Sir, – At 58 years old, I was too young for the MMR vaccination, and caught mumps whilst at primary school.
One of the common side effects of mumps is hearing loss. This happened to me and, unfortunately, I am completely deaf in one ear, and my “good ear” is now deteriorating.
The anti-vaxxers are often very loud about the side effects of any vaccine, and yet very quiet about how bad the disease is itself.
The consequences of catching measles, mumps or rubella are often very serious, and that’s why the vaccination program exists.
The benefits of such programs are tremendous, and my son and daughter took advantage of every vaccination offered!
I do not want to catch Covid-19, and I definitely do not like the sound of long Covid.
Accordingly, I’ll be taking my Covid-19 vaccination whenever my turn comes.
I will do this for health reasons in the main, and to relieve pressure on the NHS, though there are of course benefits to the economy.
I recommend the same uptake of the vaccine to everyone when their turn comes too.
Iain MacDonald.
Grove Road,
Broughty Ferry.
Raising an eyebrow to Dr Cameron
Sir, – Those of us of a certain age might remember Dr Finlay’s Casebook, in which Dr Cameron could be sent away to think again by a raised eyebrow from housekeeper Janet.
Sadly ‘Jenet’ is no longer around, so might I have the benefit of a few lines to offer an ‘eyebrow’ to The Courier’s own Dr Cameron.
He refers to ‘parallels between Scotland and the successful smaller Scandinavian economies’, and suggests that an independent Scotland could never measure up.
I would ask ‘why’?
Why, out of all the countries in the world, mostly small, many smaller, and poorer, why could beautiful, wealthy, stable, Scotland, with its proud history, educated population, and rich natural resources, not make its way in the world, as well, or better, than most others.
Particularly, if we were free to choose our own government, as do the Scandinavians, in line with the wishes and aspirations of the Scottish people, rather than, as all too often, the (currently disastrous) government chosen for us, against our wishes, by our friends and neighbours south of the Tweed.
Les Mackay.
Carmichael Gardens,
Dundee.
Children’s cash ‘carrot’ is ludicrous
Sir, – The latest idea from the SNP is the UK Government should pay people in Scotland to have children, or give the Scottish Government the power to do so.
The Scottish Child Payment scheme seems the most ludicrous idea.
What we need is a growing economy and a safer environment to bring children into this world.
The SNP should sort out the problems we have then maybe more people would be encouraged to start a family.
The idea of dangling a carrot of cash for such a serious commitment is absurd.
Elizabeth Kintrea.
Main Street,
Coaltown of Balgonie.
Mistaken identity is a flight of fancy
Sir, – I don’t normally respond to letters which are themselves responses to my column.
But your correspondent WR Hardy (Time to change the record please, Jim, Courier, December 7) said I misidentified a jackdaw in my own photograph and that I “referred to it as a blackbird”. I was a yard away when I took the picture.
I had been watching the struggle between the bird in question and a sparrowhawk for about five minutes from about three yards away.
I was there. My view was unobstructed. It was a blackbird.
And given that Mr Hardy thought that was a jackdaw in my photograph, he should perhaps stick to what he knows about, which I guess from the nature of his letter is shooting birds. And he definitely should have gone to Specsavers.
Jim Crumley.
Stirling.
