Andrzej Duda sounded like an anti-vaccineist yesterday on TVP. He has given up a bit today
On Monday evening, during a one-man presidential debate in Końskie organized by TVP, when asked about his attitude to vaccines, and in particular to the coronavirus vaccine, Andrzej Duda unexpectedly answered:
As far as the vaccine is concerned, I am absolutely not in favor of any mandatory vaccination. I will tell you openly: I personally never got vaccinated against influenza, because I think not. Of course, I had various vaccinations as a child and later as an adult boy, but I never got vaccinated against flu and I don't want to get vaccinated. I believe that coronavirus vaccinations should absolutely not be mandatory. Who wants it, if there is a vaccine, let it be vaccinated, but who does not want it is his personal decision.
When social media was flooded with criticism directed at the president, his colleagues came to the rescue, confirming that they agreed with him and that this was the position of more people in his political camp.
Compulsory vaccinations - facts
This statement must be a matter of concern. It shows that Andrzej Duda does not know how vaccines work, why they are effective and why in vaccines the number of people vaccinated in a given population counts, not individual decisions. I omit the fact that the president was against the law in force, which contains a list of compulsory vaccinations.
It would seem that during a pandemic that turned the whole world on its head, which paralyzed the natural functioning of societies around the globe, elementary knowledge about vaccines could, like never before, break into everyone. As it turns out, it did not even get through to the most important people in our country.
I would like the president of my country to know that it is compulsory vaccines to control many diseases, that polio vaccinations saved the lives of millions of people around the world, and that vaccinations are one of the greatest achievements of 20th century medicine.
This is extreme irresponsibility. Doesn't the President know that thanks to vaccines we have regained control over many dangerous diseases? I myself have an emotional attitude to it, because a loved one suffered from polio when there was no vaccine yet. My parents "waited" with me until it finally appeared. Polio vaccinations saved millions of lives (...) This must not be underestimated. Unfortunately, the president provided huge fuel for anti-vaccineists. I would be interested in what Minister Łukasz Szumowski or Senator Stanisław Karczewski have to say on this topic. Minister Szumowski himself should urge the head of state to correct this dangerous statement as soon as possible
- said in an interview with Onet.pl prof. Tomasz Grodzki, Speaker of the Senate.
To the above I would also add information about what is the vaccination and herd immunity. Maybe then the president would understand what a huge mistake he made in saying what he said.
Responsibility for words
It can be safely assumed that several million Poles watched the coverage of Andrzej Duda's meeting with the inhabitants of Końskie. And it was those few million who heard from him that vaccinations should not be mandatory. Yesterday anti-vaccinees could feel the energy flow.
The person holding the most important position in the country said they were right. Vaccinations are suspicious (because yes) and everyone should decide for themselves whether they want to get vaccinated or not. Until yesterday, by refusing vaccinations, they knew that they were breaking the law and that they could face their consequences. Now they could feel that the president was behind them, so maybe soon the law would change, and maybe penalties for not vaccinating will not be enforced.
The president changes his mind after midnight
A few hours after the debate, Andrzej Duda, seeing the outrage caused by his statement, decided to rectify it. He almost succeeded.
Shortly after midnight, a Twitter entry appeared on his account:
STOP HANDLING! I believe that a possible vaccination against coronavirus should not be mandatory. Just as flu vaccines are not mandatory. As for other diseases (polio, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, etc.), it is completely different. Another conversation.
I think it's good, right? Well not really. Apart from the fact that there is no vaccine for scarlet fever, in the above entry we can clearly see what was in the original statement. The president did not take this opportunity to write clearly that "regarding other diseases (...)" vaccinations should be compulsory, but only stressed that this is a different conversation.
Another conversation, completely different - does not sound like a clear and decisive position, but only as a questionable issue. This is another example of patting vaccines on the back.
It is also worth noting that, unlike the debate watched by millions of people, a tweet posted in the middle of the night on a niche portal will reach several tens of thousands of users and bots. The coverage will do its part - the statement from the debate has reached the public, and a few will be rectified.
Andrzej Duda sounded like an anti-vaccineist yesterday on TVP. He gave it up a little today
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