Public entities must allow remote working until herd immunity is achieved, doctors say

Malta’s College of Family Doctors has said Malta’s inability to set a target of herd immunity, could be preventing a further relaxation of restrictive measures.

The MCFD said it was disheartening that Malta cannot set a target of herd immunity, made up of the combined vaccinees and those with natural immunity from prior COVID-19 infection, as the official statistics for the population count are known to be an underestimate because of EU and non-EU residents residing but not registered in our country. “Achieving herd immunity would allow relaxation of restrictive measures, which do have a considerable impact on the economy and people’s lives,” the MCFD said.

The College pointed out its concern at the public response to vaccinated people getting infected with COVID-19. “It is unfair when people treat others who become infected in derogatory terms. Vaccination is meant to decrease the likelihood of having serious COVID with subsequent hospitalization and death but does not mean that a vaccinee cannot become infected with a COVID-19 variant.”

Some private entities are introducing measures that distinguish between employees who are and are not vaccinated in order to protect production lines and delivery of the end product. The College said it was concerned that this may cause a degree of social upheaval at the workplace and said this had to be tackled with care. “The organization does not understand why entities, mostly public, have pulled the plug from the environmentally- and family-friendly measure of their employees working from home wherever and whenever possible.”

People both vaccinated and unvaccinated can still transmit COVID-19, whereas naturally immune people almost never transmit COVID-19. “Hopefully we are scientifically closer to having and using tests of actual COVID-19 immunity rather than the PCR test used to date,” the College said.

The MCFD encouraged those elderly who are not yet vaccinated to come forward, saying the vaccine was highly effective in this age group to prevent hospitalization and death.

It also said parents should seek the appropriate medical advice when it comes to deciding whether to vaccinate their children, likewise pregnant women. “Some cannot take the vaccine for medical reasons and calls for due attention by others in their respect.”