Ed Space
The time for soft talking in relation to COVID-19 vaccination has long gone.
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The only way out of this mess which we now find ourselves in is through vaccination - the race which we've always been in, but we were never in, according to our fearless federal leader.
Yet as we prepare for another four weeks of lockdown in whatever hell qualifies as "Greater Sydney" these days, we all understand the only way we will get any sense of the thing we used to call "normality" back is when the greater proportion of people are vaccinated.
Read more: Latest breakdown of COVID impact
And this is where the talking should get tough.
If you are prepared to do your bit and get vaccinated not only to protect yourself, but to protect others, then you should earn the right to live life as normal once the government deems it safe to do so.
And we need our government to mandate this.
However, we all know there is one massive stumbling block at the moment which we all understand.
That is supply.
The lack of supply makes these measures unrealistic presently.
Yet once supply has been rectified and people have been given ample opportunity to have the shots, then that's when the incentives should be brought into play.
The current lockdown has already resulted in more people being prepared to get vaccinated.
The Melbourne Institute's fortnightly report card into vaccine hesitancy released this week showed vaccine hesitancy nationally had fallen, from 33 per cent at the end of May to 21.5 per cent last Friday.
That's a fair indication that once people's freedoms are removed they are prepared to do what it takes.
We've got to stop saying this is a choice. Because it's simply not any more.
Those of us lucky enough to be vaccinated already have their vaccine certificate which you can readily access through your Medicare online.
That should be your passport to freedom in the future.
Read more: Leaders to discuss vaccine modelling
This week Andrew Bolt argued a vaccine passport would "tear Australia apart".
I would say the sheer fact Andrew Bolt thinks it's a bad idea would suggest it's possibly the best idea yet.
Want to travel either interstate or internationally?
You need to be vaccinated?
Want to attend mass events like festivals or sporting events?
You need to be vaccinated.
This would soon boost the rate of vaccination in this country very quickly.
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