BEING vaccinated will protect you, your family, and your community, and will help us return to the normal life we are desperate for. Barring legitimate health reasons to not be vaccinated, I encourage you to roll up your sleeve.
The Commonwealth Government is working with the states, territories and business groups to work out how vaccine certificates for fully vaccinated people can be delivered.
I’ve been consistent in my approach to vaccine certificates. If implemented correctly, they will mean vaccinated people will eventually be free of lockdowns and border restrictions and that the people of Mallee won’t be subject to the whims of state premiers.
I understand some people are against the idea of vaccine certificates, but this is not the first time that government policies have limited our freedoms.
Everyone is free to not get a driver’s licence, but can’t expect to be allowed to drive a car. COVID-19 has forced us to contend with a new global reality. No unvaccinated person can expect the same freedoms as a fully vaccinated person.
Much to the dismay of those who detest the “nanny state”, seatbelts became mandatory in 1970. There was a tremendous backlash about this move at the time, but countless lives have been saved since, and buckling up has become second nature.
Being vaccinated is much like wearing a seatbelt. As with vaccines, seatbelts are designed to protect people and prevent death and serious injury. They reduce burdens on our health system and lead to broader public health benefits.
As we open up, and as our vaccination rates rise, we will eventually see more vaccinated people catching COVID than unvaccinated people.
But there will be fewer hospitalisations, and few people in intensive care. Most car crashes involve people who are wearing seatbelts, but that doesn’t mean the seatbelts aren’t working. The same is true for the vaccine.
It’s almost certain everyone will catch COVID-19 at some point in their life, just as they would the common flu. The only thing we can control is whether we will be protected when that time comes. Will you be buckled up when the car crashes?
