There was an interesting exchange between British Health Secretary Sajid Javid and an unvaccinated UK healthcare worker, Steve James, an anaesthesiologist working in Kings College Hospital in London Covid Intensive Care Unit. Dr James explained to Javid about why he disagreed with the NHS policy, and why he hasn’t been vaccinated because his natural immunity is better than that provided by so-called Covid vaccines. But, it went in one end of the syringe, and out the other! The exchange struck me as indicating that the modern world has its own superstitions, as deep as the medieval folk had.
“Cameras were rolling during an incredible exchange between British Health Secretary Sajid Javid and a savvy, unvaccinated UK healthcare worker, who educated the unelected bureaucrat on everything from the benefits of natural immunity, to the dangers of a never-ending booster scheme.
The one-sided debate took place during a visit Friday by Javid to Kings College Hospital in London, where he asked nurses what they thought about the government’s mandatory vaccination policy for healthcare workers.
Steve James, an anesthesiologist working in the hospital’s Covid Intensive Care Unit, spoke up to Javid about why he disagreed with the NHS policy, and explained he hasn’t been vaccinated because his natural immunity is better than that provided by so-called Covid vaccines.
Steve James, an anesthesiologist working in the hospital’s Covid Intensive Care Unit, spoke up to Javid about why he disagreed with the NHS policy, and explained he hasn’t been vaccinated because his natural immunity is better than that provided by so-called Covid vaccines.
“I’m not happy about that,” James told the health secretary.
“So, I’ve had COVID at some point, I’ve got antibodies, and I’ve been working on COVID ICU since the beginning,” the ICU doctor stated.
“I have not had a vaccination, I do not want to have a vaccination. The vaccines are reducing transmission only for about eight weeks for Delta, with Omicron it’s probably less,” James said, speaking to the jabs’ reported waning efficacy.
“And for that, I would be dismissed if I don’t have a vaccine? The science isn’t strong enough,” James said.
Javid responded, “I respect that, but there’s also many different views. I understand it, and obviously we have to weigh all that up for both health and social care, and there will always be a debate about it.”
James fired back, saying he’d sooner advise unvaccinated people not to get the jab so they can enjoy the benefits of natural immunity, rather than suffer monthly booster jabs.
Another clip of the exchange begins with James remarking, “…If you haven’t had the vaccination, to not get it, because the protection I’ve got from transmission is equivalent to somebody who’s vaccinated.”
“Yes,” the health secretary replied, adding, “but at some point that will wane as well.”
“But if you want to provide protection with a booster, you’d have to inject everybody every month,” James pointed out. “If the protection’s worn off from transmission after two months, then after a month you still have a bit of protection – but if you want to maintain protection, you’re going to need to boost all staff members every single month, which you’re not going to do.”
Clearly taken aback, Javid mumbled, “Yeah we…we take advice on when, how much you may, or may not…”
“But, it’s not going to achieve practical benefits,” James added.
Speaking with the UK Evening Standard following the conversation, James said he hoped the health minister heard his concerns.
“I wouldn’t say he agreed with me,” he said. “I had the feeling he was listening.”
The Standard added: “Mr James told the PA news agency he did not believe Covid-19 was causing ‘very significant problems’ for young people, adding that his patients in the ICU had been ‘extremely overweight’ with multiple other co-morbidities.”