HAS the internet made people crazy or was there always an army of space cadets out there that we didn’t know existed until there was social media?
I had a recent conversation with a man who is adamant he will not take a Covid-19 vaccine because he deems it isn’t safe.
To his credit, he doesn’t think that the vaccine contains microchips which “they” will use to control our minds.
Still, the same fellow who doesn’t trust vaccines was fond of dropping a few pills bought from Dodgy Dave outside the local disco.
You would imagine that after the year we’ve been through that everyone would be lining up to get inoculated against a disease that has the potential to kill or cause long-lasting health damage.
Not a bit of it; there’s a growing number of people who are not only refusing to use the coronavirus vaccines, they are actively campaigning to convince others to follow their example.
Unfortunately a lot of ordinary people are taking medical advice from online quacks like Jim Corr and Gemma O’Doherty rather than scientific facts from doctors and scientists.
It appears that insanity is suddenly sexy and there are any amount of people out there who will believe anything but the truth.
The conspiracy theorist’s online world is populated by pantomime villains like financier George Soros and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Apparently for some reason the computer boss wants to inject microchips into our blood via vaccines.
Good man Bill; then the eyes would truly be the Windows to the soul.
It’s not a matter of one flying over the cuckoo’s nest; there are whole flocks of them perched on the broadband cables linking them to the internet.
Hardly a day goes by when Jimbo doesn’t tweet something less than complimentary about vaccines to his 43,300 followers on Twitter although, as far as I know, he has no medical qualifications.
While everyone is entitled to their opinions, it is now time that retaliatory action was taken against those who by refusing to be vaccinated are a danger to society and the greater good.
The stark reality is that if the coronavirus pandemic is to be beaten it will require the vast majority of the population of every country to be vaccinated.
If there is insufficient uptake the virus will continue to spread and kill.
A recent poll by RTE found that 32% of those asked would not take the first publicly available EU approved jab.
Another 12% said they did not know if they would get the vaccine which means that nearly half the population may not avail of it - useless in suppressing the coronavirus.
Across the water in the UK they seem to be a bit more sane, as a recent poll by Sky found that 10 percent of those asked said they would refuse the vaccine.
Another interesting finding was that 54% felt it would be acceptable to limit air travel to only people who have been vaccinated.
While the World Health Organisation accepts that vaccination should not be mandatory, it might be time to take some form of sanctions against those whose choices can indirectly damage other people’s health.
Certainly the State and the airlines should insist that those who cannot prove they have been vaccinated should not be allowed to fly.
You can’t bring your dog or cat to another EU state without showing its vaccination records and the same should be applied to humans if this pandemic is to be halted.
A few weeks ago I did a piece for the Mirror about Co Kildare woman Theresa Lambe who has a leading role in the development of a vaccine which could help end the coronavirus pandemic.
She has been working relentlessly at the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute on the vaccine which could be in use by the end of the year.
The principal of her former school, the Cross and Passion College in Kilcullen Joe Leonard described Prof Lambe as a scientific hero.
He is dead right for her work and dedication will undoubtedly save many lives in the years ahead.
Yet at the same time there is a legion of anti-heroes out there who have also dedicated their lives to spreading misinformation that will cost many lives.
Former Mirror editor Piers Morgan recently hit out at anti-vaxxers, claiming he would take the new Covid-19 jab live on his Good Morning Britain programme.
But as part of the deal, those who refuse to take the vaccination would not be allowed to fly and be barred from accessing the UK’s National Health Service if they catch the virus.
Sound advice and if those who take their medical advice from conspiracy theorists show up at an A&E department the overworked staff should tell them to go and see if Jim’ll Fix It.
