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How should we deal with the groups who refuse to have the vaccine?

(429 Posts)
JenniferEccles Sun 31-Jan-21 11:46:27

Our vaccination programme is going so well but could it be scuppered by the reported large numbers of certain groups reluctant to be vaccinated?

What is the reason for the refusal I wonder? The news has been dominated by assurances from any number of experts that the vaccines are safe and effective, so ignorance seems unlikely.

Are there really that many crazy individuals who have fallen for the insane conspiracy theories?

Ellianne Sat 27-Feb-21 09:42:41

There will always be those who don't want to listen and can't be persuaded. The Queen said it as it is and I don't think any more cajoling is going to help.
Can these people just be left now to suffer the consequences so the rest of the vaccination programme can get back on track. (Coming from someone who was expecting to have been sorted by now).

growstuff Sat 27-Feb-21 09:38:17

This is the conclusion from a solicitor who acted for a child who suffers narcolepsy as the result of a vaccine:

"Vaccines are generally very safe. Millions of vaccines are given every year and the rate of adverse reaction is vanishingly small, probably substantially less than one in a million. However, because many vaccines are given to large populations, it is inevitably that for a very few each year, some adverse reactions may occur. Very rarely these end up being serious and causing permanent disablement. This is why Parliament has enacted the Vaccine Damage Payment Act 1979 to provide a statutory scheme of compensation to support people who are vaccinated and in the very unlikely event that they have a severe and very rare adverse outcome.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a good time to remember that viruses can be very dangerous. About 25 million people died in the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, far more than the total who are likely to die as a result of COVID-19. Vaccines help prevent the spread of deadly viruses which can kill, especially older people and those with co-morbidities. So X’s case is not a good reason not to be vaccinated. In the rare event that a severe adverse event occurs, however – as happened to X, it is important for X to be supported by society to cope with her disability, which will significantly affect every day of her life."

Details of the case can be read here:

www.hja.net/tribunal-awards-vaccine-injury-compensation-for-a-child-with-narcolepsy-caused-by-seasonal-flu-vaccine/

growstuff Sat 27-Feb-21 09:29:04

It would appear that approximately 90% of the most vulnerable age groups in the UK have now been vaccinated. Unfortunately, there are still pockets from certain communities who haven't. It does seem that these people haven't taken much notice of the anti-vaxx propaganda.

Alegrias1 Sat 27-Feb-21 09:28:19

Yogainmeisje I'm sorry to read that your son had side effects from the Swine flu vaccines. That is bound to have an impact on your view of vaccines. Without wanting to sound heartless though, we all need to be aware that only 300 people in Europe out of the 60 - 90 million swine flu vaccines administered had these side effects. I'm not minimising the effect on those 300, not at all, but when it comes to risk, the risk from catching Swine Flu was much bigger.

The thalidomide comparisons have been gone over many times so I'm not going to comment on those.

Yoginimeisje Sat 27-Feb-21 09:18:11

The vaccine for Swine flu had terrible side effects on many. My son has suffered for 10yrs after having it.

Thalidomide wasn't a vaccine but was something the doctors said to put into your body assuring it was safe. My playground was next to the junior school with all the Thalidomide victims in. The sight of those poor children will never leave my mind. There was a documentary on it quite recently. The poor mothers that took Thalidomide were in torture!

janeainsworth Fri 26-Feb-21 17:22:31

MayBee70
One of the drugs that can result in an adverse reaction is aspirin
Not to mention that drug favoured by millions, viz. alcohol in its many and varied presentations!

MayBee70 Fri 26-Feb-21 12:58:13

One of the drugs that can result in an adverse reaction is aspirin but I bet plenty of anti vacc’ers have taken that over the years. Or ibuprofen for pain without taking tummy protection with it.

growstuff Fri 26-Feb-21 11:39:38

chris8888

I can understand people trying to conceive not having the vaccine. I am sure some of us on here are old enough to remember the drugs like thalidomide that was said to be safe.

Thalidomide wasn't a vaccine and safety tests and trials have come on in leaps and bounds since then. Interestingly, it's still used for a number of conditions such as leprosy.

chris8888 Fri 26-Feb-21 11:33:53

I can understand people trying to conceive not having the vaccine. I am sure some of us on here are old enough to remember the drugs like thalidomide that was said to be safe.

growstuff Fri 26-Feb-21 11:29:05

Elegran

But that doesn't mean that there is a clumsy noun like "lethality" to describe their effect! AprilRose did invent the word and she has, in many posts on this thread, "spouted contradictory nonsense"

Perhaps you are able to reconcile the contradictions for us, Yoginimeisje ?

Thank you Elegran.

growstuff Fri 26-Feb-21 11:28:14

Yoginimeisje

growstuff 'Kettle black'

Your post: Quotegrowstuff Thu 25-Feb-21 11:00:41
Lethality? I think you've made up a word.

Next one: Quotegrowstuff Thu 25-Feb-21 20:16:31
The word "lethality" means to cause death usually by dangerous weapons.

Next one: Quotegrowstuff Thu 25-Feb-21 20:19:00
It matters because you spout a load of contradictory nonsense.

So this must apply to you too then!

Anything could be lethal; a car, a brick wall, a medication, even an injection could be lethal!

You're being silly.

"Lethality" is not a word which can be use to refer to case mortality.

Yoginimeisje Fri 26-Feb-21 11:05:47

Yes I watched that programme Annodomini, very interesting.

annodomini Fri 26-Feb-21 11:02:48

Last night there was a most interesting Horizon programme on BBC 2, all about the Coronavirus, its many mutations and the way vaccines work. It exploded several myths about the vaccines, including the rumour that they contain live virus. The basis of the vaccines is genetic engineering at its best. It was probably "preaching to the converted", but if any vaccine deniers/doubters remain at all open minded, I suggest that they have a look at it on i-Player. I think I might watch it again as I was beginning to feel a bit sleepy!

Elegran Fri 26-Feb-21 10:26:24

But that doesn't mean that there is a clumsy noun like "lethality" to describe their effect! AprilRose did invent the word and she has, in many posts on this thread, "spouted contradictory nonsense"

Perhaps you are able to reconcile the contradictions for us, Yoginimeisje ?

Yoginimeisje Fri 26-Feb-21 10:17:27

growstuff 'Kettle black'

Your post: Quotegrowstuff Thu 25-Feb-21 11:00:41
Lethality? I think you've made up a word.

Next one: Quotegrowstuff Thu 25-Feb-21 20:16:31
The word "lethality" means to cause death usually by dangerous weapons.

Next one: Quotegrowstuff Thu 25-Feb-21 20:19:00
It matters because you spout a load of contradictory nonsense.

So this must apply to you too then!

Anything could be lethal; a car, a brick wall, a medication, even an injection could be lethal!

MayBee70 Thu 25-Feb-21 23:21:39

growstuff

aprilrose

aprilrose How much do you know about the immune system? It would be interesting to know why you think yours is healthy.

What does it matter? It is none of your business what qualifications I have in this field.

I do have some as it happens. But even experts are not recognised unless they tell you what you want to hear in this forum often - at least in my experience, so the question is irrelevant

It matters because you spout a load of contradictory nonsense.

grin

growstuff Thu 25-Feb-21 20:19:00

aprilrose

*aprilrose How much do you know about the immune system? It would be interesting to know why you think yours is healthy.*

What does it matter? It is none of your business what qualifications I have in this field.

I do have some as it happens. But even experts are not recognised unless they tell you what you want to hear in this forum often - at least in my experience, so the question is irrelevant

It matters because you spout a load of contradictory nonsense.

growstuff Thu 25-Feb-21 20:16:31

aprilrose

*Lethality? I think you've made up a word*

There is such a word. look it up. When you show such ignorance yourself, you should hardly be questioning other peoples facts.

That is the case with many here.

Its a bit of a waste of time trying to discuss a topic when too many people want to deflect from the focus with their personal flack.

The word "lethality" means to cause death usually by dangerous weapons, which is not what you meant. You really need to take a long look at yourself before you accuse others of not having the capacity to question facts.

I seriously hope everybody here has more than enough sense to see through your nonsense.

Elegran Thu 25-Feb-21 18:32:42

Those who are in a position to carry infection to many others because of their job or because they are about to be shut up in a confined space for hours with other travellers and no fresh air have a responsibility to them. If they don't see fit to carry out that responsiblity voluinraily, those who employ them or admit them to travelling in a crowded plane need to take it on.

Elegran Thu 25-Feb-21 18:29:11

True, Galaxy, but then it is "everyone for him/herself" and the concept of "Public Health" with no-one expected to take any care not to infect others is negated.

Galaxy Thu 25-Feb-21 18:03:02

I dont think the HIV comparison really works although it was a massive debate in the nineties. It went round and round too. Yes you can choose not to have sex with someone who you think has practised unsafe sex, but actually the only way to protect yourself is to practice safe sex yourself because you never really know what people are doing!

janeainsworth Thu 25-Feb-21 17:46:38

You have rather moved the goalposts Aprilrose.
You now say that you personally have good reasons to refuse the vaccine, but in your first few posts in this thread you didn’t make this clear and were generally advocating for people who have no medical contra-indications and no reason for refusing the vaccine other than their own prejudice and ignorance.

aprilrose Thu 25-Feb-21 14:09:32

Lethality? I think you've made up a word

There is such a word. look it up. When you show such ignorance yourself, you should hardly be questioning other peoples facts.

That is the case with many here.

Its a bit of a waste of time trying to discuss a topic when too many people want to deflect from the focus with their personal flack.

aprilrose Thu 25-Feb-21 14:03:27

aprilrose How much do you know about the immune system? It would be interesting to know why you think yours is healthy.

What does it matter? It is none of your business what qualifications I have in this field.

I do have some as it happens. But even experts are not recognised unless they tell you what you want to hear in this forum often - at least in my experience, so the question is irrelevant

Elegran Thu 25-Feb-21 11:18:16

Here's a parallel. How do we deal with those who refuse to practise safe sex, exposing themselves and others to the risk of contracting STDs of varying kinds, including lethal HiV and AIDS? Most STDs, too, are not going to kill most people who get them, except for the unfortunate, but they do lead to a lot of misery, which can be ongoing and long-lasting. So does CoVid.

If we are aware of their self-centred blinkers, we refuse to engage in sexual activity with them. If we are aware that our potential fellow-travellers, hairdressers, dentists, beauticians, teachers, nurses have not taken the trouble to make sure that they don't carry and pass on the CoVid virus, we can make sure that they don't breathe all over us. But we can't ask each of them individually, we have to rely on airlines, salons, surgeries, hospitals, schools to check for us.