Vaccination Yes But Not Mandatory
We can
appreciate the value of literature when it offers us insights towards a
solution to a difficult problem.
“Procrustes was one
of many villains defeated by the Greek hero Theseus. According to Greek
mythology, Procrustes was a robber who killed his victims in a most cruel and
unusual way. He made them lie on an iron bed and would force them to fit the
bed by cutting off the parts that hung off the ends or by stretching those
people who were too short. Something Procrustean, therefore, takes no account of individual
differences but cruelly and mercilessly makes everything the same. And a
"procrustean bed" is a scheme or pattern into which someone or
something is arbitrarily forced.”
- merriam-webster.com/dictionary/procrustean
There is a Procrustes in everyone who argues that vaccines
should be mandatory. We do not argue against vaccination. We argue against
mandatory vaccination. Medicine and law do not favor their argument.
First, we take up the medical reason against mandatory vaccination.
Scientific fact says: not all the 7.9 billion people now on
earth are the same – at least bodily. There is a commonality but there are also
unique qualities. Majority of homo sapiens can eat peanut anytime but there are
people who can die if ever a gram of the bean is ingested. Most people take
paracetamol for pain and fever. My daughter develops rashes when she takes it.
Many Filipinos love to eat tilapia but one friend of mine is allergic to that
fish.
The same observation is seen with many
substances which are foreign to the human body and cause harm rather than the
intended good. The recently rolled out Covid vaccines are the latest
examples. In Norway, health authorities stopped the injection of Pfizer vaccines
among the elderly.
Norwegian
officials said 23 people had died in the country a short time after receiving
their first dose of the vaccine. Of those deaths, 13 have been autopsied, with
the results suggesting that common side effects may have contributed to severe
reactions in frail, elderly people, according to the Norwegian Medicines
Agency.
“For those with the most severe frailty, even
relatively mild vaccine side effects can have serious consequences,” the
Norwegian Institute of Public Health said. “For those who have a very short
remaining life span anyway, the benefit of the vaccine may be marginal or
irrelevant.”
That information is dated January 15, 2021 and many
developments have taken place since then about the virus and the vaccines.
Still, the Procrustean lesson holds: Not every vaccine is for everybody
every time.
The motto of every doctor is: First do no harm. The
valid and confirmed reports of serious adverse effects (SAEs) from vaccines
should make every healthcare worker press the alarm button. SAEs should not
surprise us because the Covid vaccines are at this time “experimental.”
Even under Philippine law the experimental character
of Covid vaccines at this time is acknowledged:
RA
11525
Section
2 Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of
the State to adopt an integrated approach to health development which shall
endeavor to make essential social services available to all people at an
affordable cost. For this reason, the State shall undertake a COVID-19
Vaccination Program with the following objectives:
.
.
(c) Recognize the experimental nature of
COVID-19 vaccines available in the market and compensate any serious adverse
effects (SAEs) arising from the use of COVID-19 vaccine, experienced by people
inoculated through the COVID-19 Vaccination Program;
Second, we take up the legal reason against mandatory vaccination.
Authorities who repeatedly insinuate at making
vaccination mandatory are running the risks of going afoul with the law and
causing serious adverse effects on those who medically cannot take the
vaccines.
Again, RA 11525 is very clear on this matter:
Section
12. COVID-19 Vaccine Card. - Subject to the
provisions of Republic Act No. 10173 or the "Data Privacy Act of
2012", the DOH shall issue a vaccine card to all persons vaccinated. . .
Provided, further, That
the vaccine cards shall not be considered as an additional mandatory
requirement for educational, employment and other similar government
transaction purposes.
Vaccination is not the problem. Mandating it is. I
will gladly take a vaccine against measles, rubella, diphtheria, polio, etc.
because these have many years of testing and experience behind them. Not Covid
vaccines. There is an argument that we should take a Covid vaccine without fear
because we eat Big Mac without fear even though we do not know how it is made.
This argument falls flat. We have eaten tons of Big Macs before and we know they
are safe. This is the first time we are offered Covid vaccines and their safety
is not yet totally assured by medical science at this time. We can sue McDonalds
if we are harmed by Big Mac. We cannot sue Pfizer or anyone behind the vaccine
rollout. RA 11525 is very clear:
Section 8. Immunity from Liability. - Notwithstanding
any law to the contrary, public officials and employees, contractors,
manufacturers, volunteers, and representatives of duly authorized private
entities who are duly authorized to carry out and are actually carrying out the
COVID-19 Vaccination Program shall be immune from suit and liability
under Philippine laws with respect to all claims arising out of, related to, or
resulting from the administration or use of a COVID-19 vaccine under the
COVID-19 Vaccination Program except arising from willful misconduct and gross
negligence. (Boldfacing supplied)
Personally, I can attest to the fact that a vaccinated person can still be infected and infect others. RA 11525 Section 12 confirms such fact:
Individuals
vaccinated against COVID-19 as indicated in the vaccine card shall not be
considered immune from COVID-19, unless otherwise declared by the DOH based on
reliable scientific evidence and consensus.
An electrical engineer friend of mine died in August
of blood clot in the brain. He was vaccinated with AstraZeneca in July
according to his son. Blood clotting is one SAE mentioned in the waiver signed
by vaccinees.
A popular Albay broadcaster in the 1980s died of Covid
in August. His wife confirmed that he was vaccinated. A former student died of
Covid too. He was injected with Sinovac on June 26, developed symptoms on July 3
and died on July 13.
CNN announced on October 19, 2021 the death of Gen. Collin
Powell from complications of Covid-19. He was vaccinated.
There is an obvious compromise between the two positions:
Those who cannot take the vaccines for one reason or another can be obliged to
submit a certificate of negative test result for Covid. It would be inconvenient
for the unvaccinated but that is not the problem of the pro-mandate camp.
Testing may be expensive but cost can be reduced. If government can make the
vaccines free of charge, why not testing? It is done in developed countries at least.
By engaging software applications, the possibility of faking the test result
can be eliminated.
Again personally, I am more at ease being in a room
with someone certified to be negative for Covid than with another who is vaccinated.
The negative cannot infect me but the vaccinated can.
So there is a happy trade-off in this controversy.
November 11, 2021
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