The fallacy of herd immunity and the wrong marketing tactics

Blog post by Marica Micallef.

After the story that a number of unvaccinated students have brought about a rise in the Covid19 cases, the Times of Malta informed its readers that “the health ministry now plans to offer vaccines on arrival for any student planning to stay in Malta for longer than two months”.  What difference does the length of the stay make? Will the vaccine be given for free or will these students be asked to pay for it? The truth is that now many of the world’s governments have a surplus of vaccines they are looking how to use it before it expires.

Times of Malta further states that this rise in cases, which Malta is also experiencing, “was not unexpected, having been predicted by the European Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation across Europe.” Then, why were these students offered 300 euros each when there was this fear or prediction of increase in Covid19 cases? The government should have expected such an increase. The government has a very bad marketing adviser.

One cannot offer 300 euros and then expect not to have a rise in cases. This is another proof of the the contradictory measures that are being adopted by the authorities about Covid19 cases.

Then, after creating such a havoc, the Health Authorities decided to close down the language schools at the cost of 40 million euros. What is the point out having closed the schools to then offer the vaccine? With these measures, the government is not only upsetting the students but also the families.

But why should these schools be closed down when the Government had assured us that Malta had reached herd immunity? The authorities had officially said that with 70% of the adult population vaccinated, herd immunity would be reached. Now, we are hearing a different version. Clearly we were misled by the authorities. Does this mean then that the concept of herd immunity is a myth? Or was herd immunity a concept sold to the masses to give them hope that soon, everything will get back to normal and enticed them to get vaccinated?

Don’t these so-called predictions show that everything is very badly planned? Isn’t it like there is a script which all countries are following, to bring to collapse the economies of those countries which are earmarked for destruction?