According to an article in The Times Newspaper in the UK, dated 21st October 2021. More than 800 double-vaccinated people in Scotland have died from Covid-19.
The NZ Government Traffic Light system based on the efficacy of an unproven inoculation will not work. In Scotland 600 deaths have occurred after social distancing rules were relaxed and the double-vaccinated blindly rushed back to life as normal, believing they were safe. Clearly the drive in New Zealand to get 90% double-vaccinated (or is the figure going to change to 95%) will be a failure.
The government keeps telling New Zealand that the greater the number of people vaccinated the safer we will be. They also say they follow the science. The science in countries well ahead of New Zealand in the cycle of the pandemic is proving the vaccine is not effective. The hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on a vaccine drive, obviously would be better spent on upgrading the New Zealand health system. Instead of casting aside doctors and nurses who disagree from a scientific basis, with the government’s rhetoric on the efficacy of the vaccine (including I might add, the NZ Doctor of the year) the government must embrace them and hear an alternate point of view.
A friend pointed out that we don't want a repeat of the horrific 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic which killed over 8000 New Zealanders. I agree we don't. However, much was learnt in those eight months that the Spanish Flu ran rampant in New Zealand. The ground-breaking realisation was that the government eventually had to step back and allow the health professionals to deal with the outbreak on a local level. Stepping back, properly funding the response, and allowing local health professionals to get to work enabled the epidemic to be brought under control quickly.
Entrenched bureaucracy within the New Zealand health system that is currently aligned with our government, is hindering recovery from this pandemic because most involved in this space are not bound by the Hippocratic Oath. Many are not doctors but accountants and managers meaning they are bound instead by bottom line financial performance over the wellbeing of New Zealand citizens.
ONE Party is confident however, that within the New Zealand health system there are enough brilliant minds to bring this pandemic under control. Sadly, as we've already stated, these minds are not being heard. Instead, we have a government blinded by red, orange and green lights who refuse to listen to doctors and health workers, and even silence such voices to save face.
ONE Party believes the reality is this government has failed. Instead of bringing a solution to a major health issue, they have created huge division in our free land.
ONE Party hold this government accountable for not listening to the health care workers in New Zealand who still actually care about the wellbeing of their patients and not the profit of their practices.
ONE Party hold the government accountable for dismissing science that differs from the bureaucratic advice they listen to currently.
It's not too late to listen to health professionals who offer an alternate view.
Ian Johnson is Co-leader of ONE Party, New Zealand.
