Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Bulls flying doctor Dave Baldwin's viral Braveheart vaccination message

Dr Dave Baldwin is a man of many words but in this International Healthy Bastards Club video he has only one word - vaccinate. Photo / Supplied

OPINION:

I'm yelling. Get the Covid-19 jab as it's our only evidence-based defence against this nasty viral infection that has killed a confirmed five million people worldwide.

I've been an enthusiastic rural GP based at Bulls Medical Centre for more 30 years. I'm also a specialist in aviation medicine and have developed a world-unique mobile aviation service called the Bulls Flying Doctor Service.

However, despite these two very successful businesses, my real passion is the self-funded, non-PC health promotional programme Healthy Bastards Campaign. I'm the self-proclaimed first world president of Healthy Bastards. It developed out of the experiences and observations I noted through my general practice and aviation medical work.

Dr Dave Baldiwn, aka The Flying Doctor, with his masked Cessna ZK-Really Jolly Good. Photo / Supplied

What I found was that on average pilots, who tended to take good care of their health for fear of losing their Civil Aviation Authority medical certificate with a self-induced illness, lived longer and healthier lives than the non-aviators in my community.

I got sick of taking frequent trips to the Palmerston North Hospital mortuary to sign off many of my general practice patients who'd failed to listen and follow the good health messages provided by health services.

I decided to try and do something about improving the lot of them that won't listen to conventional good health messages and so set up the Healthy Bastards Campaign. The foundation of this campaign is communicating good health messages to the common good folk of the street in a way they will understand.

I do this using my nine most evil tools, ie. through giving hundreds of health talks over the past 30 years, writing books (I'm on my sixth) and magazine articles, doing a movie, promoting good health with politicians, videos on YouTube and Facebook, mailer lists, sponsorship, giving TV and radio interviews and supporting local boxing, rugby and other events that are frequented by my target audience.

I'm doing my best to help beat Covid-19 with a combination of firstly logistical help where needed and secondly, by focusing my Healthy Bastards Campaign on helping promote an understanding of this nasty virus and the vaccine for the common good folk of the street.

I've been making videos and doing talks to promote the Pfizer vaccine. This includes a humorous video based on the Braveheart movie that has had more than 127,000 (and climbing) views.

After three decades of seeing the benefits of vaccination as a frontline GP, I can't tolerate hearing anti-vax bullshit. Every evidence-based health organisation in New Zealand recognises the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.

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The anti-vaccination community is made up of two groups of people. Firstly, a group that comprises a hardcore who will not change their views whatever evidence is given to them that vaccinations work.

The second group is not quite sure and will change their minds if they can be convinced it's not related to a government plot to control them and that it will give you the best chance of surviving a Covid-19 infection. I'm hoping Healthy Bastards may help sway some of these individuals. Fingers crossed.

• Palmerston North's Dave Baldwin is a GP at Bulls Medical Centre.