In England, if you are exempt from taking a vaccine for medical reasons, you are issued with a Covid Passport which works in the same way as a Covid passport for vaccinated people. This ensures a medically exempt person is able to access basic services.
However, two years into this pandemic, the Irish government still do not have any similar system in place, have no such system in place.
This means people who for medical reasons including having an adverse reaction to the covid vaccines are unable to access basic services such as gyms, international travel, cafes and restaurants.
The Irish Times covered the story of Anthony O’Connor to highlight the plight of non-vaccinated people living in Ireland.
Mr. O’Connor is not able to take a vaccine for medical reasons but needs access to a gym for his health conditions.
Gyms in Ireland are banned from allowing access to people without a Covid Passport and Mr O’Connor finds himself between a rock and a hard place. He told the Irish Times “I am in a situation that I cannot get
the Covid-19 jab as there is a significant risk that this would cause arelapse of my condition, as this happened previously when I got a flu jab. It resulted in a severe relapse requiring weeks in hospital. I am now in a situation that I cannot go to my gym as I do not have a Covid pass.”
“There needs to be a provision for the small amount of people like me who cannot get the vaccine,” he says. “My physical and mental health cannot take being treated as a leper by barring me from the only
activity that is left open to me”, says Mr O’Connor.
Another cohort of people are those who suffered injuries caused by the covid jabs. It’s looking likely that their covid passports may be deemed invalid if they don’t take a booster shot. If this were to happen, they will find themselves without a valid covid passport.
The Irish government have had two years to get their house in order on this significant issue, yet they seem to be sitting on their hands. One TheLiberal reader who suffered serious and long lasting injury from
the covid vaccine got in touch telling us;
“We’re seen as collateral damage. The medical profession, the media and the health authorities don’t want to acknowledge that the vax causes serious and long lasting injury. We did what we were told and took the
vax. We suffered an adverse reaction and the government want to sweep us under the carpet. I can’t take any more booster jabs. The government need to put a plan in place for our care.”
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