Choice. Risk. Death
My daughter shared a Facebook post today of a nurse who was sharing publicly her hurt at losing her job because she is being forced by Government mandate to vaccinate and was unable to get a vaccine exemption. She has 19 years experience. As a nurse I would presume she knows not only how to take care of patients but also herself. She has made a personal choice about her own body and health, but because of the attitude this government and some other governments have taken over mandating health and essential workers to vaccinate or lose their jobs, she is being fired. Crazy behaviour by so called democratic nations when we need all our nurses whether they are vaccinated or not since everyone can get and spread covid and potentially require hospital care or die. It is my view that those that wanted to vaccinate against this virus have done so by now. They like many others have made this choice and I have no problem with that choice for each of them. Why cant those that do not want to vaccinate also have that choice. The risk maybe greater for them personally or not but life is risk. There is also risk for those vaccinated due to their other health problems or maybe they are just unlucky. There is luck in life-both good and bad. There is also risk just living. Today 7 people died in a van crash with a truck because the person driving the van made the choice, mistake or otherwise, to cross the centre line and was killed along with all their passengers including a baby.
A few days back a woman who I respected and liked very much died from cancer. It was sudden for her family and friends-5 weeks from diagnosis to death. Such a shock for those that loved her and for the community that appreciated her contribution to the greater good. She chose to be fully vaccinated and should be respected for her choice and other health choices I am sure she has made in her life.
Another close friend lost his dementia stricken father today. His death could be seen as a blessing as he had no real life anymore having lost his mind. Did he choose to get dementia. Probably not. But the risk is there for each of us as it was for him. I feel for the family that had to view this deterioration and lack of recognition for them and for his wider community.
Death is around the corner for us all. We humans are only one of the many species inhabiting this earth who will die at some point and our individual existence is relatively short compared to some trees which can outlive us by centuries. There is a risk to all life. A tree that is centuries old can be cut down and disposed of within hours by a crew of humans intent on its death. Life is a risk for all species-think of the ant that you squash on your bench, the lettuce you pull out of the ground for a meal.
One if the traits that marks our species is our ability to think, reason, rationalise and make choices-good or bad for ourselves, our family, our community and the wider world we live in. Health is an individual experience for each of us. We make choices that are our own over what we do for or to our own bodies everyday. We choose to eat healthy or not. We choose to exercise or not. We choose to keep learning or not. We make choices and we take risks. The consequences of covid is no worse or better than the consequences of eating bad food, getting no exercise and smoking or consuming drugs and I include legalised alcohol. Some interesting statistics from the world Health Organization:
- harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 disease
and injury conditions.
- Worldwide, 3 million
deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol. This represents 5.3%
of all deaths.
- Overall, 5.1% of the global burden of disease and injury is
attributable to alcohol, as measured in disability-adjusted life years
(DALYs).
- Beyond health consequences, the harmful use of alcohol brings
significant social and economic losses to individuals and society at
large.
- Alcohol consumption causes death and disability relatively early in
life. In people aged 20–39 years, approximately 13.5% of total deaths are
attributable to alcohol.
- There is a causal relationship between harmful use of alcohol and a
range of mental and behavioural disorders, other noncommunicable
conditions and injuries.
World
Health Information thanks to Google Search. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol
A New Zealand study found in
https://www.hpa.org.nz/sites/default/files/imported/field_research_publication_file/BurdenFull.pdf
noted that 3.9% of all deaths in New Zealand in 2000 were
attributable to alcohol consumption (approximately 1040 deaths). we do not mandate against people drinking unless they drive and actually during covid the provision of alcohol was an essential service to be provided to our population who could chose to drink or not.
The Fundamental worth of every person. Everyone is worthy of being part of our democracy
Equality of all persons. Everyone has equal opportunity and legal equality, regardless of gender, religion, or race.
Majority rule and Minority rights.
Necessity of compromise but respect for individual Freedom.
Mandating covid vaccination to a nurse does not make sense. Also to a midwife or doctor or other health and essential worker. There is no logic. Some might say that the nurse by not getting vaccinated is modelling their choice to others. Maybe they are but so are those nurses choosing to get vaccinated also modelling. In the end it is our body, our choice, our risk. The same goes for every person. Individual choice-good or bad. In New Zealand we should have democratic freedom to decide for oneself and tolerance and acceptance of the choices good and bad that we each individually make as we walk through life. Choice, risk and death. As part of the human species we have to face all three of these as each of us walk this life on earth, but I ask, please remember those principles of democracy when making rules and passing judgment down upon others.
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