pondering on their weird excuses and the threat they mentioned repeatedly .thank goodness i dragged my brain out of that bullshit eventually.
like you i feel helpless when it comes to change such people's point of view and this is dreadful situation no doubt .
blessings!
Hear hear!
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for the people under siege in Ottawa particularly those who have to use food shelves and shelters.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your blog very much. Thank you.
I suspect if there ever becomes a variant that is lethal to those unvaccinated and harmless to those that are, you will see a mad rush to get vaccinated regardless of beliefs.
ReplyDeleteTo be the fly in your ointment, I suspect that all those who are unvaccinated are actually helping up speed up this process, not slow it down as stated above. My reasoning is thus. This is a Corona Virus, one of dozens that already exist and have been around since the beginning of time. Viruses naturally mutate over time, most often into less lethal or harmful strains. All the antivaxxers are creating an environment to allow these mutations to happen on an accelerated scale and perhaps help us get to the point of the less lethal, less contagious strain that we are all hoping for. Had a lot more of us been vaccinated, we would probably have stifled that process and only prolonging all this memory. Look at the Spanish Flu pandemic as a great example. It went unchecked and after two short years burnt itself out into something harmless.
However, I do realize that there is a giant BUT statement to all this. While the antivaxxers might be speeding up the mutation process to something benign, they are taking a lot of innocent lives with them and that is too high of a price to pay in my opinion and why I am fully vaccinated and boosted along with my family. I couldn't live with myself if I killed someone I love by transmitting a virus to them.
I'm beyond disgusted with them.
ReplyDeleteThey're holding my city hostage.
My Prime Minister told the country that covid vaccines would never be mandated. Then we mandated vaccines for teachers, health care professionals, essential workers, etc etc. There is no opportunity for the unvaccinated to participate in every day life and a policy of no medical exemptions. So, it's a mandate but they tel us it's not. It's this kind of lying and deceit I can't stand and while I am vaccinated, I certainly see why people feel a need to protest.
ReplyDeleteThere is no logic and no reasoning with antivaxxers. They believe what they want to believe, and as frustrating as their arguments are, they only take in all the misinformation that is fed to them. In the meantime, people keep dying because of their beliefs. Nothing is perfect but you make some very good points here.
ReplyDeleteHi Red, I'm late getting around to commenting on this post. After reading what you said, and all the comments above, I have to say Marie Smith's comment is perfect. "I don’t understand the anti vaxers and never will. They keep this thing going when we could have fewer hospitalizations etc. It’s as if they’ve lost the ability to reason. Is there too much information available to everyone now, lies mixed with the facts?" I think she may have hit on the answer here. Today, will all this "social media" is is easy for folks to spread false information, which they do to bring attention to themselves for whatever reason ... money, power, etc. Good post, Red. John
ReplyDelete