Letters for Friday October 1, 2021

Dear Editor,

Nukutere College Board is keen that all our parents and caregivers are allowed to hear the facts from Te Marae Ora, and not from lobby groups that hijacked our evening meeting last Tuesday.

Te Marae Ora team did an important job to enlighten our families with these facts. The choice to vaccinate in the end belongs to each family and their child.

May the spirit of our Patron – Blessed Edmund Rice, guide us. May St Joseph the Patron of all families keep us together.

No te Atua e te Ipukarea

Munokoa Purea

Chair

Nukutere College Board

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Went along to one of Te Marae Ora’s consultation meetings, to try and make a well-informed decision, on whether to vaccinate 12 to 15 year olds, or not?

All credit to the poor staff, who obviously drew the short straw, and had to facilitate this. Most of the people speaking there, had already been to several meetings, and don’t even have children, in this age group! The first person to speak, said his brother in England had been vaccinated and still got Covid-19! –like they think the vaccine, is a magic shield or something.

The only useful information, from the meeting was, what to look for with side effects, and the assurance they could cope with it. The question of what was in the vaccine came up a lot, as everyone there doesn’t seem to understand what a confidentiality agreement is, they seem to be able to Google, every and anything else, but not the ingredients? I found them in two seconds.

Well that’s two hours I’m never getting back!

Meitaki ma’ata

Happily Vaccinated

(Name and address supplied)

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I’m fully vaccinated and, no, I don’t know what’s in it – neither this vaccine, the ones I had as a child, nor in the Big Mac, or in hot dogs, or in other treatments … whether it’s for cancer, AIDS, the one for polyarthritis, or vaccines for infants or children.

I also don’t know what’s in Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, or other meds, it just cures my headaches and my pains.

I don’t know what’s in the ink for tattoos, vaping, Botox and fillers, or every ingredient in my soap or shampoo or even deodorants. I don’t know the long-term effect of mobile phone use or whether or not that restaurant I just ate at really used clean foods and washed their hands.

In short, there’s a lot of things I don’t know and never will…

I just know one thing: life is short, very short, and I still want to do something other than just going to work every day or staying locked in my home. I still want to travel and hug people without fear and find a little feeling of life ‘before’.

As a child and as an adult I’ve been vaccinated for mumps, measles, rubella, chicken pox, and quite a few others; my parents and I trusted the science and never had to suffer through or transmit any of said diseases.

I’m vaccinated, not to please the government but:

* To not die from Covid-19

* To not clutter a hospital bed if I get sick

* To hug my loved ones

* To not have to do tests to go out dancing, go to a restaurant, go on holidays and many more things to come

* To live my life

* To have kids go back to school and play sports

* For Covid-19 to be an old memory

* To protect us.

Leon Austin

(Facebook)