I understand your standpoint but medicare is considered a basic human right. Infringing upon human rights is oppressive and in my opinion, taking away the ability to get treated for injuries is morally unjust. I am in no way a supporter of the anti-vaxx movement, I am pro-vaccine. However, by oppressing those who have a different viewpoint to yourself is just wrong.Those are fair points, and I agree with them to some degree. However, once sufficient time has passed and more research has been conducted into them, there is no reason to not get the vaccine, so if they're still hesitant, then it's far to call them antivaxxers. Herd immunity protects those who are medically unable to receive the vaccine, so those who are able to get vaccinated but choose not become a risk to those who could not get vaccinated. This well-known fact applies to all vaccines, not just covid. It's why I would support antivaxxers (which vaccine-hesitant people would eventually be classified as as described above) not qualifying for medicare. It's extreme, but it's fair - why should they be able to claim gov medicare benefits and burden the taxpayer when they themselves are not doing the bare minimum by protecting themselves, let alone the community? It's like complaining that you can't get home insurance because you deliberately built your house on the edge of an unstable cliff. Individuals have the right to make their own choice, but choices should have consequences. Can't have your cake and eat it too.
Eventually the global situation with Covid-19 will become similar to that of the flu whereby most people (in developed counties mostly) will gain immunity to the virus and be vaccinated and a much smaller proportion of people will contract and suffer from its effects. Certainly, the relative severity of the situation will decrease by a significant margin. We will learn to have to live with the virus; we can't keep locking down the country each time we get cases as then we would be in lockdown for an indefinite period of time. When we reach a specific percentage of vaccinated persons, then we can lift the lockdown and then we start living fairly normally again. There will always be people who are anti-vaxx and whilst the vast majority of society may not agree with them, it is not our right to ban them from medicare.
Yes, taxpayers do pay for medicare through the medicare levy. However, relatively to general income tax it is a minimal proportion of their tax and income. Income tax for those who earn greater than $90,000 a year is $5,092 plus 32.5 cents for each $1 over $45,000 whilst the medicare levy is 1%. The current income threshold for medicare levy is $90,000 (for singles) whilst those who earn between $18,201 – $45,000 have an income tax of 19 cents for each $1 over $18,200 which is comparatively much higher. Furthermore, I'm sure most people would support the medicare levy even those who do not support the current tax rates. It is a definite privilege to live in a capitalist advanced society like Australia where we pay none to very little for medical treatment through medicare, depending on the circumstances, and have freedom of speech.
Of course, choices should and do have consequences. Those who are anti-vaxx have a significantly higher chance of contracting Covid-19 than those with the vaccine (unless you have already gotten Covid before- a scientific study has shown you are 7 times more likely to contract Covid if you have the vaccine than if you got it in the 'first wave' i.e. natural immunity). That is a direct consequence of their decision and should be dealt with by them. However, there is a clear distinction between direct consequences burdening solely the individual who made that choice and a consequence decided by the government which infringes upon basic human rights such as banning their access to medicare, a universal health insurance scheme. If an anti-vaxxer is in a situation where they have cut open their leg which has developed a severe infection is it your decision to not allow them to have it treated with medicare? If you ban them from medicare, their leg may be have to be amputated or they may have even die due to not being able to properly afford the required treatment and all of this simply because they are anti-vaccine. I know that is an extreme situation but that is a clear example of where choices such as this should not have consequences that involve violating a person's ability to access a government scheme afforded to the rest of the population.
That, in essence, is oppression and marginalisation and should not be condoned by society. Otherwise, we are like the very societies which we are supposed to be opposed against.
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