The voices in my head

 The novel I'm reading at the moment  (Anxious People by Fredrik Backman) has the most wonderful dedication.  

"This book is dedicated to the voices in my head, the most remarkable of friends.

And to my wife who lives with us."

How perfect is that? 

The main voice in my head at the moment is Emily.  Almost everything that happens in my actual life she has to comment on.  I wouldn't mind but mostly she's rather dull. 

I've been thinking a lot about vaccinations.  I mean, obviously.  It's all anyone is talking about.  I did, briefly wonder, if it would still work if you didn't post your picture on social media but that's a risk I'm prepared to take.  Everywhere you walk people are discussing when and where they were vaccinated and the side effects they are getting.  It seems that the percentage of people suffering from mild temporary side effects is a lot higher than the 10% of the clinical trial.

In this country there is very little vaccine hesitancy; compulsory vaccination isn't necessary because the uptake is large enough to provide herd immunity.  The uptake might even be large enough to eliminate the virus, which would be a completely amazing achievement.   However, this is unlikely to happen quickly.  Vaccination against smallpox began in the 1840s ended in 1948 and in 1978 the World Health organisation declared that the disease had been eradicated.  This could make you a little concerned but  no vaccine has ever been developed for SARS and there haven't been any cases since 2004, so who knows what this one will do?  

Emily, the voice in my head, has stuff to say about vaccination.  She lived through a time when smallpox vaccination had been compulsory.  She had been in the poor house, where those who couldn't afford to pay for the doctor to vaccinate took their children. She tells me that some people were too proud to do that and preferred to take the risk of a fine (1/- and 2/6 costs). She lived at a time when anti-vaccination arguments started to spread. People were sceptical about the government and doctors were often not to be trusted.  Many doctors were unqualified and the side effects from smallpox vaccine were huge and common.  It also started to become known that better sanitation was more effective at preventing smallpox spread than vaccination and some people felt that by keeping vaccination compulsory, governments could avoid their moral duty to spend money to provide proper sewage systems.  

I had been thinking that the reaction to people who refuse the vaccine on Twitter was less than kind. I know it's funny when people suggest that a vaccine is mind control or filled with nano-bots that will link you to a 5G mast but the people who post these things are scared.  Their fear is out of proportion.  They are easy to laugh at but I can't help thinking that this unkindness isn't going to help them change their minds.  

Emily always gets involved when I start to think of kindness.  It's her thing. It's all she ever wanted, was a bit of kindness.  

She says that people weren't kind about vaccination in her day, either.  People laughed then too.  The conscience clause was added to the British Vaccination Act in 1893, (after she had gone to Broadmoor) which allowed people to opt out.  They had to apply to the court for a certificate but weirdly this act increased uptake of the vaccine.  "People just don't like being forced into things," Emily says. She directs me to a newspaper article to read more.

Cartoon showing people growing cows after smallpox vaccination

From the Essex Herald 28th December 1885 - Arguments against vaccination.

"A lady complained that since her daughter was vaccinated, she coughed like a cow and grew hairy all over."

Emily laughed as I read it.

"Was it because it was made from cow pox?" I asked her.

"Probably," she said, "They used baby cows to make it.  Lots of people didn't think it was right."

"Oh, I can understand that," I told her.

"But children did get coughs after and some were quite sick. Lots had horrible eczema and some died," she added.

"It's complicated, isn't it?"

She agreed. Then I read her Naomi Wolf's tweet.

"Terrifying.  Also confirms/explains the conversation I overheard in a restaurant in Manhattan 2 years ago in which an Apple employee was boasting about attending a top secret demo: they had a new tech to deliver vaccines w nanopatticles (sic) thaat let you travel back in time. Not kidding."

"Does that mean you can come and see me?" she asked, wide-eyed. "I'd like you to visit.  I think we've become friends."