Covid vaccine fears and frustration

One reader wishes governments would come with a strategy to tackle misinformation, and Dave Green says comparisons between Covid and lifestyle-related health conditions are flawed

In response to the letter by David Green (12 January) and the subsequent one from a mother regarding her unvaccinated autistic son (13 January), I feel both have made very understandable points and it is clear that frustration is the enemy here. We have known about the dangers of misinformation for years, and these are now being felt keenly by the huge numbers choosing not to be vaccinated. Emmanuel Macron’s approach of making life more difficult for the unvaccinated (Report, 4 January) makes my heart sink. Surely that will only feed the misinformation beast and validate the screams of “don’t trust the government”.

There is great power in hindsight, of course, but it is apparent that governments had ample warning that misinformation would be a problem for vaccine uptake. It seems that misinformation has been dumped in the “too difficult, with insufficient political gain” box, and we are reaping the consequences.

My father-in-law is unvaccinated by choice. I do not think he should be punished, nor do I think he deserves much sympathy. I simply wish that governments would offer a sensible and coherent strategy for tackling misinformation and mitigating its effects.
Name and address supplied

• Comparisons between Covid and health conditions due to poor lifestyle choices are flawed. Poor lifestyle choices do not, in the main, carry the risk of infecting and possibly killing others. It is this that makes vaccine opposition dangerous and why anti-vaxxers (except those with valid medical reasons) should face restrictions with regard to social and work situations while the pandemic continues. It’s their choice – infect yourself if you must, but don’t infect others.
Dave Green
Northampton

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