Last evening I had a long phone call with an ex healthcare colleague, we had not spoken in a while and wanted to catch up on the latest developments regarding vaccine roll out and and current situation.
We both discussed our feelings of isolation regarding the mass hysteria, mask wearing and the how this is separating families into two camps the non believers and the believers, the vaxxers and the non vaxxers. She said the only person she can really talk to openly is her husband. She has two daughters, one is a teacher the other is an RN. Both have swallowed this story whole, she is unable to discuss anything regarding the pandemic with her RN daughter, she is so completely convinced of the reality, her mother has also swallowed the whole story.
We talked about the situation in the healthcare facility I worked in. They have started the vaccine roll out for staff, it's a care facility and residents are to be vaccinated when all staff are vaccinated. They are required to complete a vaccination booklet, providing information of all vaccinations previously received.
She told me that all the staff are in line with the narrative regarding the pandemic and only listen to so called authoritative sources for information, she is unable to discuss the situation with any of her co-workers. All seem to be compliant regarding taking the vaccine. Could be for many reasons namely fear, loss of job hence loss of income if they don't comply. Many are single parents, married with families, and who knows how many husbands have been laid off or are working reduced hours and relying on government support.
She is refusing the vaccine, she was called by the infection control RN at the hospital to make an appointment to receive the vaccine, needless to say she ignored it. She told me if she is forced to take it she will retire, she is only 57, but she sees it as no other option. She also tells me she is enrolling in a nutritional counseling course, as an alternative source of income should she be forced to retire, this would be online of course.
As for the vaccine recipients in the facility, as far as she is aware, nobody has suffered any severe reactions, mostly complaints of pain at the injection site, fatigue, and generalized aches and pains. I find this rather strange, considering that Canada has approved the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and some of the reactions that have leaked into the media and alternative sources.
My thought is, and I am speculating here are they administering a viral vector vaccine to healthcare staff. There are chronic staff shortages in all healthcare facilities in the area, many if not all, having difficulty covering areas for staff with casual workers (many working at 2 or 3 facilities) for absences due to sickness or vacations and requested time off for family emergencies. If mRNA vaccines are administered to staff, this could create a severe staffing shortage in the area, so again, could be pure speculation on my part.
Also another sad thing I heard from my sister in the UK last week, she has a friend, in her late 40's. She has COPD, and has not been outdoors since the first lockdown in the UK, the friend has a 9 year old daughter. My sister took her to a local park to run and play, it was empty at the time of their arrival. Other families started to arrive, the 9 year old made the comment "I hear voices, it's germs" My sister informed me that the parents don't discuss the situation at home (could be related to the mothers fear, I don't know). Her conclusion was the only way that such a preposterous idea had entered her head was from the teaching staff at her school., talk about indoctrination.