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Implications of universal vaccination -- voluntary or otherwise

Licensed to Live? Licensed to Lie? Unlicensed to Die?
Mandatory vaccination in the light of human rights
Parallel between "disinformation" and "diabolus in musica"?
Reframing living, lying and dying as contractual responsibilities?
Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a licensing template
Documents on related issues and forms of presentation

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The question as to whether vaccination against COVID-19 should be voluntary or mandatory is now widely discussed. Increasingly any questions as to the value or dangers of such vaccination are framed as misinformation -- if not deliberate disinformation and a feature of conspiracy theories, necessarily to be deprecated. This extends to complicity of some scientific authorities with proposals for government justifications for censorship, "taking down" websites and accounts, and possibly criminal proceedings

There is almost no sense of perspective on these matters. Information is now either valid, as having been confIrmed by authorities, or to be framed as misinformation or worse -- disrupting the coherence of the response to COVID-19. The limited array of strategic tools deployed -- vaccination, social distancing, lockdowns, masking, sanitisation and contact tracing -- are now framed as constituting a panacea. This applies in particular to vaccination, with associated proposals for an "immunity passport"

Unfortunately it has been necessary to recognize that these measures, and vaccination in particular, only reduce the risk of infection. It is increasingly implied that:

  • more than one vaccination shot will be required to increase the level of protection, although with no guarantee that this will be complete
  • new mutations are emerging for which current vaccinations may -- or may not -- constitute adequate protection
  • there are various problems with the distribution of the vaccines and the priorities to be accorded to those deemed most at risk
  • there will necessarily be a percentage of people vaccinated who will suffer unspecified side-effects, however incidental this is held to be in terms of the benefits to others
  • it is unclear for how long the protective capacity of the vaccinations will last, and whether vaccination will be required regularly (as with flu shots)

For some there is considerable concern that any debate concerning these matters is increasingly deprecated or suppressed. Few media now dare to raise questions in this regard -- for fear of being framed as purveyors of misinformation. Indicative exceptions include:

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