I think it's fair to say we've all been on a steep learning curve for the past couple of years.

But alongside the exponential learning curve has been a large spike in misinformation.

Far be it from me to tackle the vast majority of that here, except to say that I respect the consensus opinion of doctors, researchers and epidemiologists far more than I respect the opinions of influencers, entertainers, fringe scientists and my mates from down the pub.

Read more: 11 new COVID cases in the Illawarra

I do have one bone to pick though, and it's one I feel lies squarely within my field.

As talks about opening up business and normal life begin, it's becoming clear that many services will at first only be available to people who are vaccinated.

This is to manage the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible, to ensure the burden on our hospital system does not become too great, and to protect the most vulnerable among us until we reach a level of vaccination that offers them some protection.

On social media, I've heard that called "discrimination".

"I refuse to discriminate against people of any race, religion, gender or vaccination status," is a cry that is being shared more often on social media.

It confuses the meaning of "discriminate." One is to tell the difference between, or treat differently.

The other, legal definition is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of people based on things they have little to no control over, like their race, gender or religious beliefs.

Read more: Deadliest day yet, 12 deaths, 1431 new cases

Being vaccinated - or not - is a choice. It is a choice you make and can change at any moment. And choices have consequences.

If I refuse to take the test for my drivers' license, and then get pulled over, I'm not being discriminated against. It's a consequence of my choice.

Just like we must be licensed to drive on the roads to make them as safe as possible, in the world of COVID if we want to move around and mingle with others, we must be vaccinated, to make it as safe as possible.

You're free to disagree - but your decision has consequences, too.

You see, the consequences of your decision may have a potentially fatal impact on the more vulnerable members of out community

To call this "discrimination" spits in the face of groups who have faced decades of exclusion and oppression through no fault of their own. It is not the same.

My heart breaks for people who for medical reasons cannot be vaccinated, and have to wait on those who would rather put themselves first.

A friend of mine has a little boy who faces a host of medical battles every day - she's tried to get him dispensation to be vaccinated before 12, so he can safely be part of the world again.

Sadly, she's not able to. He will have to wait until enough people are vaccinated that he's safe - or until he's old enough to get the jab himself.

If you genuinely want a more inclusive world, get vaccinated, so it's safer for kids like him.

The Illawarra Mercury news app is now officially live on both iOS and Android devices. It is available for download in the Apple Store and Google Play.