is now being suggested by the leader of the Opposition. Good idea? No.
We should not be paid for doing the right thing. Yes, it is the right thing to get vaccinated if we can. It protects us. It protects the people we love and the people with whom we come into contact. It also protects that small minority of people who are genuinely unable to be vaccinated because of medical issues.
I don't really need to say any of that because most people know it already. The problem is that some who do know that still are not making any effort to get vaccinated. They shrug their shoulders and say they will wait. They let the Opposition make political mileage out of it.
And now the Leader of the Opposition is actually encouraging people not to get vaccinated. That's right, not to get vaccinated - yet. He is telling them, "Wait until after the election. We will be in power and we will pay you to get vaccinated."
It is irresponsible in the extreme. I know there have been "incentives" in other parts of the world too. There have been lotteries, cars, food, holidays and more. "Come along and get vaccinated and you have a chance to win...."
I am far more in favour of the idea of some sort of vaccine registration - passport if you wish. If you want to go to the footy or the cricket, if you want to travel interstate or overseas, if you want to work in certain areas of employment - then get vaccinated unless there are genuine medical issues against it.
The Senior Cat's residence requires people to have had the annual 'flu jab if they want to visit someone living there. Middle Cat and I complied. We would have had it anyway but I am more than happy to comply if it helps to keep vulnerable people safe. It's the responsible thing to do.
The anti-vaccination crowd don't see it this way. They believe their rights come before the rights of other people. Yes, that's been said in plenty of other places too. I'll say it again though because I would like my family and my friends and even the people I don't know or don't particularly like to be as safe as possible.
Now I admit that $300 would be useful. Money is always useful but my health is more useful. Surely most people must think that way?
It makes sense to preclude people from activities if they refuse to get vaccinated. It makes no sense to pay them. What is more if everyone was given $300 to get vaccinated it would cost the country around $6bn in the end - and that would come out of our taxes.
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I think that the continual varying information from all sides, and, especially, the bickering between governments has a lot to answer for. Plain, simple information and directives, without politics or jingoism, would have been much better.
I have read that some carers was told by their employers to get the vaccine, but they could not get to the sites as their work shifts or their transport difficulties prevented this. They were not vaccinated at their place of work - a simple possibility. Some vaccinating sites worked 9 - 4, though many now have longer hours.
I do not see many advertisements, but none has made me rush off to get an injection.
I went because the injections will probably keep me and my community safer. Most people I know have had both injections (possibly a reflection of the age of the group,of people I see).
LMcC
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