Derek Fox: The people getting seriously ill and dying, are unvaccinated

I have discovered in my reading of the covid debate, is that the people getting seriously ill and dying, are unvaccinated. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

OPINION:

Tena tatou,

Like many of you I am deeply concerned about Covid-19. I'm particularly concerned for our children and mokopuna, who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, and are therefore not protected from the worst effects of this deadly and highly infectious disease. At the time of writing there are 4541 cases of covid in New Zealand from the August outbreak; 950 of them – 20 per cent - are children under 12. Think about that.

I have no intention of getting into a debate with people who believe that the vaccines are some form of government attempt to control the population, that they somehow contain a chip which will allow Bill Gates and a handful of wealthy people to gain control of the world; or any other such theories.

I can say though, that I have spent more than 50 years reading through thousands of documents, sifting out fact from fiction; and the glaring, undisputable fact I have discovered in my reading of the Covid debate, is that the people getting seriously ill and dying, are unvaccinated.

The international figures, and they are also mirrored in New Zealand, show that on average 97 per cent of the people ill enough to be hospitalised – some of whom are seriously ill – have not been vaccinated.

Yes you might still get the virus after you've been vaccinated, but once again the figures show that you are less likely to get seriously ill and/or die. In the 4541 people I quoted earlier as having caught Covid in the current outbreak in New Zealand, 385 of them – 8.5 per cent - had been vaccinated; but the overwhelming majority – 91.5 per cent - had not.

Over the last 20 months for the people of Tairawhiti, Covid-19 has largely been an academic discussion, something happening "over there, overseas or in Auckland, in any case a long way away", but that's not the case now.

It's now been found in the Gisborne wastewater system. It's here – and don't try and tell me the government put it in there, that's nonsense. So there is Covid in the community. It's suddenly real, and we have several thousand unvaccinated vulnerable people. Not just those who are youngish and think they're ten feet tall and bulletproof. But young children and mokopuna. Kaumatua too are vulnerable, but ironically and sensibly, they are among the most highly vaccinated in Tairawhiti.

So the wolf is at the door of our house made out of sticks, and is huffing and puffing, what should we do?

I know people who have been advocating roadblocks to keep the virus out. My response is short, and possibly a little sharp. But think about it. If the entire forces of the state of New Zealand have been unable to keep the virus out of the country, or keep it in Auckland, what makes you think that roadblocks say at Hicks Bay, Wharerata and Matawai will do better?

The sensible precaution we have available to us to offset serious illness and death, is to vaccinate.

In recent weeks we have seen some progress in getting our people vaccinated. Marae and hapu are working with our people. Hauora are going to the people not expecting them to come in. Young people are working to help other young people get over their hesitancy; and all of these measures need to keep going.

I've noted that the government has set aside a sum of $120 million to help get Maori protected through vaccination. I've also noted a number of groups forming themselves to help the government spend that money, and I sincerely hope they are successful – with the vaccinations that is.

My suggestion is probably worth about two cents. But depending on how people answer my primary question, could have huge benefits.

My question to employers and trade unions in Tairawhiti is this.

Do you have a stake in having a healthy workforce in your business or union?

Is it worth something to you to have all your logging trucks on the road delivering logs to the port generating revenue for you and the country and wages to your staff or union members?

And if your staff member's family is sick with Covid-19, how does that affect you? Quite a lot – then why wouldn't you want to avoid all of that by trying in some suitable way to encourage your staff and their family to be vaccinated?

That same series of questions can also be put to all the major employers in the district, with not only Maori but other workers too. Like the roading companies, the meatworks, the port, the Gisborne and Wairoa District councils, the hospitals, the Runanga, the fishing and other clubs. Should Turanga FM and Radio Ngati Porou be asking these questions, and the Gisborne Herald too?

Over recent weeks, from time to time I've see business leaders saying they may have a role in fighting Covid, well now is their chance.

This is not meant to put anyone on the spot, but to genuinely ask, is it or is it not of value for you to have a healthy staff in order to remain in business. And given how infectious this Delta variant of covid is, if your worker's family gets it then so too is your worker likely to. So why not think of ways whereby you might be able to stave it off and make a real contribution to the community to.

Please don't tell me that you would like some direction from government; especially as in my 50-plus years in journalism I have so many times seen businesspeople railing against government interference; this is something between you and your staff, for the benefit and prosperity of your business.

How about discussing it with your staff and maybe organising a staff and families BBQ and getting Turanga Health or Ngati Porou Hauora or the DHB, to come round and vaccinate your "work whanau".

Who knows what good might come out of it.

At the very least you'll give them considerable protection from this deadly virus. And maybe future-proof your company too.

Derek Fox is a veteran journalist. He lives between Mahia and the Cook Islands and is a member of the Waitangi Tribunal.