‘Don’t vaccinate? Also not to parties, work and catering ‘| Columns & Opinion

Earlier this week I listened to a radio interview with Ton de Boer, chairman of the Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG). He was asked a number of questions. Because it is impossible to find a vaccine so quickly? De Boer assured that no step was missed in the development and in the control. He called the idea that the vaccine is unsafe incorrect.

Group immunity

Call me a sheep, but I immediately believed him. And I also believe that the vaccine is so fast, because it is stiffly at the top of the to-do list all over the world and money is not an issue for a while. There is suspicion. Growing suspicion. Fear of side effects, especially in the long term. “Because what if my sons become infertile later in life with the vaccine?” Asked one listener. De Boer then stated that there are actually never any long-term effects. So don’t worry.

It is important that everyone gets vaccinated. Because only then can you achieve this group immunity and we really get the virus under it. Recent figures make it clear that where 73% of the Dutch wanted to be vaccinated in June, that percentage has now dropped to 60%. And that not only worries me, it makes me angry. Do we really think pharmaceutical companies want to wipe out half of the world’s population?

Vaccine

If you get your information from the people who really know about it and trust that – which is very important – I see no reason whatsoever to refuse the vaccine. I like to compare it with taking your car for repair. If a mechanic explains what is defective and how it can be fixed, don’t laugh at him outright because you’ve heard from your optician that replacing the spark plug wires will accelerate corrosion of the underbody. Then you trust the expert; You will come back to your optician if you need glasses.

You cannot force vaccine refusers to get vaccinated anyway. Deep in my heart I think you should be able to do that (after all, we are talking about a bizarre pandemic here), but I understand that it is legally impossible. Still, I don’t think that’s the end of it. Refusers make a choice that puts society at risk: renewed outbreaks, unnecessary deaths, preventable burden on care … Whoever makes that choice must also bear the consequences.

Festival

If you walk away from your responsibilities, purely on the basis of non-scientific information, gut feelings and / or complete nonsense, you cannot resume life with the people who do take their responsibilities. You cannot go to a festival. Not to a concert. Not to school. Not eating out. Not to a packed football stadium and if it were up to me also not to work (so no salary, but also no benefits).

As far as I am concerned, there will be a passport that you have to show when you are in line to enter somewhere. You owe that to anyone who has been hit hard by the virus. Mandatory to organizers of large parties. To owners of restaurants. To people in the risk group and to healthcare workers. What we are experiencing now, we never want again, do we?

General practitioner

I fully understand doubts and I also understand the fear of the ‘unknown’ that is injected into you. But if that fear predominates in you, go round the table with your doctor. Let it explain to you. Look for your information in places where there is expertise. Don’t be fooled by conspiracy wappies, horror stories on YouTube or Facebook or wherever. Take responsibility and work to get life back as it was. Get vaccinated.

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