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newsThe ACT hits 100% vaccinated
The ACT (Australian Capital Territory) is technically not a
State. It has a fairly small population and includes Canberra, the
capital city of Australia. I posted recently about the very high rate of
Covid-19 vaccination in the ACT, about 95% first dose, aged 16+:
https://bkhome.org/news/202110/95-percent-vaccinated-in-act.html
Now it has climbed to 97% double-dosed, ages 12+, and just on 100% single-dosed:
https://www.covid19.act.gov.au/updates/act-covid-19-statistics
Why so far ahead of other States? In fact, way ahead of other
"wealthy" Western countries such as the UK and USA. The Canberra Times
has offered a reason:
Quoting:
Firstly, the population is highly educated, and education and
vaccination rates rise together. Educated people are more likely to
accept the science and to accept vaccination.
Canberrans are also better paid and more likely to be in full-time
employment than the average Australian, and that, too, is a good
indicator of the likelihood of getting vaccinated.
Here in Western Australia, the vaccination rate is considerably
lower, blamed mostly on our complacency, due to being covid-free. The
entire State is covid-free, so we have complete freedom, just like
pre-pandemic times.
The price we are paying for this is very tightly locked down borders,
but this will ease in the future, and we are bound to lose our
covid-free status.
In WA we do have a small number of very vocal anti-vaxxers. I have
received a couple of anti-vax pamphlets in my letterbox. One of them was
titled "They are coming for your children", with a couple of Internet
URLs -- one link is to a Sky News video, the other to a right-wing
pro-Trump site in the USA.
Yes, I understand the point of view that personal choice should be respected, and that we should not be forced to be vaccinated, nor have our travel and attendance at public venue rights curtailed.
However, those who choose not to be vaccinated should take on
responsibility for their decision. That includes paying for their
medical treatment, such as in ICU at a hospital. Unfortunately, this is
not going to happen, not in Australia.
In Singapore, most of the covid patients in ICU are un-vaccinated. So
far, the Singapore Government has been footing the bill; however, that
is about to change:
There was a panel discussion on TV here in Australia discussing that
decision by the Singapore Government, and a couple of politicians on the
panel explained that this will never happen in Australia. They
explained that the AU public health service has never discriminated on
the basis of "poor life choices", and that will not change.
Yes, and what about "long covid" -- we have to foot the bill for that too.
Tags: ethos