Re: Letter: Unvaccinated aren't perpetuating the pandemic
The writer is correct that the unvaccinated aren't the only ones perpetuating the pandemic — it would still be with us, even if everyone was vaccinated. But it wouldn't be anywhere near as severe.
People who have little or no symptoms, during their sickest, usually have only small amounts of the virus in their system. So, if they do give it to someone, they only give them a small dose, which a person with a healthy immune system, or who is vaccinated, would usually be able to fend off.
But that might not be the case for a vaccinated senior with a poor immune system. If you're wearing a mask, you spread even less. If you stay six feet apart, you spread less.
The writer quite fairly lists Section 1 of the constitution, which in essence says, that any of your rights can be removed for the greater good of Canadians. Then, Brian Peckford says this situation doesn't meet that standard. Peckford was a teacher, not a lawyer — his opinion is no more valid than mine.
Nobody can drive a vehicle without a licence. We force cooks to wash their hands and wear hair nets to stop the spread of disease. This is constitutional, even though it removes the right to drive unlicensed and it forces people to wash their hands or lose their jobs.
How is this different than forcing people to wear masks so they don't spread COVID, or have a vaccine passport to enter?
I have struggled with forcing people to be vaccinated or losing their jobs. This just seems so wrong. But, on the other hand, so does allowing someone who is six to 10 times more likely to get COVID to look after my immune compromised mother-in-law.
Should immune compromised people in hospitals be put in higher risk situations so people don't have to be vaccinated.
The RNA vaccines are vaccines under the definition of vaccines. Saying they aren't, doesn't change the fact. There have been nine billion RNA vaccinations so far, this is not experimental.
There have been 78,800,000 vaccinations in Canada — 76,000,000 RNA vaccinations, 2,800,000 Astra Zeneca, which is the old fashioned kind. There have been five confirmed vaccination deaths, all from AstraZeneca, and 43 deaths under investigation.
There have been 38,164 adverse reactions to the vaccines, 28,000 were fatigue, sore arms, redness, tingling at the vaccination site, etc. And 7,678 reactions were more serious, typical allergic reactions, heart issues, blood clots.
You are far more likely to get heart problems from COVID than from the vaccination, and short-term heart problems are the most common of the serious side effects from RNA vaccines — 1,600 cases, most of whom had no hospital stay.
So, out of 76 million RNA vaccinations, we have had zero confirmed deaths and about 20 possible deaths. Out of 3,096,000 COVID cases, we have had 34,833 COVID deaths. That is a 1.12 percent mortality rate, not 0.08 percent as stated. Is the writer saying it is OK if my mother-in-law dies?
In the over 80 age group, the mortality rate was 33 per cent before wide spread vaccination. Now, the mortality rate for new deaths for 80-plus is under 10 per cent, and half of those are from the rare few unvaccinated. Ten to 30 per cent of people with COVID get a post viral syndrome called long COVID, which could be with them for life. That represents hundreds of thousands of people in Canada.
On a personal note, I know of no one who has died of the flu, but I knew three unvaccinated people that died from COVID. I also knew a person who died when he couldn't get his kidney transplant because the ICU was full of unvaccinated COVID patients.
The 10 per cent of unvaccinated made up half the patients. The ICU would have only been 60 per cent full, instead of 100 per cent, if everyone was vaccinated.
We are all tired of lockdowns, businesses are in trouble, most truckers probably aren't in a position to spread COVID. I talk to so few people I have forgotten my manners. We all have it tough.
Refusing to wear a mask or get vaccinated is saying that you don't care if the old or immune compromised people die. People's lives have been ruined by government regulations and by people refusing to protect others.
There is no easy answer. Every solution hurts someone.
But, we can all at least learn the facts before we make our decisions.
Bob Wilson,
Calgary
