Making vaccination compulsory would only give oxygen to these concerns and make compliance less likely. You can argue that those who refuse vaccination are freeloading on the herd immunity provided by those who do, but what's new in that in right wing circles?

I haven't seen any real data on this, but my impression is that the vast majority of those who expressed concerns about vaccination ended up getting the jab following a discussion with their medical advisors.

Most people are persuadable, once heir concerns are respected and addressed, and it wouldn't surprise me if many of the hard core nut-jobs opposing vaccination in public have quietly been vaccinated in private.

My bigger concern is that GDPR rules are being interpreted in Ireland as preventing an employer from asking whether their employees have been vaccinated. If I were still working for a company I would want to know which of my colleagues had been vaccinated, and which not.

You are correct that vaccination certs are required to travel to certain countries but that is their requirement, not ours, and not quite the same thing as making vaccination compulsory for everyone.

What has been mildly controversial is the use of EU vaccination certs or passports to regulate access to indoor dining or events in public spaces. I have no problem with this. The right to eat indoors in a restaurant is not an unalienable human right and I am more likely to go if I know all other diners and staff have been vaccinated.

You are correct that some (v. small) extreme right wing groups have sought to "farm" public anxiety about vaccination and the pandemic which is partly why I wrote the letter to the editor and this blog. Maintaining a respectful dialogue with those who have concerns is the best way to prevent them swelling the numbers of the far right.

Ireland has traditionally had a very rebellious and anti-establishment political culture. What has been the most remarkable (to me) has been the incredibly high degree of public compliance with mask wearing, social distancing and congregational rules and the high uptake of vaccination offers. Let not a few headline grabbing breaches fool you.

I want this largely consensual process of political and public health decision making to continue - it is the best protection for us all, a few covidiots notwithstanding. Dolores Cahill has almost zero following in Ireland, and long may it remain so.

Index of Frank's Diaries

That said, there's a pronounced difference between TB and polio vaccines and Covid vaccines. The previous provide long-term (10-15 years), sterilizing immunity (you don't spread the virus) besides protecting the vaccinated.

Current Covid vaccines only protect the vaccinated from the serious infection. Vaccinated person can still get infected and spread the virus (and if totally asymptomatic be quite efficient spreader). And as the need for booster shots tells us, the immunological protection starts to diminish in 4-6 months (as far as we now).

We should not talk about herd immunity when it comes to Covid vaccines. They protect individuals from the worst and everyone should be vaccinated, but epidemiologically speaking they don't seem to prevent transmission or even slow it down much.