themerlin

That would require some competence from our leaders, and this is where all conspiracy theories fall over.

Beoz

I agree, and given the turn over rate is so high in most western politics, there is hardly anyone sticking around long enough to benefit.

Meanwhile, I do wish Ethan Hunt had made it to the Wuhan Institute of Virology in time to prevent the spread of Chimera. I wonder if the Chinese actually has Bellerophon waiting in the wings.

ozzieeagle

It's actually good that we have people like yourself that ask questions and resist the mainstream view. One thing in your favour is that if the Vaccines do work then the rest of us have nothing to fear.... Save for those mutations and you definitely won't be the only one not getting the vaccine so I wouldn't blame you personally. I think I read sometime back that a lady in South Africa created 13 different mutations in her own body, but had HIV which enhanced that response.

If there is anything behind this, IMO it would take something like AI going sentiment or something to achieve such an outcome. I think that's where this all falls down in my book... Very unlikely for that have happened. Plus conspiracies.... Not when you've got naturally recalcitrant nations like the French to convince.

So more power to you Vim, keep up the good fight, as long as it's only you that bears the consequences and you're willing to accept those, then good luck from me at least.

Pollyana

Certainly true that people do need to ask questions, as that is how most of us get the answers we need. And I will never join the clamour insisting on mandatory vaccinations - my own medical history has too many red flags in to agree to that.
Equally though, I can't subscribe to any of the crazy theories about genes, 5G, implanted microchips, mutating into a three legged donkey etc - too many people are not savvy enough to ignore stuff which is plainly ridiculous, and I think thats part of the problem with the vax programme in Aus - too much media attention has been given to the whacky theories.

As you say, if Vim is willing to live with the consequences, thars his decision, as with any other vaccine. Its a discussion I have had every time there is a case of whooping cough near by. Should I get vaccinated? Maybe I "should" but I won't, because the last time it nearly killed me. My decision, my consequences.

Of course the main problem now is that those of us who do want our lives back, for whatever reason, and have gone down the vax route, are still being told "well done for doing the right thing" but we can still see no way forward. We are still getting absolutely no return for getting the vaccine.
And I for one am likely to scream if I get told one more how everyone is grateful for me "doing the right thing". Thats garbage. No one is grateful at all. As someone said to me a few days ago, "We don't care if you can never leave the country. Why should we? This is every man for himself"

ozzieeagle

Thats all very true and sensible, particularly the point about the wayout theories... 5G and Microchips et al. It's a shame that people asking questions and resisting the tidal wave of comply or you're anti-social have been tainted with the weirdo label.

Re the Whooping cough innoc, we had another booster recently, just to see our new and first grandchild before he turned 6 weeks....no questions asked, we just did it as requested by our daughter. Our own willing response to her request.

As for the Covid jabs, we've both had our AZ's, despite the fact that we would have much rather have waited for a couple of years. Just seems in the current climate we couldn't wait. We certainly didn't do it for ourselves, but for those that have comprised health and are susceptible and the consequential overloaded hospital system.... Other than that, with both of us being of historically very good health, we didn't feel we would have "had" to take it, I personally believed I would have been one of those 40pct asymptomatic cases.... Naive? maybe I don't know.... For us, though we would much much rather have waited. It's done now, just hope it doesn't bite us on the arse in 5 to 10 years. For all I know DV could be right.

Lion in Winter

I would argue that we are. Millions of lives have been saved, and millions more will be saved, by the vaccines. We will never know, of course, if our own lives have been saved because we have no way of telling if we would have caught the virus or how we would have fared had we done so, so looking for personal benefit on that score is a bit tricky. If you live somewhere with very high infection rates and high absolute mortality, as I do, the immediate personal benefit looks a lot more clear, but really the benefit is collective, since as well as your personal protection vaccination slows down the spread and the risk to others, hence the discussions of mutual responsibility.

The pandemic has not yet gone away, and in your part of the world you are still experiencing restrictions and fallout, as am I and as are most of us. We aren't used to plagues. We've forgotten, in our complacency, what it's like to not be able to control the natural world. The Black Death visited Europe many times, for years at a time. It wasn't once and done.

moneypenny20

I'm not sure what return you expect to get. That I've increased the chance of me and my loved ones not dying or being permanently damaged from COVID a while longer is enough return for me but obviously ymmv.

Beoz

If it does bite us in the arse in 10 years so be it. Living with covid is a far more appealing option for the next 10 years than living in fear of Covid, or the health implications of it, and the social unrest it causes.

I do hope those rejecting the vaccine, even those who read some rubbish somewhere they should wait for Pfizer, are restricted. Ultimately they are the ones costing the hospital systems, allowing mutations, and preventing total freedoms.

Onwards and upwards.

DeadVim

My wife got jabbed this week, she’s still breathing, checking The Will daily

DeadVim

The legacy mass media attempts spreading COVID Fear Porn have become laughable recently btw. Especially in Australia.

Gawd help us if we actually have to collectively face down something truely medically serious in near future because the current situation has shown how weak as a society we have become.

Vaccine passports are just around the corner and we are well on the road to implementing the Chinese Communist Party Social Credit Score system.

But hey, as long as everyone has Netflix it’s all good right?

DeadVim

Hehehe, I’m not convinced it’s well coordinated for sure!

Pollyana

I simply want the right to be with someone who needs me at the moment. Not stuck here with very little chance of ever achieving that goal.
Personally, (and I know I will get slammed for this) I reckon if I had got it while unvaccinated, it would probably have finished me off, and that would have made life easier for many people. Having the vaccine is neither here nor there for someone who rarely leaves their house, and when they do its only to go to work and back. I don't have much of a life nowadays, I'd be glad to leave it behind.

ozzieeagle

Good luck Polly, I'm certain we are closer to the end of this drawn out saga than the beginning. You'll get there and be happy again.

ozzieeagle

Hard to disagree with that point. Thank god it wasn't easily transmitted Lyssavirus or an Ebola mutation.

themerlin

I image some sort of black mirror/ star ship troopers future