Irish Examiner view: Goalposts moved but obligations the same

An Ipsos MRBI survey found that one third of Irish people are “unsure” about taking a Covid-19 vaccination. More than one-in-10 said they would not participate in such a public health scheme.

As ever, and reassuringly, actions always speak louder than words. The inch-by-inch acceptance in the White House that the game is up and that, come January, it will be time to move on is one example of how self-serving rhetoric and hard reality can be golf courses of entirely different character. 

That concession, belatedly and graceless, is unfolding in full cringe-making view but other recognitions of reality bubble away, sometimes under the radar and almost unnoticed. They, nevertheless, speak loudly.

Just last month, an Ipsos MRBI survey found that one third of Irish people are “unsure” about taking a Covid-19 vaccination. More than one-in-10 — 12% — said they would not participate in such a public health scheme. 

That uncertainty led Dr Eoghan de Barra, a consultant in infectious diseases at the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, to warn about societal confidence in approved public health measures.

“No matter what vaccine we have, if we don’t have people taking it up in numbers it won’t work,” he emphasised, stressing that the development of vaccines is rigorous and follows well-established disciplines. 

That opinion poll did raise concerns, but at the end of the day, an opinion poll is consequence-free rhetoric. The real-world actions of respondents speak with considerable more authority.

It may mix apples and oranges ever so slightly but the HSE announcement that more than one million people, a record number, have taken a flu vaccine this year points, thankfully, to a very different perception. 

Dr Colm Henry, the HSE’s chief clinical officer, said: “This has been a year of extraordinary success ... over 60% of over-65 year-olds have been administered with the vaccine. We passed the one millionth record administration ...”

Indeed, the programme was such a success that for a time a vaccine shortage was feared.

Dr Colm Henry, chief clinical officer at the HSE said take-up of the flu vaccine this year has been an extraordinary success. Picture: Marc O'Sullivan

Dr Henry was more cautious around Covid-19 vaccinations which, though the results in at least three instances are very encouraging, still have hurdles to cross. 

Nevertheless, early results showing up to 95% effectiveness speaks loudly and will test the mettle and philosophical commitment of those who scorn the idea of a vaccine. 

It would not be surprising, as is increasingly the case in the White House, that those harrumphed positions change as the options widen. 

The WHO’s Dr Michael Ryan spoke to that denial yesterday when he warned that the Covid-19 fight is complicated by online disinformation and misinformation. 

“It will be a tragedy, a true tragedy, if we end up with efficacious vaccines that are available but that people don’t want to take,” said Mr Ryan.

If the promise of those vaccines is realised then yesterday’s Cabinet decision to relax restrictions may hopefully be one of the last occasions such oversight is needed especially as they cause such conflict and friction.

Restaurants and gastropubs can reopen on Friday albeit in a limited, barely solvent-making way. This decision went, for the second time, against the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) who were more reticent about measures anticipated between December 4 and 11.

In an effort to assuage Nphet concerns there will be stricter rules on household gatherings. They will be banned until December 18 and only allowed until January 3.

 Inter-county travel will be permitted in this period as will religious services. These new rules will provoke the usual hair-splitting, but the overarching obligations remain the same — ignore the naysayers and do the right, safe thing.