Midweek editorial: Get vaccinated - for all our sakes

Opinion: Marie and I have taken step one and had the first of two vaccination shots against the nasty Covid-19. And it was not a big deal.

Recently, I had cause to be in block 2 of Victoria Ave in mid-morning and was surprised to see the queue for vaccinations at Te Rito, the former Warehouse Stationery premises. It snaked from the door to a long way up the street, made longer by social distancing requirements. As all those people would have made vaccination appointments, few would have been seen at their allotted time, obviously.

So last Wednesday, with appointment times of 11am and 11.10am respectively, Marie and I took our books with us, only to find, when we arrived, there was no queue at all! Darn. I really wanted to finish that book. We donned our masks and entered the building.
On the ramp at the entrance to Te Rito we were stopped by a masked woman who asked us the usual questions about any possible Covid contact and our general health, after which she pointed to the next stop, a couple of desks where we would give our names and start the process.

From there we were directed to a seating area — with chairs appropriately spaced — where we sat, waiting to be called into a vaccination booth. The wait was minimal and before long we were in a booth with two women, one keeping records and the other administering the jab. They made sure we were fully informed before shoulders were bared and needles inserted. Pretty painless, really. We were given a card each, on which was recorded the vaccination batch number and date administered.

That was not the end of it. An observation time of 15 minutes was next, where we sat and hoped we would experience no adverse reaction to the dose. And my book was in the car.
After a quarter of an hour we were approached by a designated observer who asked a few questions, then gave us the go-ahead to leave, which we did, by the side door into the car park.

That was it. No drama, no fuss, lovely people, and even a place where you could register feedback, if you wanted to. We were kept informed at every step along the way by patient, kind people, from the woman at the entrance to the security guy by the exit. From administrators to clinicians, I commend you all.
Now we know what to expect for jab No.2.

I know there are people reluctant to get vaccinated and some will never be convinced. They have made it their personal choice to risk the health and lives of themselves and others. But to those who are expecting inconvenience at best, pain at worst, there are none of those things. For the sake of your loved ones, get vaccinated against Covid-19.
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It came to light last week that someone escaped from managed isolation in Auckland and went home to Otahuhu. Apparently, he went missing about 1am on Thursday, but police weren't notified until 10.30am. There are things wrong with this picture: first, someone who has tested Covid positive thinks it's OK to go walkabout and potentially spread the virus. That's a deliberate breach of the Health Act and a selfish act of the highest order.
Second, why did it take nine hours before police were informed he had gone missing? A lot of damage can be done in that time; a lot of possible contacts and more possible cases, leading to a longer Auckland lockdown. Naturally, there are those in Opposition looking to score political points, but the reality is, you can't legislate against stupidity. Individual selfish acts are not government responsibility. MIQ is not a prison, and if it were there would be things said about that by all and sundry, including Opposition politicians, and none of it would be complimentary.

Fortunately, his family saw the big picture and informed authorities of his whereabouts and he was promptly apprehended before he did any real damage, we hope.
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There is a lot in the news lately about Gen Z and the end of the 40-hour week, new digital work platforms and the use of social media and forms of communication not yet thought of. It's the online generation and things like offices, bosses, work colleagues and working your way up the ladder are on their way to becoming archaic relics of the past, according to more than one report in mainstream news services. These people are creative, want to run their own businesses, want the big money now, and certainly have no time for those older people who paved the way for this to be able to happen. Naturally, they are big-city based, commerce oriented, talented and impatient. The future is theirs, apparently. I just hope this doesn't lead to yet another dearth of tradespeople as apprenticeships are deemed beneath this new generation of entrepreneurs. I hope our hands-on occupations don't suffer just because our young people hope to get cyber-rich.

Try as you might, you can't lay bricks on a building site while working on your device at home. Try assisting in an operating theatre from your lounge. Land can't be farmed by remote. Much of reality still requires a physical presence and hard work. If we are to believe the reports, getting your hands dirty is not a Gen Z option. I hope the reports are exaggerated.