A chara, – While Prof Dermot Cox (Letters, December 10th) initially appears to come across as fair and level-headed in relation to compulsory vaccination, he quickly reaches for the "it shouldn't be compulsory, but..." stick.
Stating that people have a right to maintain the confidentiality of their medical records and then suggesting the unvaccinated should be denied the PUP seem to be directly conflicting sentiments.
Not only that, but his comparison between the smokers and the unvaccinated is inaccurate. While people having to smoke outside a restaurant say, does protect those inside from the effects of smoking, permitting only vaccinated people inside that restaurant doesn’t protect others from Covid-19 since, as we know, vaccinated people also contract and transmit the virus.
The narrative that the vaccinated – while better protected from serious disease themselves – are also somehow immune from transmission of the virus seems to be left hanging there, uncorrected, in the public consciousness.
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And it is contributing to vaccine shaming, apparently the last form of acceptable bullying.
In requiring all inbound travellers, vaccinated or not, to provide a negative test and imposing capacity restrictions and social distancing on indoor venues where only vaccinated people are permitted, Nphet has quietly admitted that vaccinated people contract and transmit Covid-19.
Perhaps this should be explained more broadly and clearly.– Is mise,
SIMON O’CONNOR,
Ennis,
Co Clare.