Letters

LETTERS to the EDITOR

Please keep your letters to no more than 200 words, this enables us to submit a number of letters for everyone to read. The comments and opinions on these pages do not reflect those of The Bribie Islander

Dear Editor, David Blake's anti-vaccination letter has completely missed the point. It's true that the current vaccines will not prevent you getting COVID, or passing it on, that’s because a bullet proof shot takes 5-10 years to develop. We can't wait around for that. Our lucky status in Australia lets us look at the overseas ravages of COVID on the news, then go out to visit friends or have a meal amongst others. But our 'bubble' isn't sustainable; in fact it has done us damage by making us think if we just sit tight all this will go away. COVID is coming to Australia, either by getting through our quarantine system or when we begin to open up to the world in the next 18 months, but it is coming. So here's the point, if you've had the jab, then when you come into contact with and potentially catch COVID you won't suffer the serious symptoms, you won't need to go to hospital. This is why the government wants you to have the jab, so they can get on and open up our economy to the world ASAP without overwhelming our hospitals as has happened overseas. My second Astra Zeneca shot is due in July, I wish it were tomorrow. But if you are just 'waiting to see what happens', or believe what you read on Sky News and Facebook then prepare yourself for the possibility of lying on a trolley in a hospital corridor, gasping for air while you wait for a bed, Regards,

Jim Tasney Bongaree

Dear Editor,

"David Blake’s concerns about vaccination are misplaced when we compare the figures in Australia. "Whichever vaccine you get, it is true that you might still get infected. However, evidence shows that you will not die from the disease, as did 910 people in Australia who were not vaccinated. Only one person died from the rare blood clots, and who knows what other conditions they were suffering? Experience with this type of clotting has now resulted in effective treatments to prevent it being fatal. "So would you rather be nearly 1000 times more likely to die by not taking the vaccine? The disease will continue to circulate and you could catch it any time you go out of your house, or invite someone in. "It is irresponsible to refer to the vaccine as a poison. And with about a month for the vaccine to become effective, the sooner one gets it the better."

H.Beneke

To Editor, This is my first ever Letter to Editor, so I apologise if this is the incorrect forum to raise this matter. I am thinking from a resident’s perspective that the article featuring the dual lane from Hickey Road to King John Creek does not fully explain what is involved. Dual lanes to King John Creek will, as I understand it, simply join up with the road works currently addressing the intersection at Old Toorbul Rd and Bribie Is Rd. Therefore we are all still left with the bottleneck at the Shell Service Station. They refer to spending $1 million for planning. What an absolute joke if this is what the end result will be. Nothing really achieved. Surely for the sake of 500 or 600 metres they could have plans to have dual lanes join up with the existing dual lanes just past the Shell Servo. I am most disappointed that the article has not highlighted this and have to question why. I am sure other every reader of the article has asked the same question. Regards R Williams

Dear Editor, On behalf of Voices Choral Group I would like to thank The Bribie Islander magazine for its sponsorship of our recent concert, “Swing, Jump & Jive”. I’m confident that this sponsorship made a significant contribution to the full house attendance we had on both Saturday and Sunday. Voices Choral Group has the dual objectives of providing local entertainment on the island and supporting the local community by returning profits from successful performances to other community groups on the island. By raising awareness of our concert your support helps us to achieve both these goals. Your support is very much appreciated. Kind regards, Margaret Wilkinson Secretary, Voices Choral Group

Dear Editor I must take exception to some of the remarks made by David Blake in his letter in “The Bribie Islander”, issue 140, May 21. In the first half of his letter Mr Blake refers to W.H.O effectively saying that the current vaccines are ineffective at preventing people from getting the COVID-19 virus and passing it on. I am puzzled by this, and while it may relate to comments made early in the pandemic I am sure that this is no longer the case. Mr Blake’s reference to Skynews reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw on a car the other day: “It must be true. I read it in the Courier Mail”. The largest study I am aware of is from Israel, which appears to be the leader in vaccinating its population. Figures released by the Israeli Ministry of Health state that there has been a 94% reduction in asymptomatic infection – infection where people do not show any outward signs of the disease. Surely this is our greatest danger of contracting the infection and is a powerful argument for vaccination as our daily contact with others is largely random and unknown. Public Health England in a study of COVID-19 transmission involving more than 350,000 households containing both vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals, found that statistically immunisation with either Pfizer or AstraZenica reduced the chance of passing on the infection by 40 – 60%. Not perfect but surely well worthwhile protection. I cannot understand the last two paragraphs in Mr Blake’s letter. I take issue with his statements concerning “spreading the virus to remote areas”, “a 99.7% recovery rate” (presumably with no vaccination); and “dispensing this poison”. In Australia and other places we have people who are eminently qualified in epidemiology, with vast experience in this field and who can be seen conversing directly with news readers from all TV channels. If they say, and they ALL do; this is a real and present danger to us all and we should ALL get vaccinated I believe them. Kind regards David Martin