Dear editor:

As countries around the world marginalize and attempt to pressure non-vaxxers to get vaccinated by denying them access to international travel, restaurants, bars and numerous other services available to the vaccinated, we are witnessing a “chasing our tail scenario'' when it comes to slaying the COVID-19 dragon.

Politicians are, with regularity, ignoring the medical science deemed as the solution to the COVID crisis. Alberta and Saskatchewan are recent examples here in Canada. Politicians rejected the medical science recommending restrictions, subsequently both provinces are in a health care crisis -– and in Alberta, not for the first time.

In the U.K., for the same reasons (relaxing restrictions), they are also in a new health care crisis. This latest occurrence comes as a new COVID subvariant, dubbed “Delta plus,” is spreading with alarming consequences.

Purportedly 10 to 15 per cent more contagious than the already highly transmittable Delta variant, it originated in India and has been reported in five U.S. states.

With Ontario opening up and setting a future goal of Jan. 17 to eliminate vaccine passports etc., what does our health care future foretell given the aforementioned crises, considering that a certain percentage of the population will never get vaccinated no matter the attendant circumstances or penalties?

Are we going to disenfranchise and stigmatize this segment of society forever? I think not.

Without prejudice we will have to integrate them into a normal life and somehow manage the consequences.

They will forever be mixing in our communities, not an assuring feeling in the midst of an ongoing challenging and stubborn pandemic.

It will assuredly have a negative impact on any efforts to exit this dark tunnel by straining our ICU wards with the unvaccinated and delaying critical operating procedures and medical care for others.

It also delays a quicker return to a robust economy. Might further shutdowns be in our future?

Samuel Young

NOTL