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NO MAN IS AN ISLAND, LIKE IT OR NOT: Dealing with the Selfishness of Anti-Vaxxers by Bill Lee

The unnecessary Canadian election is now over. One of its many issues was the pandemic and the virulently negative attitudes and resistance to vaccination of a noisy minority of the population. It is obvious that it will remain a front burner problem for the foreseeable future. I’ve noted a lot of comments by anti-vaxxers on Facebook and in letters to the editor as well as the odd op ed columns of our daily papers, that those refusing the small jab in the arm should not be criticized for refusing to be vaccinated to protect “themselves” against covid. They maintain that it is a simple human right. I even saw one which claimed that any vaccine mandate is a negation of charter rights. Leaving aside that we have yet to hear of any court challenge based on charter rights being brought to any court, I take the position that this is an uninformed, even “selfish” position. My attitude, shared by many by the way, not surprisingly, and invariably raises the ire of the anti-vax crowd.


Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Of more concern to me is that we are seeing a number of non-vaccine phobic folks, people who are vaccinated and say they understand the efficacy of the procedure, with doubtless, the best of intentions, arguing that we must show more understanding to those who are refusing vaccination. It is unfair, they suggest, to label people who refuse vaccination, as uncaring or “selfish”. They have simply decided that, on the whole, they would rather not get with the program with which all legitimate medical science agrees (World Health Organization, 2021). I have to respectfully disagree with these folks. This is not an untypical liberal orientation of course which reminds me of the old lament among some on the Left that “liberals” insist on bringing typewriters (perhaps in the contemporary context “laptops” would be the appropriate image) to a knife fight. Being “nice guys” may bestow a certain glow of satisfaction on an individual, but it has become clear that the majority of the anti-vax faithful show no interest in anything but winning their point. We cannot overlook the advent of groups of anti-vaxxers who have been descending on hospitals, clinics and recently schools (in BC) to proclaim the travesty of their members having to be protected by a clearly safe vaccine. It is hard to know how many of these obstreperous louts are infected themselves by wacko conspiracy theories (for example each dose is loaded up with tiny computer chips that will allow all manner of horrible things to be done to them), but none of the paranoid notions are anything but delusional. And we should know by now that delusions cannot be cured by simply a warm smile and a cup of tea. While the majority of these individuals do not engage in the dangerous tactics of the few, we have to face up to the fact that only if they are allowed to do whatever their little heart’s desire, about masks and social distancing, but mostly around vaccinations, will they be satisfied. The issue is not, “Can’t we all just all get along?” but how are we going to climb out of this frustrating and dangerous situation that confronts all of us.

We Are Not Hermits

There is a simple fact of life. Unless we are hermits, and obviously no anti-vaxxer is, and are alone 24/7, we live in communities. Thus, we are all affected by, and affect, those around us. People who refuse vaccination can and do become infected and some get seriously ill and must be treated in hospitals which, as we are hearing, particularly from Alberta (Rosove, 2021) and Saskatchewan (Whibbs, 2021), is overwhelming the health care systems and the unvaccinated covid patients are using beds that would normally go to other severely ill patients – dealing very with serious cancer or kidney disease issues, for example. Further, even those who don’t have to deal with serious symptoms can, and do, infect others, some of whom are immune compromised and are legitimately unable to receive vaccination. These vaccination freedom fighters are not only risking their own health and lives, but the health and lives of others. As the wonderful 400-year-old John Donne poem reminds us, “No Man is an Island”.

Like It or Not

Thus, it seems to me that if, as social human beings and citizens (whether we like it or not), we insist that we have no responsibility other than to decide what is right for us individually and that thus we are at liberty to ignore, or even deride, the common good, that’s a perfect example of selfishness. That may satisfy the shade of the hyper individualist prophet of toxic individualism Any Rand and her selfish, self-absorbed followers, but as a practical and decent guide for living in the real world it is not simply ludicrous it is dangerous to public health.

Donne’s heartfelt poetic plea for us to understand our common humanity ends, “ Therefore send not to know for whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.” Those who ignore and indeed work against this reality, frankly, deserve whatever epithets come their way, like it or not. We have to stand up to them and call them on their delusions, obfuscations and outright lies. That is not at all a pleasant notion but to repeat, how else are we going to climb out of this frustrating and dangerous situation that confronts all of us?

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Resources
Rosove, J. (2021). “Time for military support in 'overwhelmed' hospitals: Alberta health-care union leaders warn”. CTV News Edmonton. https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/time-for-military-support-in-overwhelmed-hospitals-alberta-health-care-union-leaders-1.5591080Sept. 18.
Whibbs, K. (2021). “Regina, Saskatoon hospitals facing pressure in ICUs: SHA. CTV NEWS. https://regina.ctvnews.ca/regina-saskatoon-hospitals-facing-pressure-in-icus-sha-1.5561376. August 25.
World Health Organization (2021). “Vaccines and immunization: What is vaccination?” https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/vaccines-and-immunization-what-is-vaccination?adgroupsurvey={adgroupsurvey}&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrsHivK6O8wIVlQiICR3PEgZVEAAYASAAEgLXdvD_BwE. August 30.

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