Information on COVID vaccine
Thank you to Albert Cilia-Vincenti (January 2) for the information regarding the COVID vaccine.
The (anti) social media seem to abound with specious nonsense in this regard – the new anti-measles vax noise, whose genesis is the now discredited Andrew Wakefield. Also look at the ‘experts’ who eschew influenza vaccination, even though this kills about 650,000 people on a bad year.
It’s incredible how those who are not precluded from doing so for health reasons would consider refusing COVID vaccination. Ironically, many of these were most stridently ‘don’t rain on my catastrophe’ back in March. You don’t even have to pay for it!
That said, it is not helpful to see bold “by summer!” etc. pronouncements by public figures. Don’t they have enough egg on their faces on so many issues as it is? While the question of disease versus infection remains one which experts in the know overseas debate, BBC World reported confusion about when to best administer the second jab. There is also confusion on how long protection from the first actually lasts.
A few weeks back, Norman Swan (ABC/RN CoronaCast) said that phase two trials, pertaining to dosage, seem to have been compressed in the necessary rush to get something out there.
Moreover, if we are getting 10,000 doses a week in Malta, it means ballpark 40 weeks to cover the population. “Herd immunity” (which overseas scientists are still debating because of the disease/infection conundrum) needs 70 per cent uptake. That means that this is going to take time. Regardless of the fairy tales our politicos keep spinning.
Sensible voices in the US are saying that masks and distancing will have to be with us for the whole of this year. Would it not be better to be told the facts? The aim ought to be to encourage the populace to be judicious with one’s health and civic minded more generally and get vaccinated. And also realise that masks and distancing need to be with us for some time yet.
Instead, we get the “all’s well!” approach and the hordes of idiots invading Gozo and crowding outdoor venues in Valletta (no masks) etc.
This may be seen to win a few ignorant votes but will not impress this virus.
Anna Micallef – Sliema
First Xewkija archpriest
With reference to my article ‘L-Istrina through the years’ (January 1), I would like to point out that it was Dun Pietru Pawl Ciantar (pictured) – not Dun Pawl Ciantar (his nephew), as was stated in the caption of the newspaper – who was the 10th parish priest and first archpriest of Xewkija.
Sorry for the lapsus.
Joe Zammit Ciantar – Santa Luċija
Unborn persons
I venture to comment on the term, “unborn person”, used by lawyer Tonio Borg (‘Flawed abortion report’, December 31). A person is someone born alive and eligible for a birth certificate. Miscarried foeti and stillbirths are not recognised as persons by any state, including Malta. They are not given a birth certificate, not registered as citizens and not baptised by the Church.
When I was pathology chairman at St Luke’s Hospital, an obstetrics and gynaecology department nurse enquired as to what was happening to miscarried foeti and stillbirths.
If the mother or family didn’t insist on taking them away, they were incinerated with other tissues or organs removed at surgical operations. The nurse wondered whether they could be given some sort of burial rather than incineration with hospital “waste”.
We had never had such a request, so I asked the Attorney General’s office for advice but no clear legal guidance was forthcoming.
From then on, the nurse took it upon herself to organise an annual communal burial and a simple religious service for miscarried foeti and stillbirths. Neither the state nor the Church had, therefore, ever regarded miscarried foeti or stillbirths as “deceased persons” entitled to funeral services.
I would like to stress that I am not commenting on the vexed ethical question of abortion but, in my view, the term “unborn person” used by Borg is legally incorrect and a contradiction.
Furthermore, endless contributions from both pro-life and pro-choice sides will lead nowhere, apart from boring us to death.
The question can only be answered and settled by referendum (or referenda).
Albert Cilia-Vincenti – Attard
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