As tennis world number one Novak Djokovic sparks controversy over his granting of a medical exemption from mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement to enter Australia for the a major grand slam tournament – the expected outrage has inadvertently further laid bare double standards and confusion that threaten to bring down the vaccination house of cards.
Tendai Ruben Mbofana
The global uproar primarily over the supposed “favoritism” shown towards the seven-time grand slam champion – who is seeking his eighth title at the Australian Open slatted for January – further enhanced by his colleague, British Andy Murray’s outburst to the effect that, he did not believes he would have been granted the waver had it been him, instead of Djokovic.
However, from the perspective of some of us, who have been quite critical of the apparent hypocrisy and contradictions that have shamefully characterized the pro-manditory COVID-19 vaccination camp – these controversies only serve to bolster our convictions.
Firstly, we have always raised questions on why those who had supposed “underlying conditions” were readily exempted from receiving the jab – yet, those basing their resistance on religious beliefs, or distrust of these inoculations being given a deaf ear – as if to say that the former group did not pose the alleged “dangers” posed by the unvaccinated.
Are we to conclude then that, those unvaccinated – but, have underlying conditions that prevent them from being jabbed – for some strange reason, can not infect others?
Why are they – no matter how valid their reasons for not being vaccinated – not being barred from work, or any other public places, as they still pose a threat to others just as the rest of the unvaccinated?
Can we not call that a huge crack in this COVID-19 house of cards?
Secondly, why is the logic behind this obsession – or rather, more aptly, hysteria – over the virtually barring of the unvaccinated from public spaces?
Do the vaccinated not spread the SARS-Cov-2 virus to others?
Surely, as with many an expert have clearly stated on numerous occasions – the vaccinated can still pass on the virus to other people.
Why and how?
Well, quite simply because vaccinations, by their very nature, merely help an individual’s body create antibodies (which, in everyday life, we would call “soldiers”) to fight a particular pathogen that may cause a disease.
As such, when a vaccinated person contracts the particular pathogen (be it a virus, bacteria, protozoa, or fungi) the antibodies go into action in attacking the invaders, thereby, hopefully preventing infection (or, falling sick).
From this simple (but, accurate) explanation, when the vaccinated individual had contracted the pathogen – whilst, his antibodies are busy fighting it – he is still very much quite capable of spreading it to others he comes into contact with.
Which effectively means that, vaccinated or unvaccinated – both groups of people are a potential danger to those around them.
In fact, the ones who should, logically, be living in fear should be the unvaccinated – as it is them who are most likely to fall sick due to their probable lack of antibodies to immediately attack the pathogen.
So why do the vaccinated appear to be the more fearful and hysterical over whole vaccination drive?
What are they afraid of if their vaccinations truly provide them a significant measure of protection – in spite of numerous vaccinated people still being infected?
Another argument proffered by the pro-mandatory vaccination camp has been that, those vaccinated enable their bodies to quickly fight the SARS-Cov-2 virus before it had time to mutate – thereby, reducing the chances of new variants being created.
Well, as much as that sounds plausible, the fact still remains that, the vaccinated are still being infected – and, more significantly, there are is now a huge number of the unvaccinated who have already recovered from more than one COVID-19 infection, as as such, have developed their own natural immunity.
Therefore, it may be argued that both the vaccinated and unvaccinated have the potential of fighting the virus to prevent mutations – or, be infected and allow other variants to develop.
It becomes moot, and disingenuous, to label the current COVID-19 infection waves as, “the pandemic of the unvaccinated”.
This “house of cards” beautifully built by the eccentric and obsessive pro-manditory vaccination pundits is clearly cracking and on the verge of crumbling, in a most humiliating and disgraceful way.
Let the decision whether to vaccinate or not be a person health choice – which each and every individual had a right to make without undue pressure.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, author, and social commentator. Please feel free to contact him on WhatsApp/Call: +263715667700 / +263782283975, or Calls Only: +263788897936 / +263733399640, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com
COMMENTS