By Donal O’Toole, Letter to the Editor
This news site recently carried an opinion piece about Covid-19 vaccination by Dave Simpson, an experienced writer and journalist. The content of his article is conveyed in the title: My body, my choice.
He cited a study from Israel which concluded that natural infection with SARS CoV-2 conferred stronger immunity than vaccination. As a journalist he will be familiar with using more than one source to fact-check newsworthy information. He did not do that here.
There are now at least four studies comparable to the Israeli one that address immunity following natural infection relative to vaccination. The conclusion is that it is a wash. Acquired immunity following infection is comparable to that of mRNA vaccination.
There is a difference though, although unstated in the piece. Covid vaccines have minor side effects and are not fatal. By contrast, natural infection can be.
Had they lived, some 1,500 of our fellow Wyomingites might attest to that. Plus another 20,959 residents, who might speak to the joys of surviving with slow Covid as a consequence of natural infection.c
Mr. Simpson wrote another piece recently about his acreage in the Snowies. The property had many beetle-killed trees. A local official suggested he consider removing dead ones to reduce the local fire risk. He did so, with understandable sadness.
By doing so he protected his cabin from fire, as well as the property of his neighbors. I wonder how phlegmatic he would be if neighbors left dead trees standing, with the argument: My Land, My Choice.
As with dead trees, so with pandemics.
Mr. Simpson’s logic might be expressed in another slogan: My Infection, Now Your Disease.
And that is not OK.
