To jab or not to jab, the question of our endless debate

Given the less than stellar progress of the vaccination rollout it may be time for the Government to provide a bigger carrot. The suggestion that vaccination will reopen our borders and save lives is clearly not convincing many Australians to get the jab.

Other countries have undertaken clever advertising campaigns and companies have become involved by offering giveaways to vaccinated customers. In the US, Budweiser is offering a free beer to anyone who has been fully vaccinated and Krispy Kreme is offering a free donut a day for the rest of 2021 on showing your vaccination record card. In the UK the NHS is looking to recruit “influencers” to help promote the benefits of immunisation.

As we know, what works in the US and the UK may not work in Australia. There is an obvious solution. A bonus paid day off work post-jab for all working Australians. This is when doing the right thing for the community hits a sweet spot in Australia.

David Allport, Subiaco, WA

Peter Van Onselen (“Just the shot in the arm to keep us safe and sound”, 22-23/5) encourages efforts in the uptake of vaccines and yet the optics of the news of the Health Minister being hospitalised the day after he took the vaccine is a strong deterrent.

Ordering a suite of vaccines was the best way to de-risk the future and unfortunately our government bought early and predominantly one vaccine. A mistake. Many mistakes have been made by both sides of politics and understandably given all was not known.

Fix the mistake, pay billions if necessary to productively buy and circulate vaccines that appear safer (even if “the science” says otherwise, the media has killed the willingness of the public to adopt AstraZeneca).

Buy now, buy quick, get other effective vaccines into Australia and roll them out, and do nothing else until it’s done. Then, there’s no need for endless opinion instead of action.

Elizabeth Wirtz, Cape Woolamai, Vic

My grandmother remembered children in her family dying from whooping cough. My mother also remembered small children suffering from whooping cough, coughing so violently they vomited in the gutter on their way to school. I remember the fear around the polio epidemic of the 1950s and being tested for tuberculosis.

Thanks to widespread immunisation strategies, my children and grandchildren are not exposed to these awful illnesses, let alone others that have also been mostly eradicated by our scientists. Modern medicine and immunisation programs now keep us safe and healthy.

The limited understanding, wilful short-sightedness and selfishness of many people toward undertaking a Covid jab is undermining all that good work. Wake up, Australia.

Noelle Oke, Albury, NSW

Bonita Ely has provided us with some anecdotal evidence of the simplicity and usefulness of vaccination (Last Post, 22/5). My personal anecdotal story is that after a smallpox vaccination in my early thirties I had a high fever, very painful glands and red spots all over my body. I was off work for about two weeks. My doctor was fearful that my heart might be permanently damaged.

I may yet have the “jab”, but reasonable people may understand my reluctance.

David Morrison, Springwood, NSW

If Australian authorities, state and federal, want the over-50s to have the AstraZeneca vaccine then they should lead by example. Politicians and health authority senior staff over the age of 50 should declare if they have been vaccinated and, if so, which vaccine they received. If you want to build confidence in the public, lead by public example.

Joanna Wriedt, Eaglemont, Vic

As a person who needs to travel interstate for business I am becoming increasingly concerned about how our governments are going to manage the flu season. With symptoms for COVID-19 and the flu nearly identical, how are we going to differentiate between the two in public spaces?

I hope there is a plan but I fear from the track record of all governments in Australia during Covid — with the exception of Gladys Berejiklian — it will be the chaos option.

Steve Wiblin, Leasingham, SA