Government mandates have saved us all

Re: “Vaccine mandates deny fundamental rights,” letter, Oct. 14.

Metchosin Mayor John Ranns errs in his statement regarding the issue of fundamental rights where vaccinations are concerned.

Simply put, there is no “fundamental” right to refuse, any more than there is a medical reason for well over 95 per cent of the populace.

What has been missing in this too-long, very sad episode of the Canadian story has been the will of the provincial and federal governments to treat COVID-19 and its variants the way smallpox, tuberculosis and polio were treated in the past.

Simply ignore the election-clock countdown and issue the appropriate mandate, thereby saving millions of Canadians from harm.

Although it has been said more than once that examples exist of the various vaccines possibly causing serious side effects, it is usually the same few examples that are trotted out as “proof” by the different mouthpieces, while the members of medical profession (who are far better trained and more experienced than you or I) have stated repeatedly that the only way to return our society to even a shadow of its former self is to make sure that as many of us as possible are vaccinated.

To put it in three words: “Vaccinations save lives.” Period.

In days past, it was government mandates that saved Canadian society from smallpox, polio, tuberculosis and other incredibly serious diseases that so many seem to have forgotten in their zeal to defend their “rights.” The courage to do once again what previous governments did to save the population is what is needed now.

K.M. Frye Saanich