50 medical and legal professionals have signed an open letter calling for an end to what they say is discrimination against those unvaccinated for the Covid-19 virus.
They say they “condemn the current legal discrimination against unvaccinated persons as a shocking and degrading violation of human rights,” and reference Resolution 2361 (2021) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe which they say urges member States – including Ireland – to:
“…ensure…that no one is under political, social or other pressure to be vaccinated if they do not wish to do so;
ensure that no one is discriminated against for not having been vaccinated, due to possible health risks or not wanting to be vaccinated;
…
use vaccination certificates only for their designated purpose of monitoring vaccine efficacy, potential side effects and adverse events…”
“We call on the government to honour those principles. In addition, we strongly deplore the remarkably hostile scapegoating campaign against unvaccinated people by numerous politicians, media figures and others in the public eye,” they continue.
“This disturbing campaign incites hatred and division,” the letter states. They say:
“The scapegoating and legal discrimination are not only appalling but also absurd, in light of the fact that people who are vaccinated against Covid-19 can and do also contract and transmit the virus.”
The letter also states Ireland has the highest full vaccination rate in the EU/EEA, yet also has far more than the EU/EEA average case rate for Covid.
“The majority of unvaccinated people in Ireland are young and extremely unlikely to require hospitalisation if they contract Covid-19,” they say.
“Hospitals in Ireland are under pressure because of inadequate health service capacity. OECD data indicates that, years before Covid-19 struck, Ireland already had the highest occupancy rate of acute care beds in the OECD – and one of the lower numbers of intensive care beds per 100,000 people in the OECD.”
They also defended the right of people not to take a vaccine.
“Many people have entirely legitimate reasons for not taking a Covid-19 vaccine (or not getting a second dose) – including for medical or other reasons, for example because they have natural immunity due to prior infection. Recent research has found that natural immunity provides longer-lasting and stronger protection than vaccine-induced immunity,” they wrote.
“There is a better path than unjust, divisive and irresponsible scapegoating. With this in mind, we urge the government to fulfil their duty to adequately resource the health service, in particular by improving health service capacity, which even now – over 20 months after the first recorded Covid-19 case in Ireland – still remains seriously inadequate,” they wrote.
They also claimed a ‘fairer debate’ was required. “ We also strongly urge the media to ensure both sides of the debate on Covid-19 restrictions are fully and fairly heard, and to perform their vital duty of challenging those in authority, rather than facilitating efforts to deflect the blame for current difficulties away from persons in authority and onto members of the public.”
The full list of signatories is:
Eimear Bell Senior physiotherapist
Liz Bergin Pharmacist
Anne Bolger Clinical Nurse Specialist
Martin Byrne Barrister-at-Law
Martin Caddow RGN
Vincent Carroll Medical Doctor
Louise Carroll RM
Anna Cogan Solicitor
Monica Conway Integrative Therapist
Orlagh Corcoran Registered Nurse
Gerardine Costello Solicitor
Siobhan Daly Solicitor
Louisa Deady Speech and language Therapist
Clare Dooley Chief Vascular Physiologist
David Fagan Vascular Physiologist
Alan Farrell Medical Doctor
Martin Feeley Medical Doctor
Kenneth C Fogarty Senior Counsel
Noreen Harty RGN
Jane Holland Medical Doctor
Catherine Holmes Solicitor
Iwona Krzyspiak Registered Nurse
Siobhan Mallen RGN
Anne McCloskey Medical Doctor
Eleanor McGee Clinical Nurse
Maria Mhic Mheanmain RNID
Fiona Milton HCA
Annette Mitchell Vascular Physiologist
Claire Moloney Psychologist
Pat Morrissey Medical Doctor
Sinead NiLionsigh Care Worker
Marta Nowakowska HCA
Karen O’Donovan RGN
Karen O’Hanlon Doctor & Scientist
Tracey O’Mahony Barrister-at-Law
Audrey Pender RGN
William Ralph Medical Doctor
Natalie Robitzki RPN
Andrew Rynne Medical Doctor
Edmund Shanahan Barrister-at-Law
Sabrina Sullivan Solicitor
Geoffrey Sumner Barrister-at-Law
Pauline Vahey Registered Nurse
Grainne Vaughan Advanced Nurse
Practitioner Mary Wall RGN
Gerry Waters Medical Doctor
Marcin Wesolowski HC