Lack of community spirit on vaccines should make us ashamed

I am aghast at how self-centered the vaccine debate has been, even more so now with the debate over the AstraZeneca vaccine. People are debating and delaying over the one-in-400,000 chance of the individual suffering the serious adverse consequence of clotting and death.

The recent outburst by Queensland’s Premier and Chief Health Officer seems to lend government support to this selfish approach. Jeneatte Young said, “I don’t want an 18-year-old in Queensland dying from a clotting illness.” They went on to recommend no one under 40 get AZ.

While this is a noble wish, they lose sight of the community benefit – mass vaccinations will lead to herd immunity. Once 75 per cent of us are vaccinated the virus won’t spread through the community. Only then will the rolling lockdowns with the consequent huge mental and financial costs to the community come to an end.

If the Queensland Government line is followed then hundreds of thousands of doses of AstraZeneca will be wasted as they pass their use-by date in coming weeks, and few more Queenslanders will be vaccinated. This is a complete failure of public duty by the people of Australia and the Queensland Government.

We all have a civic duty to be vaccinated as soon as we can, with whatever is available, not sit there calculating the risks from the two alternatives and what is “the best outcome for me” without thought for the rest of the community.

Frankly we should be ashamed of ourselves for thinking this way. Australians have always answered the call to do what is best to Australia regardless of personal risks.

The Diggers and World War II volunteers, who knew there was a 50 per cent likelihood of dying or suffering permanent critical injury, volunteered en masse to do what’s best for Australia without a second thought. Now it’s your turn to step up and make this small personal sacrifice for the community good.

Peter Lee, solicitor, Brisbane, Qld

Calls by business leaders for the federal government to start ordering more Covid vaccines for booster shots next year makes sound business sense but is a waste of time and money in the political context. It would only serve as a booster shot for the egos of the premiers of Western Australia and Queensland, who would oppose whichever vaccine was chosen unless, of course, enough of every possible vaccine available was on hand for the entire population to choose from. Even then I’m sure they would find a reason to oppose the action.

Barry Adamson, Fernleigh, NSW

Highly emotive comments by Jeanette Young, Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, on Wednesday in regard to using AstraZeneca for those under 40 years of age indicated significant inability for clear, rational thinking and sensible deduction. Her communication simply confirmed the need for her to be removed from this position forthwith for the sake of public health.

Robert Cahill, Lindfield, NSW

Reef not dying

Tony Fontes (Letters, 1/7) is in a privileged position to have first-hand knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef’s health as well as bleachings. No mean feat for a retired tourism operator, given the breadth of this natural wonder.

A simple punter like me has dived and snorkelled on the reef since the 1950s, seeing up close the beauty as well as cyclone damage in some areas. I have witnessed the last two coral spawnings including double spawning. They were massive events and my commonsense says a dying reef could not sustain one such event, let alone two years running. The coral reef extends from relatively cool waters in southern Queensland all the way north to where Cape York and many parts of Papua New Guinea have wonderful, vibrant reef systems despite much warmer waters.

No, the reef is not dying. In 60 years I have seen little change to the parts I’ve dived. I would trust an opinion with no vested interest but UNESCO definitely has a poor track record in protecting the world’s heritage. Peter Ridd has a handle on the reef as well as professional integrity.

Peter Robinson, Palm Cove, Qld

Nothing to celebrate

This month marks the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China; and the suppression of Uighurs brings the national tally of torture, starvation and murder past 100 million peasants and civilians at the hands of the CCP. Through Land Reform (collective farming), the Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, Hundred Flowers Campaign and One Child Policy (forced abortions, sterilizations, and infanticide) to the Tiananmen Square massacre and suppression of Tibet and Hong Kong the legacy of socialism with Chinese characters is untold death and trauma, which Beijing celebrates while the rest of the world mourns.

Greg Jones, Kogarah, NSW