It’s always tempting to vilify people who disagree with us on topics we deem important.
Eg, am I the only one bothered by the continued use of ‘anti-vaxxer’ to describe and hate on folks who reject the Covid-19 vaccines? I find it unhelpful not just because it inaccurately links such folks to people who refuse ALL vaccines, but also because it suggest a lack of nuance about perceptions related to vaccines as a whole (and other aspects of the Covid-19 response).
Maybe the challenge is to truly embody the “respect for differences” we always talk about in polite company — to truly madly deeply appreciate diversity of viewpoints. To this end, I’m listing 10 categories of vaccine preferences I’m aware of:
In my experience, I’ve found there are perfectly intelligent and good-hearted people who:
1. Reject the Covid19 vaccines entirely (for reasons ranging from concern over mRNA technology to distrust over the media’s narrative about the necessity of vaccines to a sense of sacredness about the body and the vaccine’s invasiveness; note that folks in this category may reject the vaccines for one or some or all of these reasons and others)
2. Accept only one vaccine, usually Sinovac (and no other)
3. Accept (and promote) vaccines but also believe in the efficacy of Ivermectin (or, like me, that research on Ivermectin should continue and positive results not dismissed)
4. Believe in vaccines but do not believe children should be vaccinated, or that vaccinating children should be optional
5. Believe in vaccinating children but not in masking them (or that masks are unnecessary outdoors)
6. Believe in vaccines but not in vaccine mandates (I’ve noted aspects of the debate at https://www.malaymail.com/.../mandatory-covid-19.../1937360)
7. Didn’t initially believe in vaccines but since it’s so impractical to not be vaccinated why the heck not
8. Believe in the vaccines but not the boosters because a) many people still don’t have even the first dose and b) for young healthy folks it seems unnecessary
9. Were originally pro-vaccine but are now iffy about the jabs because treatments (like the Merck one?) are available
Finally, of course, we have :
10. Are pro-vaccine, pro-vaccine for kids, pro-masks, pro-vaccine mandates and pro-boosters (for almost everyone).
