What an eventful week in the sub-topical world of COVID rugby league. There were NRL fixture postponements, negotiations with the Queensland government and the continuing World Cup saga.
To top it all off, Peter V’landys entered the vaccine debate.
On a positive note, there has been talk of using players as pin-ups for inoculation, role models in convincing the general public to take up vaccination.
But it is some of the more authoritarian noises about forced vaccines that somewhat unnerve. There are rumours of making vaccination near-compulsory for players, mimicking the NFL.
The purported policy isn’t as arbitrary as an outright ban on unvaccinated players. In the NFL, the policy is to deal with issues of isolation and punishment for unfulfilled games differently depending on vaccination status.
Because vaccination reduces the chances of contracting and spreading coronavirus, such differentials make epidemiological sense. Indeed, much of Super League’s fixture difficulties owe themselves to oversensitive tracing, coupled with inflexible public health policy that fails to account for vaccination status.
With the NRL planning on making vaccination a prerequisite for attendance, it could be argued that the players are being dealt with more liberally than fans. But it doesn’t necessarily make it morally acceptable.
The fine line between encouragement and coercion is becoming blurred. As unvaccinated players will be subjected to the current Level 4 bubble protocols, regardless of the societal rules, claims of ‘individual choice’ may ring hollow.
For the sake of understanding, it’s important to note where I’m coming from personally. I have been vaccinated. I am also a vaccinator, inoculating citizens in the UK for the past seven months, at St Helens’ ground no less.
I received Oxford Astra-Zeneca as an under 30 and have been utterly dismayed by the commentariat and politicians around the world (Australia included) needlessly and recklessly attempting to discredit this safe, efficacious vaccine.
In short, I’m very much pro-vaccine and unless you have a good medical reason, choosing not to get vaccinated is a stupid decision.
But I will also protect your right to be an idiot. Once everyone has had the opportunity to be vaccinated, it shouldn’t matter if the person next to you isn’t. Approved vaccines are over 90 per cent effective against hospitalisation.
While the aforementioned statistics do reduce the chances of contracting and being infectious, they do not eliminate such risk. This almost immediately renders vaccine passports irrelevant for any type of large public gathering, particularly for societies seeking to emerge from the pandemic and live alongside COVID as they do any other endemic respiratory virus.
The alternative is to maintain the zero COVID ‘Fortress Australia’ strategy in perpetuity.
Back on the NRL, attempting to force vaccines on unresponsive players will only become counterintuitive in the long term. You run the risk of entrenching pre-existing views, and pushing top players away from the sport to other leagues that have a more forgiving stance.
Such policy and politics isn’t unprecedented. One of the hurdles to 2020’s Project Apollo restart was government reticence over flu vaccinations, particularly the reluctance of Josh Papalii and Bryce Cartwright.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
But the NRL stood up to the Prime Minister’s blanket ‘no jab, no play’ policy, and eventually came up with an addendum to the waiver over medical risk.
Players instead acknowledged that they had been informed of the risks and downsides to rejecting the flu vaccine. Why can’t the same policy be applied with this vaccine?
In the aftermath of the Australasian retreat from the international game, NZRL’s Greg Peters cited reluctance to get vaccinated by players as a reason for World Cup withdrawal.
It would have been far more productive to consult players before making any decision and explain the benefits, rather than issue an unpopular universal diktat that will only purvey suspicions of authority.
The work done by Papua New Guinea’s Justin Olam in fronting the vaccination program in his home country is laudable. For the NRL to claim credit and oversee any messaging screams of opportunism and seeking positive public relations. It’s particularly galling while they heavily emphasise the latter part of a ‘carrot and stick’ strategy.
The NRL’s claims to be championing vaccines while simultaneously coercing players seems contradictory. But this is the same organisation that champions the sport’s Olympic inclusion while pulling out and scuppering the World Cup, the game’s biggest international showcase.
Conan of Cooma
Roar Rookie
At no point did I say I was against vaccinations. You are struggling with your comprehension skills to get that out of my comment - I've had my first shot of AZ even though I'm not in the recommended age bracket, and recommend everyone get what they can. There is mounting evidence that the COVID vaccines currently in play reduce the chance of transmission in asymptomatic carriers only, that's it. A simple Google search will show you that, with many reports and papers on the subject. If you contract COVID and have been vaccinated but develop symptoms you are just as capable of transmitting the virus as someone who has not been vaccinated. So no, it's not entirely factual, as I stated in my first comment. Transmission rates are anecdotally reduced in asymptomatic vaccinated cases, not "...in every case...". In the context of this article every player that wants to play should be vaccinated, unless they have a medical reason. Ethical/moral excuses do not come into play. People shouldn't be getting vaccinated in the false belief that it's a magical barrier that prevents and/or reduces transmission/contraction, the major benefit is reducing the effects of COVID once someone is infected. Again, this is all very, very basic information you can find with a Google search. It's also in your AZ or Pfizer handout when you get your jab.
Bondi’s Fairy Legs
Roar Rookie
Wow you are more delusional than I thought. Oh well best I leave you alone then, you really are a lost cause!
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
but there’s no hope in hell it’s lab based! You are misinformed. Read my response to Greg above, the truth is coming out. let’s say it was deliberate. Why would China release a virus into its own backyard?!?! Why do some window manufacturers hire people to break windows? Why do some firefighters start fires? Why do some weapons manufacturers stir up conflict? Why do some hackers hijack computers? Why do some security firms encourage robberies? Look at the big picture. I'm out.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
“Chinese propaganda has all but stopped claiming that COVID-19 has a natural origin. No one in China is insisting that anymore,” Ms Markson said. Sky News Also - Chinese Media acknowledging lab leak Sky News. I don't need foil but it sure beats your source, the truth will out.
GregM
Roar Rookie
what insults? mate if u think that was an insult, u aint seen nothing yet
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
All you have is insults.
Bondi’s Fairy Legs
Roar Rookie
Sorry DP, I missed this comment. Com’on I love a bit of humour as much as the next person but you can’t be serious? Yes it didn’t originate at the wuhan market (well before then), but there’s no hope in hell it’s lab based! They’ve found very closely related viruses in wildlife (eg pangolins), not to mention that the wuhan is a very high biosecurity lab- I’ve been in one myself, there’s no way a virus can accidentally escape. Ok ok, I’ll humour you, let’s say it was deliberate. Why would China release a virus into its own backyard?!?! Regardless wouldn’t you try to develop an experimental drug to stop it first. Greg has a point tho, something is wrong with that hat of yours, maybe you don’t have enough sheets of tinfoil in it. I generally go with 3 layers to be safe.
Bondi’s Fairy Legs
Roar Rookie
I was hoping that you would say that. Good point, I gave no resources so here you go… Misleading clinical evidence and systematic reviews on ivermectin for COVID-19, EBM 2021 (free). https://www.fda.gov/media/144414/download (P.fizer ingredients list). Made an embarrassing mistake… in my earlier post it should read adjuvants not attenuates. Anyway reference for adjuvants- Emerging concepts in the science of vac.cine adjuvants, nature, 2021 (free). I’ll admit I couldn’t to find a journal article to reference for the endemic comment, that’s mainly because no one would publish it since it’s common knowledge. I have had numerous lecturers (epidemiologists and infectious disease experts) state it’s endemic/ soon to be, and have read numerous opinions pieces by epidemiologists agreeing. As for masks, well I’m not even going to bother that’s just basic epidemiology…
GregM
Roar Rookie
I sang "God Save the Queen" off the "Never mind the Bolloks" album - is that close enough?
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
The material I read was actually supplied by doctors. And many organisations/countries follow what the FDA do.
GregM
Roar Rookie
Ah it was released from the Lab? hope your tinfoil hat isn't on too tight
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
better than the AMA & every other medical community on the planet Not correct, there are thousands of lawyers and medical people around the world that don't agree. I didn't dream up the material I've read. “Authorised Use: For the prevention of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for individuals 12 years of age and older.” Interesting claim, given the link you quoted doesn't exist. And 'Authorised Use' isn't 'Approval'. It's a rushed authorisation for an experimental drug' You need to check your material and your sources. And your attitude revolves around 'listen to what I say simply because I say it' which places you in the blind leading the blind category. Enough. believe what you want.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
I wondered whether your response would be worth looking at. I was right, it wasn't. it contained typical trash material with no accurate reasoning behind it.. Use insulting words instead of thoughtful explanation. You insult my well credentialed sources without identifying anything better. You'll stay with the blind.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
God didn't. people did.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I think the vaccine reduces the affects of the virus but doesn't effect the spread. Isolate to be safe.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
What do you say to the families of those that take the vaccine and die from it?
Bondi’s Fairy Legs
Roar Rookie
It wasn’t borderline sarcasm. I had a look at the collective evolution article... there’s no proof!!! You trash science for excluding opposing views, and yet your evidence is an opinion article with no references. FYI the biggest study on ivermectin was redacted over ethical issues. Numerous studies into ivermectin have been falsified. Look as I’m sure you know ivermectin is a glutamate chloride channel agonist, how do you think this would have any effect on a virus with no glutamate chloride channel? For the time being there are no good therapies, antivirals are still in their early stages and interferons are not much better than a bandaid. As always the most effective treatment is prophylaxis- aka VAC! Graphene isn’t in P.fizer (or Astra), I’m not sure where that idea came from. Even if it is... big deal, I’ll let you in on a secret vacs often contain toxic substances called attenuates. Attenuates are designed to cause mild tissue damage- without them the immune system won’t respond. Yes everyone agrees it’s endemic, once we reach herd immunity masks will not be needed tho. No offence but I think i will stick within the realm of science- instead of entertaining your conspiracy theories. For someone uni educated you seem to be very quick to blindly listen to myths from untrustworthy sources. For everyone’s good, just get vaxed (!!!) your stup1dity doesn’t just harm you- it harms those around you too.
Dandragon
Roar Rookie
I was wondering too why you had more faith in the FDA & not our TGA. You seem awfully US focused…funny that. Anyway: “Authorised Use: For the prevention of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for individuals 12 years of age and older.” https://www.fda.gov/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine. 7/8/21.
Dandragon
Roar Rookie
I might begin the same as Jay: hahaha. Leave the ivermectin for flea treatment for your pets. Unless, of course, you know better than the AMA & every other medical community on the planet. You are sounding awfully like a member of a group which begins with Q. Incidentally, your multiple degrees should have trained you in attention to detail…such as spelling of pharmacological products you would be reading about every day. Ivermectin…Don’t forget you can always ingest bleach. Your equally informed idol swears by it, I believe. Lastly, why are you surprised about what Fauci said? Anyone with a degree, let alone multiple, would know that no vaccine is 100% effective as it entirely reliant on the response of the individual recipients’ immune systems. Ivermectin…You outed yourself there, big-time, for your chosen sources. Oh, seeing as you referenced YouTube - have you not read that your mates have been temporarily banned? Banned for supporting - among a number of things - the use of ivermectin. This was put into their category of a serious & potentially dangerous breach of their policy: wilfully misinforming the public for the sake of hugely unhelpful & potential disastrous sensationalism. Dangerous… because it appears that even highly educated people, such as yourself, believe it!
Jay
Guest
Jan 6*