Stuff Digital Edition

Vaccination

Geoff Gibson ‘‘expected people would get angry when they would not be able to get a service they had received for 30 or 40 years’’ (The Timaru Herald, November 24).

It’s actually 60 years since Geoff’s grandfather cut my hair and history is a factor in the current debate.

At the turn of the 19th century my grandparents feared smallpox, a disease which vaccination has wiped out. It can now only be found in a pathology museum.

When I was born in the Depression diphtheria was the killer of kids, but who worries today. Then growing up after the war polio had us running scared. Joseph Salk produced a vaccine and now no-one gives it a thought. There are other examples.

The fact is we are all benefactors of these past vaccines. People just accepted them and got on with life.

This time suddenly all sorts of people are experts. Surely, there will be folk who know what they are taking about, but I believe the vast majority do not. Fed by misinformation on the internet, they are just ‘‘anti’’ or it’s a kneejerk reaction. The effect of Covid on the community does not get considered.

I have nothing against the internet, but, like alcohol and cars it is as good or bad as the user.

I suggest that when you look at our history we are all children of vaccination, so we are basically a healthy community. Long may it continue.

Dennis Veal

Timaru

Opinion

en-nz

2021-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://stuff.pressreader.com/article/281852941840304

Stuff Limited