Dear Editor, Serena Hunter’s view cannot go unchallenged (No jab, no job policy, Cook Islands News, December 11, 2021).

She demonstrates the favoured thought process of the antivax group which is called cognitive bias.

In simple terms this involves making up your mind and then cherry picking statements and statistics, usually out of context, to support your prejudice.

Scientific method is different. It involves critically examining reliable data and then forming a conclusion.

The unfortunate Version 1.0 of the (NZ) Ministry of Health Position Statement contained her quoted line which basically says when most of a population are vaccinated, most people with the virus will be vaccinated. This was widely celebrated and circulated by antivaxxers within hours, as we see here. They wrongly draw the conclusion that, if vaccinated, you are more likely to get infected.

The reverse is true. Basic statistics reveal if everyone is vaccinated, everyone with the virus will be vaccinated because the denominator is so large. However they won’t get so sick.

If you want to meet the unvaccinated, visit the Covid ward or ICU at Auckland Hospital. The true heroes are the public hospital workers who put themselves in harm’s way caring for them.

After a furious reaction from myself and others, the Ministry of Health NZ revised their Statement twice in 72 hours dropping the offending sentence.

The unvaccinated are more likely to get infected (3.3X), pass it to others (9X), or be hospitalised (25X). The only reason NZ remains in lockdown is because the unvaccinated are unvaccinated. The only reason for ongoing mandates and restrictions (including travel to Cook Islands) is because of the risk the unvaccinated pose. The only reason for Northland’s roadblocks is to protect the unvaccinated from the unvaccinated.

Make no mistake about the facts.

1. This virus is deadly. It’s a hideous death and long Covid (suffered by up to 30 per cent) destroys organs and lives.

2. The vaccine is extremely safe.

3. The vaccine is extremely effective at preventing infection, death and severity.

4. The unvaccinated are a risk to those around them, especially the sick or elderly (even if vaccinated).

The assessment of the unvaccinated is that the vaccine is a greater risk to them than the virus is to them and others. Mainstream medicine does not agree.

While it is painted as a personal-risk choice, the analogy is not to smoking but rather to smoking in a crowded room. Second hand virus is a lot more deadly than second hand smoke.

Cook Islands remains the safest place in the world simply because the unvaccinated are so few in number.

Yours sincerely,

Associate Professor John Dunn FRACS

Te Ara Moana Rangatira, Ngati Terei

Hon Medical Advisor to the PM

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Don’t drink and drive

The Police, as appropriate, have issued the usual holiday message, ‘don’t drink and drive’.

Problem is, we read all too often in your Court reports of a JP saying words such as “Now this is the third time you’ve driven drunk while disqualified. Next time you might go to jail”.

When vehicles are crushed and sent to NZ to be recycled and when repeat offenders go to jail, drink driving will decrease.

(Name and address supplied)