Meg T's COVID-19 experience

Q. How do you feel about freedom day, and how will this affect your daily lives?

I am a nurse by profession, but also a clinically vulnerable person due to a neurological illness that many doctors don't know enough about, so I have some very strong views on the subject. Whilst I am pro-vaccination and have vaccinated all my children over the years, I also believe that people has the right to choose whether or not to receive the covid vaccine. To me, the enforcement of mandatory vaccination is unethical and the precursor towards a slippery slope towards the curtailment of individual freedoms. Some sectors of society are genuinely worried or misinformed about the safety profile of covid vaccines and vaccines in general. They need education, not enforcement in order to reconsider. Furthermore, there are folk who cannot have vaccines due to being immunocompromised and also a percentage of folk who are non-responders to vaccination - for whatever reason, their bodies fail to seroconvert. So to answer your question about "Freedom Day". To me it's more like "Freedumb Day" as it has been dubbed on Twitter. At the time of writing, I am in self-isolation with my son, because he has contacted Covid 19 (only 16 so not yet vaccinated) whilst I, who, thankfully, has received both doses of the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine has not succumbed to illness. So far, in the UK, 31,740,115 million people have had both doses of a Covid vaccine, just over 60% of the population according to the Gov.UK website. But it's may not still not enough to achieve the herd immunity levels that the government are so hellbent on achieving via deliberately allowing infections to spread in our communities. Spoiler - herd immunity can only be achieved safely if the majority of the population are immunised, but that level is not yet known for Covid 19, according to the World Health Organisation. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) states on their site that the organisation "supports achieving 'herd immunity' through vaccination, not by allowing a disease to spread through any segment of the population, as this would result in unnecessary cases and deaths." Boris Johnson and his government has totally contradicted that approach, despite the advice of the WHO and leading scientists, resulting in the deaths of over 150 thousand UK citizens. An unconscionable and reckless act because he chose to put the economy above people's lives. The economy can be redesigned and will recover. So many, too many lives have been lost already and there will be more to come as the Delta Variant spreads and mutates more to come with the easing of all restrictions in England. So to folk who don't wish to be vaccinated, that's fine - we who are will be all vaccinated in due course, thus by controlled vaccination will protect you. But until that time comes, continuing to wear a mask wearing and maintaining basic hygiene and social distancing measures - surely that's not too much to ask? It's what I and my son will continue to do when self-isolation ends. Its the responsible thing to do. And I wouldn't wish the virus on anyone. Although he is only 16, so only supposed to be mildly affected, my son is really struggling both with the symptoms and psychologically.

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