Don’t call people who refuse Covid jabs ‘idiots’, Adam Price argues
People who have refused Covid jabs should not be “demonised” or called “idiots”, Adam Price has argued.
The Plaid Cymru Leader has suggested that doing so pushes them “further into the arms of the anti-vaxxers”.
In an interview with Matt Frei on Channel 4 News, he also described vaccination as a “moral issue” as well as a “civic duty”.
He said there should be “public information films” in order to get the “message across” and to combat “misinformation.
Adam Price said: “Vaccination is a moral issue. It’s a civic duty to get vaccinated. I think President Biden has even gone as far as to say that it’s a patriotic duty, so that’s a very very important message.”
Matt Frei said: “But should we, should you be doing as a politician, should you be doing more to call out those people who’ve refused to get vaccinated?”
Adam Price replied: “Well I think there’s a danger if you call people idiots, if you demonise them, then that doesn’t put you in a very good position to actually persuade them because then people just batten down the hatches.
“Then you’re not creating a relationship, a dialogue with those people you need to persuade. You’re actually pushing them further and further into the arms of the anti-vaxxers.
“Many people who haven’t been vaccinated, they’re not anti-vaxxers per se. They’re hesitant, but they’re not fully persuaded. They’ve been on the receiving end of all the misinformation from some of the big tech companies.”
‘Clearer targeting’
Matt Frei said: “Indeed, but there needs to be much clearer targeting of messaging doesn’t there? Very quickly, you’ve got to be much more precise here.”
Adam Price said: “Yes, people have said, look, we need a wartime effort. Well, let’s have some of those public information films that were so effective in getting the message across that, yes, it is important to get vaccinated, and to be unvaccinated in some ways, yes it may be a personal choice, but it has an impact on others.”
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Spot on
We have had only one Covid public information film of any substance and that was about the post first World War pandemic.
The Welsh Government needs to get a regular public information broadcasting system in place
Maybe if we had control of broadcasting, our Gov could do something about it, meanwhile it is up to Westminster.
you are spot on Gareth and #IndyWales and a welsh press supported by the people of Wales is the only way forward. Adam is as usual half right, but does a moral duty surpass a persons own capacity to choose? for me No it does not. every person of sound mind has the right to determine what happens to his or her own body. so says the Law.
I have always thought a lot of the Brexit vote was lost on calling leave voters idiots and racist etc. I think this is correct too, as much as they are, if you insult someone they won’t back down.
Being one who lost a family member to Covid nearly a year ago, partially agree with Adam Price that the ones yet to be vaccinated are likely afraid due to scare stories on the internet who need reassuring that vaccines are safe and in their best interest, but this is where I disagree with Adam Price, which is rare. when it comes to calling out ones who have a dangerous agenda. The term Covidiot is an appropriate description when it comes to Anti-Vaxxers who have the craziest conspiracy theories, such as Bill Gates putting microchips into the vaccine, and how… Read more »
Twm Teth
right now
How do the unvaccinated differ in their behaviour to the vaccinated?.In my experience the unvaccinated take more precautions, and a great majority of the the vaccinated think they cannot catch or transmit this virus and are immune and don’t maximise their efforts to keep themselves and others safe because they are vaccinated these are the people you should call Covidiots not those that CHOOSE not to be vaccinated..
Im afraid Adam needs perhaps to focus more on encouraging folk to get vaccinated. … rather than worrying about what people might call
those who endanger others with their behaviours.
Lost me mate 🌈
How do the unvaccinated differ in their behaviour to the vaccinated?.In my experience the unvaccinated take more precautions, and a great majority of the the vaccinated think they cannot catch or transmit this virus and are immune and don’t maximise their efforts to keep themselves and others safet because they are vaccinated these are the people you should call Covidiots not those that CHOOSE not to be vaccinated. And to vilify them.
Some logic in your thought certainly in regard to those who oppose vaccination on various grounds 🦠😷
– Gvt interfere etc
– Big Brother fear
– Exagerated issue
– individual freedom
Etc
However the lazy or this cannot touch us brigade mostly in their late 20s / 30s certainly not – often
a ‘ lads thing ‘ – wander around
open and obvious for us all to
see.
My cousin who works in a
London Hospital is seeing
many of thrse folk on a regular
basis now 😢
Pretty soon it will be a hate crime to ridicule Scientology or flat earthers the way things are going.
Just seen the early results projected for boosters over christmas and boxing day in England 🏴.
Sad we missed out 🙁
A fair number of lives protected I guess.
However the main outcome looks to be how many new younger / mid aged folk went for their first jab 👍🏼
Let us all rejoice how good this will be for them and their families plus of course the nhs 👍🏼
Sorry Richard My post was a reply to Y Cymro
No worries Twm 👍🏼
Almost all the people who arrive in hospital with Covid now are vaccine refusers. If one of them is blocking an ICU high dependency bed it is not available for, say, someone with an acute cardiac condition. There are a limited number of these beds. This is extremely selfish behaviour. I have no patience at all with those who exhibit it. There are good dedicated nurses getting frazzled with exhaustion dealing with people like this. There is one in particular I know for whom I have the most enormous admiration. A typical young Eastern Valleys lady, brisk, verging on hard… Read more »
Don’t you think the same consequences should apply to smokers and alcohol abusers which by the way it’s their choice. These are a greater drain on the services of our healthcare system. Let’s take it to the extreme, cyclist which ride on the road and not on a provided cycle track and are involved in a accident do you think these should receive a lower standard of care because of their decisions, and the list goes on.
“Applying principles” is fine in theory. You can “prove” anything (for a given value of proof, anyway) like that. But the fact is at the moment we have a large public health emergency and the cost of containing it is that good people are being used as fuel. This is intolerable.
By the way, I don’t see ICUs being overwhelmed with smokers and bad drinkers so I doubt your example. Yes, they are a drain on services no they are not a greater one.
What a mature and informed exchsnge here – far better than the occasional name calling in some other exchanges….on current topics…by other ‘ scriblers ‘.
What about the rights of the people who have been vaccinated, and have spent the last two years of their lives complying with the rules? Why should we have restrictions on our lives because selfish others don’t want the vaccine?