Letters: Vaccines, University education and Christmas

Vaccines have changed our lives for generations, writes Paul Evans-McLeod. Photo / NZME

Opinion

Vaccines have changed our lives

Vaccines have changed our lives for generations, helping eradicate smallpox, rabies, tetanus, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, yellow fever, polio, measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox among others.

We don't hear much about some of these diseases any more because the vaccines worked. It's as simple as that.

Paul Evans-McLeod, Te Rapa

University education

Another gift university gives you gratis, other than an education, is humility. However clever you may be, or think you are, at university you are always surrounded by hundreds of others much smarter than you at all times. Once realised, this strips away any unnecessary head swelling.

Barbara Matthews, Onehunga

Home for Christmas

I agree with Heather du Plessis-Allan on letting Kiwis home for Christmas but only provided they are double jabbed (HoS, October 17). Otherwise we add to the pool of outliers and why would that be allowed?

Malcolm Wade, Beach Haven

Flawed logic

Heather du Plessis-Allan wants everyone home for Christmas. That's nice, most would agree with her — but her logic is flawed. In quoting her facts of many community and few border cases as justification for dismantling MIQ, she forgets that just ONE case at the border sparked the 2000 we have had in the community. Until we have the protection levels needed to risk the effects of 10 or 100 such border cases, we need MIQ.

Nor should the significance of Super Saturday be ignored. From first shot to immunity is five weeks. From October 16 to December 1 is six. Coincidence? Maybe not.

Heather might get her wish — all that needs to happen is that the reluctant come forward.

Mike Diggins, Royal Oak

Columnists

Morgan Owens (Letters, October 17) is right about Mike Hosking. Hosking is no journalist. He's just a loud-mouthed buffoon.

And, unfortunately, your columnist Heather du Plessis-Allen seems set to ape him.

Pity because you do have a good paper.

Leslie Watkins, Arkles Bay