A video posted to Facebook last week shows Lethbridge Member of Parliament Rachael Thomas speaking out about the concerns of unvaccinated Albertans.
The video was streamed live to your Facebook page on December 16 and now has over 33,000 views.
Ultimately, these people are sharing with me that they are losing their voice and their credibility. They are losing any kind of respect or appreciation within the community, ”Thomas said in the video.
“We are no longer willing to learn, ask questions and understand. Instead, we simply label these people as if they are the culprits. “
Thomas continues to count messages from voters, including nurses, who say they have lost their jobs, the ability to travel and more due to not being vaccinated.
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Dr. Lorian Hardcastle, Associate Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine and University of Calgary School of Law, agreed that there has been an “us versus them” mentality throughout the pandemic, as those who felt that They were “doing their part” by receiving the vaccine. He was disappointed by those who chose not to.
“I think (the) frustration increased when the public health evidence encouraged them to get vaccinated, there were financial incentives, there were lotteries, there is a vaccine waiver program,” Hardcastle said.
“As the unvaccinated had increasing incentives to get vaccinated, I think that only deepened some of that resentment that people had towards the unvaccinated.”
In the more than seven minute long video, Thomas also addressed COVID-19 rates among the vaccinated population in Alberta.
“We see that the number of people who get COVID-19 and even go into hospital … (the number) of fully vaccinated people is actually greater than the number of people who are not vaccinated,” Thomas said.
As for Alberta, as of Tuesday there were 116 fully vaccinated people in the hospital with COVID-19, while there were 201 unvaccinated people.
More than 85 percent of Albertans age 12 and older have been fully vaccinated with two doses, making up the majority of the population.
Hardcastle said it’s important to consider the population of each category when comparing the numbers.
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“Without a doubt, those vaccinated are going to make up a larger portion of those in the hospital,” Hardcastle explained.
“So for example, if you have a vaccine that is 99.9% effective and 100% of the population is vaccinated, 100% of hospitalized people will get vaccinated.”
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“Every person I’ve talked to has told me, ‘Racheal, I’m more than happy to get tested daily to make sure I’m not a carrier of the virus, to make sure I’m not a public health professional.’ risk, ‘”Thomas stated in the video.
Hardcastle added that when it comes to supporting public health, messages like Thomas’s can be harmful.
“What tends to happen then is that they become a bit martyrs to those who are against vaccines and it adds fuel to their fire and gives them momentum in terms of perpetuating that anti-vaccine message.”
Global News contacted the Thomas constituency office multiple times to request an interview, but those requests have not been honored.
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Reference-globalnews.ca