I’m against Covid.
I’ve had a primary, secondary and a booster. I had a reaction the first time that made me regret the vaccination for a couple of hours.
Then after that I didn’t regret it, and when my best friend’s sister passed away some time later from Covid, more than a month after contracting it (so it’s not even in the government statistics of victims), I wondered how anyone could ever doubt the idea of taking the vaccine, even if the Prime Minister himself was recommending it.
I haven’t known the precise composition of the vaccine in any of my jabs. Nor, in fact, have I known the composition of any of the other vaccinations and treatments I have had in my life.
As I am turning 65, these have included measles, mumps, rubella (these even when they were separated), polio, chickenpox, smallpox, hepatitis A-Z, diphtheria, pneumonia, flu, tetanus, river fever, leprosy, HIV, yellow fever, and the bubonic plague.
Most of these treatments have been free from the NHS, and most can be fatal. The one time my young life was in danger it was from pertussis (whooping cough), a vaccination for which had been voluntary and my parents hadn’t known about it.
I don’t know the composition of the medication I take regularly for hypertension and high cholesterol.
I don’t know what’s in deodorants, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash or skin creams. I can’t be sure what’s in the processed food that I eat.
I don’t know lots of things.
I’m against Covid.
I find masks uncomfortable especially when shopping as wearing a mask mists up my glasses and I can’t read the labels on packets. The lockdowns depressed me and I didn’t enjoy the social distancing.
But these discomforts are definitely not as bad as being on life support or being dead.
Although the short term future seems bleak, with another potentially worse variation now causing havoc around the world because many have not vaccinated, masked, locked down or distanced themselves, I still want to go out, travel, be in crowds, and mix with people (even those I don’t know) without fear.
But not just yet. Exactly as I wouldn’t want to go out if there was a killer roaming the streets. I’m against Covid like I’m against axe murderers but I’m in favour of living a bit more cautiously for a while yet.
Happy Christmas.
