The government here, nor elsewhere, told the public that wearing simple masks didn’t stop transmission because at the time they didn’t know. They only knew what they know now, that reducing the viral load logically reduces the level of infection. Knowledge increased, especially about the variants, as time passed and our experience grew. They are now certain this is true. As they know that transmission can still occur, just at a lower level if a mask is worn. There is now evidence that even a simple home made cloth mask helps by limiting the distance that the output of a cough or sneeze can travel. 3 layer surgical masks are even more effective.

Reducing the level of infection can only be a good thing and so it proved as it helped reduce the numbers suffering from severe disease which in turn eased the pressure on the NHS.

Those who present this as some kind of attempt by government at coercing the public into unnecessary behaviour are really a very long way off the mark. The behaviour was completely necessary and in everyone’s interests. Even the interests of the most intransigent of reluctants, who needed protection from themselves.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Getting the flu vaccine is different.

Flu has been with us for a long time. The NHS is prepared for it and expects a winter surge of cases. Covid was new and it’s impact unknown but with worst case scenarios that were going to overwhelm our health care with consequences that could have been devastating and ruinous. We had to react, so we did. We protected ourselves the best way we could and fast tracked novel vaccines.

No one was ever forced to get the Covid vaccine. Some had to be taken off frontline healthcare if they refused.

Most people never needed it, because if they got it they survived. Some though did, and died unnecessarily because they didn’t get vaccinated. So count yourself lucky if you refused it and survived. You might not have done so.

Now it’s better understood and beginning to be handled more like flu. The health services are coping. Far fewer now need hospitalisation due to the vaccination of the vulnerable.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

No one was forced to get the vaccine unless they wanted to go anywhere and couldn't show the COVID passport they'd been told was compulsory.

Of course. If people had the right not to be vaccinated then others had the right not to be exposed to them.

Everyone has rights. Not just those the group you agree with.

Choose not to be vaccinated without an exemption then you must accept the consequences.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

People die. We all will one day. Including everyone who has been vaccinated against Covid. Some will die of Covid. It’s inevitable.

None of that is relevant. It’s only whether the vaccines saved lives that is and the evidence that they have is overwhelming. Estimates vary widely, but they are all in the millions:-

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Nobody at all was forced to be vaccinated. Any suggestion to the contrary is a lie. That there were consequences of refusing, like not being able to travel, was only to be expected. You made a decision after weighing up what matters most to you but the choice was always yours. Some people apparently think there should be no consequences even when others disagree with them.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Of course not.

Forcing would be restraining them and injecting them against their will.

This was offering a choice. They then had to decide, using only their own free will, what choice they made. It all depended on what mattered most to them.

Life is littered with difficult choices between two things we both dislike. Many will be doing it on July 4th here and November 5th in the USA.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.