When we post anything on line it should be with great caution and a lot of thought about the consequences! Have we checked the source and and can we verify and confirm the content? It is so easy to forward posts without paying too much attention to their authenticity. This was brought home to me last week and has made me realise how quickly fake news can go viral!
I belong to a WhatsApp group of school friends in South Africa. We should have had a big reunion last year if COVID hadn’t reared its ugly head! It has been good to catch up on their news, some remaining in South Africa and others, like me, dotted around the world. In the main we have all grown into responsible, caring adults. However, there is one member who is a rabid anti-vaxxer! This became apparent last year when the Astra Zeneca vaccine was heralded as one of the forerunners in the fight against COVID!.
An audio recording was posted by this person, a seemingly sensible and intelligent woman! No warning came attached so I opened the file. I was shocked when I listened to the content. Scientists were going to implant foreign DNA into our arms together with magnetic chips to control our every move! We were going to become robots! There were a lot more ludicrous conspiracy theories focused on causing the greatest amount of fear and distrust in the Oxford team of scientists!
It was so far-fletched that I thought it was a joke. I posted a reply to that effect. I was horrified when I received her response! She was adamant that it was true and insisted that no one was ever going to inject anything into her or one of her family member’s arms! Ever! They would all run the risk of contracting Covid and take their chances! I was stunned but moved on, hoping that the post had not inflicted any long term damage and that it would be treated with the contempt it deserved.
Months passed and my husband, daughter and most of our friends all received the Astra Zeneca jab. We were relieved and very grateful! We were doing our bit to protect others and ourselves against what had become a global pandemic of epic proportions! Our scientists were to be applauded, as were all those around the world working day and night waging war on a virus devastating countries and claiming millions of lives!
Last week another video appeared on our WhatsApp group. It began with an American woman claiming that MRNA vaccines were going to kill at least 50 million Americans within the next three years! All those under 30 were going to take a bit longer to die, maybe up to five years! It went on to show interviews of people suffering from Bell’s palsy, neurological diseases, spasms, convulsions, tremors and other horrific skin complaints and disfigurements. These were all as a direct result of receiving a COVID vaccination! Thousands had already perished and the majority of those needing oxygen in India had all recently been vaccinated!
‘Doctors’ from all parts of the globe warned people that they would get awful, debilitating side effects starting immediately or within a few months after receiving their second injection. They would be in excruciating pain and prefer death to their current situation! This was a video posted on line by a women with absolutely no medical or scientific background! The majority of those in our group hadn’t yet received any vaccinations! I was furious! My response was not guarded or carefully worded to avoid causing the least offence! In no uncertain terms I voiced my extreme concern! She was being irresponsible and could cause significant loss of life if this video was believed by vulnerable, gullible people! There are a lot of them and the internet has made easy access to this type of scaremongering and blatant disinformation!
A few agreed with me and thankfully many others said that they had either had their first jab or were waiting for their call ups. Not everyone replied but I am hopeful that common sense will prevail! This same woman is emigrating to the United Kingdom next month. She will be offered a vaccination and it will probably be Astra Zeneca. I’m sure she will decline. She will find that so much free movement and travel will depend on her being fully vaccinated! I also fervently hope that she doesn’t continue trying to influence those frail, aged and suffering co-morbidities from making rational decisions that are right for them. It’s not a legal requirement but one of selflessness, to protect yourself, your family and friends and for the greater good of mankind.
Everyone is allowed an opinion. The United Kingdom holds great store by the importance of freedom of speech. However, where it affects the lives and livelihoods of others and their health and well-being, unsubstantiated, unscientific and unconfirmed opinions must not be bandied around as facts! This is totally irresponsible and unforgivable! It is also scandalous and selfish!
I rest my case! 👠
Jenny Burrell 