THE start of the Covid vaccine roll-out dominated newspaper comment sections - plus reflections on how the return to the classroom had gone.
The Daily Express
Professor Karol Sikora said the logistics of getting the vaccine to the millions who will take it, could not be underestimated.
“There have been problems with large-scale projects this year, so let’s hope that the Government has put in the necessary time and effort for planning,” he said. “It is right to stress that any benefits won’t be felt overnight, for the individual or for general levels of immunity.”
He said there were hundreds of thousands of the Pfizer dose ready to go but warned they would not impact on the spread of the virus for weeks and months to come.
“There are some who will never take a vaccine and that is their choice. Nobody should force them,” he added. “But there are others who have genuine concerns about the speed of the development.”
He said dismissing all those who don’t want a jab as ‘anti-vaxxers’ helped no one, and said he had seen ‘far too many’ people patronise and sneer.
“This applies to many debates at the moment; if you’re trying to persuade someone, calling them an idiot is not going to help,” he said.
“The uptake in the vulnerable categories should be higher than the rest of the population as those, including me, are more at risk and so getting the vaccine makes perfect sense.
“The Government needs to focus on getting the vaccine to those who need it. Other arguments can wait. Let’s just give those most at risk some protection before the worst of winter.”
The Independent
Dr Benjamin Janaway, a mental health doctor, said Covid 19 had brought to the fore the public’s distrust in science.
“There is good and bad science, and good and bad scientists,” he said. “Even good scientists make mistakes, while others will simply use their power to deceive. Some, like Andrew Wakefield, have made millions off of poor science and destabilised public trust in one of the most successful public health measures of human history.”
He said the makers of the new vaccine had to contend with not just the limits of science but the ‘uninformed attacks of Hollywood celebrities’ who many people trust more than the Government.
“There is little use in asking those who fear vaccines to take them unless we explain them in an accessible way,” he said. “Knowledge is the enemy of fear, and currently fear is the friend of charlatans who prey on the misinformed.”
He said we need scientists to explain concepts on television, in an accessible way.
“We need to help people understand and recognise the innate human thirst for knowledge,” he added. “At the same time, we need to empower those with such dreams to pursue them. We need a world where a vaccine is not a political weapon or a delusional fear, but what it actually is, a marvel of science that will save lives.
“And if the politicians don’t like it, then perhaps that tells us something.”
The Scotsman
Jacqueline Cassidy, director (Scotland) at children’s mental health charity Place2Be, spoke with Leanne Hepburn, headteacher at Murrayburn primary, about returning to school.
Leanne said no one knew what to expect on their initial return but they were now settled into a routine.
“Although things are different, there are many aspects that make school feel like the most normal place to be,” she said. “You almost forget that there is a pandemic, especially when the children are out in the playground and you can hear them laughing and playing.”
She said the children were enjoying being back at school and the biggest challenge for the staff was that they couldn’t come together physically as a team.
Jacqueline said Place2Be was providing 5000 free places across Scotland for school staff to participate in aMental Health Champions - Foundation programme to support staff understanding of mental health and wellbeing,
“Some Murrayburn staff have accessed Place2Think and know the value of having the time to think and reflect, especially when we’re so busy focusing on others,” Leanne said.
“Teachers always make their pupils a priority [but] I think it is important that staff know that we also care about them and that we value the job that they do.”
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