We mustn’t punish those who are fearful of getting the Covid vaccine, writes the mother of an autistic man who suffers from crippling anxiety
I was disappointed by Dave Green’s letter (12 January) regarding the penalties he suggests for those who are unvaccinated. I can empathise with his words as a previous cancer patient myself, and also as a frontline nurse, but I disagree with his judgment on “anti-vaxxers”. Those who have chosen not to have the vaccine do not all share the same mindset, and it is worth bearing this in mind before they are all excommunicated from society.
My adult son is autistic and is unvaccinated by choice. His belief system may differ from most people’s, but as he is housebound due to crippling anxiety, hopefully he will not be much of a risk to himself or others. Let’s be civilised enough not to alienate him further. Of course, he might have chosen to forgo the Covid vaccine without the complexities of an autism diagnosis, but we cannot punish those who are fearful or those who wish to preserve their self-determination.
