Stop playing politics and get everyone aboard the vaccine train

Jennifer Oriel is wrong to attribute selfishness and insularity to people who are reluctant to take the Covid vaccine (“Unsure about the vaccine? Check your privilege”, 24/5). If Oriel dug a little deeper in Australia’s over-50s age bracket she might find many, perhaps a majority, are the ones who have taken their flu shot and received all the necessary vaccinations through their lives. Many in this age group are intelligent, well educated, thoughtful and diligent members of society. Some have reservations for a number of reasons, including the perception they have been backed into a corner in regard to the vaccine and have no choice in how they manage their own health risks. In short, they are not fools.

They cannot reconcile being told last year they were at the greatest risk of severe complications from the virus, only to now watch younger generations receive the “safer” vaccine. They are being lectured and abused with bullying name-calling, including that by Oriel, if they don’t conform.

Joanna Wriedt, Eaglemont, Vic

The amount of vaccine hesitancy suggests that many Australians have lost sight of the seriousness of Covid-19. It is time for the government to forget the softly, softly approach in encouraging the public to take up the vaccine – time to replay the scenes from Victoria’s major outbreak, where 800 lives were lost, and current footage of people dying in the street in India. In short, we need a tobacco-type scare campaign to wake the public out of their Covid naivety.

Ian Porter, Subiaco, WA

It’s frustrating but perhaps understandable that some people hesitate to take the Covid vaccine, even though the risk of serious side effects is less than one in a million. After all, the same people are happy to buy lottery tickets despite the much lower chance of winning. Perhaps we should consider a combination of incentives and punishment to nudge the public to vaccinate. We could organise a vaccination lottery; governments could prohibit unvaccinated people from travelling overseas or interstate; business venues could require patrons to show proof of vaccination as a condition of entry; schools could require the same for parents.

Or the Prime Minister could simply offer $100 for each jab. It would both serve the public interest and stimulate the economy.

Han Yang, North Turramurra, NSW

War and peace

It seems that many people, including DJ Fraser (Last Post, 24/5), deliberately ignore the main reason for the “lopsided death toll” in the hostilities between Israel and Hamas. Israel’s Iron Dome defence shield destroys most of the Hamas rockets before they land and cause the inevitable death toll among the Israeli civilian population. Or would they prefer that? Peace negotiations require both sides in dialogue. Perhaps people could come up with successful strategies that bring Hamas to the peace table.

Ros Tooker, Bald Knob, Qld

The only thing that identified them as being Jewish was their school uniforms from a Melbourne inner-city school, but that was enough for a hoon driving by to yell out: “Free Palestine.” What’s clear is that the hoon was using the conflict in Gaza to hurl abuse at Jews. If it wasn’t for the conflict, he would probably have yelled out something like “Hitler was right”, as is becoming the norm at anti-Israel protests. I told the kids they should have yelled back: “We agree”. That would have rattled the racist p..ck.

Henry Herzog, St Kilda East, Vic

Male, pale and not stale

It came as a little bit of a surprise to read Nick Cater’s revelations that old male lefties make up the ABC’s fan base (“Old, male lefties make up Aunty’s fan base”, 24/5). Upon reflection my surprise diminished somewhat. As an old male “rightie”, I spend some of my retired days reading and watching ABC-related news and current affairs programs. Most of it is very depressing if you are a conservative but if you are a leftie the ABC is manna from heaven. Unfortunately, as Cater alludes, digital media has eroded the justification for public broadcasting. However I must congratulate the ABC for the British drama programming. No one does better with drama.

Peter D. Surkitt, Sandringham, Vic

Home truths

Jane Bieger (Letters, 24/5) is on the money when she says “vulnerable kids are taken into care to remove them from danger”. This applies equally to Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. And too often we know the children fail to identify suitable role models in their parents. Surely it could be worthwhile to redirect a portion of funds allocated for “welfare” to teach basic parenting skills? Parent effectiveness training has been around since the 1960s and this just might be the right sort of “early intervention” needed today.

Roy Stall, Mount Claremont, WA