I feel like this quote is the most important part of the article:
“I think it's important to note that we would probably have had the same amount of families leave if it wasn't mandatory, due to not wanting their children to be around unvaccinated people once delta gets here.”
The "but think of the anti-vaxxers!" pearl-clutchers are forgetting to think of the vulnerable families who couldn't possibly attend a programme with unvaccinated adults around. I feel a lot more sympathetic toward the latter, who don't get to choose!
Absolutely. There’s a huge amount of ableism going on. Lots of families with medically fragile children do Playcentre because of the shorter days, the need to stay with your child due to their need for round the clock care or medications, and the smaller “class” sizes. It’s a shame they’re being seen as disposable to the community by so many anti vaxxers who can take their pick of where to send their kids.
I think MORE families would leave if it wasn't mandatory. Vaccinated people make up over 90% of my local community and similar numbers across the country.
I am a Playcentre Mum. Thank you for this article. I very much welcome the mandate. It will be hard on some centres, ours is only just surviving and if we lose any families we will be very close to closing. I for one would be leaving if the mandate wasn’t in place however. These are hard times, doing the right thing has hard consequences but it is still the right thing to do.
Beautifully said. I have to say I was inundated with comments from Playcentre mums while doing this story and absolutely the response was relief that the mandate was there even if it might end the centre.
As part of the homeschool community, we are having to navigate it on a case by case basis for homeschool classes, activities, social events, etc. whether to require vaccination. As far as I can tell the vaccine mandate in educational settings doesn't cover us; I wish we had the clarity that schools and Playcentre have.
If we get COVID in the community in my area and we have abandoned lockdowns for the 'traffic light' systems we may be skipping a lot of our regular activities as my son is too young to be vaccinated yet.
While it’s unfortunate it’s really important anti-vaxxers understand that they are no longer welcome in society. I feel very sorry for their children but there’s nothing we can do about it. Behaviours have consequences. I don’t understand how these people can willingly hurt their children but they do
I was a Playcentre kid, my kids were Playcentre kids, it has a lot going for it. And I do understand the questions they have around how they check and enforce the mandate but the key thing is, it's about keeping the kids safe. vaccinating the adults is the only tool we really have to keep them safe right now soooo . . . jab up or go?
I’m relieved we’re all finally being adults and discussing the elephant in the room - vaccinations. The truth is that covid vaccines aside, many of us have felt deeply uncomfortable about the lack of transparency around the vaccination status of our health and education and business workers for a long time. I want to know so that I can choose which businesses and people to financially support. Where to send my kid to get cared or educated. Vote with my wallet etc. Its not really any different than deciding I don’t want my KiwiSaver being invested into guns or deforestation etc. How can I make an ethical choice (for me) if I don’t know the business/teacher/nurse/police vocation vax status? If I don’t have that information?
Yeah, I have to say I feel the same. I while back I set up a charity with friends for free ballet lessons for kids, it was aimed at immune compromised and medically fragile kids who can’t attend other classes because vaccination status was unknown. We had kids who couldn’t be vaccinated for live vaccines because they were so vulnerable. This was the one place they could be safe and be like other kids even for half an hour. The classes were open to every child, as long as they were vaccinated. My god the bullshit I got from anti vaxxers was devastating. Most of the hateful stuff I was sent was from parents who weren’t even in Wellington. They wanted to take away this beautiful thing for kids, even though they weren’t even going to use it. It was so hard explaining to people that Eddie couldn’t do play group because it was considered wrong to ask for all kids to be vaccinated. I had one playgroup taken over by anti vaxxers so the medically fragile kids had to leave. I am so glad that finally people are seeing how much they exclude others when they act like it’s wrong to ask people their (or their child’s) vaccination status. I too want to support people and businesses that care about others, vaccination to me is an act of love - I’m so glad to back people who do it.
You are incredibly awesome for setting that charity up with the dance lessons…seeing the gap and understanding that need. I love it! It makes me so sad that people go out of their way to try and poo on others joy. The irony being these people who set out to bag it will be the same nutters who blab on about freedom of choice. It’s pretty clear their idea of free choice is only if we agree to their choice. An anti vaxxer (and anti lots of facts/ethics) I know put up a post having a moan about the vax mandates, saying what about freedom of choice or does that only for abortions (she’s anti choice on that matter). Like no one is making you work in that vocation just like no one is making you have an abortion if you don’t want one - you still get choice! And then had the gall to suggest that if she gets covid really bad she should still get to go to hospital. Never mind all the other people who’ve been waiting freaking forever in our over burdened health system for regular treatments and surgeries. It just made me soooo steaming angry but the comments were turned off and I couldn’t reply. I’ve been stewing on it so much thanks for the space to vent! I really do think we should consider a priority system it’s not fair if someone (eligible) chose not to do the mahi by getting a vax why should they bump someone else from a hospital bed?
As an ex Playcentre mum I was very uncomfortable at the idea that many of the kids weren’t vaccinated for measles let alone the covid pandemic. What really shocked me this week was those midwives crying on tv about having to get a vaccine when they work with pregnant people and babies. You cannot get more vulnerable than that. It just made me cringe. An unintended consequence may be a clear out of science deniers from the midwifery profession. And where will they go? Most employers want vaccinated staff to avoid their entire business being shut down if someone tests positive.
Right? The midwifery one got me, perhaps we'd be better off without those midwives who are OK with putting our most vulnerable at risk, even if that put our already understaffed midwives under more pressure.
I'm a Playcentre, and actually it's MY mum who attends with my daughter, so the two most vulnerable people in my family. If the mandate didn't include Playcentre, then WE would certainly leave, and I would be very disappointed for the families who ARE vaccinated and/or NEED others to be vaccinated so that they can survive the pandemic. I've been upset at what I feel has been quite 'charged' language that Playcentre and some of the leadership have used in the communications sent out; "imposed" mandate, "leaving not of my own choice" and more. A tone of not being pleased with the mandate, vs trying to figure out Playcentre's responsibilities and going with the directive. I feel it is a small minority who don't agree with the mandate, but is making out the whole organisation will collapse because MOST of the community are not being vaccinated. It's ridiculous on a professional level.
Also, I heard on National radio this morning, that in the last 7 days 280 children 9 and under have covid in NZ. Since children are now the LARGEST cohort of the unvaccinated in NZ, we're going to start seeing the numbers of children vs adults with covid rise!!! We know they're not as likely to become very unwell, BUT there are still children both medically fragile and not that will be at risk from severe covid and worse. Heartbreaking. Terrifying.
I feel like this quote is the most important part of the article:
“I think it's important to note that we would probably have had the same amount of families leave if it wasn't mandatory, due to not wanting their children to be around unvaccinated people once delta gets here.”
The "but think of the anti-vaxxers!" pearl-clutchers are forgetting to think of the vulnerable families who couldn't possibly attend a programme with unvaccinated adults around. I feel a lot more sympathetic toward the latter, who don't get to choose!
Absolutely. There’s a huge amount of ableism going on. Lots of families with medically fragile children do Playcentre because of the shorter days, the need to stay with your child due to their need for round the clock care or medications, and the smaller “class” sizes. It’s a shame they’re being seen as disposable to the community by so many anti vaxxers who can take their pick of where to send their kids.
I think MORE families would leave if it wasn't mandatory. Vaccinated people make up over 90% of my local community and similar numbers across the country.
I am a Playcentre Mum. Thank you for this article. I very much welcome the mandate. It will be hard on some centres, ours is only just surviving and if we lose any families we will be very close to closing. I for one would be leaving if the mandate wasn’t in place however. These are hard times, doing the right thing has hard consequences but it is still the right thing to do.
Beautifully said. I have to say I was inundated with comments from Playcentre mums while doing this story and absolutely the response was relief that the mandate was there even if it might end the centre.
As part of the homeschool community, we are having to navigate it on a case by case basis for homeschool classes, activities, social events, etc. whether to require vaccination. As far as I can tell the vaccine mandate in educational settings doesn't cover us; I wish we had the clarity that schools and Playcentre have.
If we get COVID in the community in my area and we have abandoned lockdowns for the 'traffic light' systems we may be skipping a lot of our regular activities as my son is too young to be vaccinated yet.
I hadn’t thought of that at all Heather. So interesting and yeah...definitely need clarity ❤️
While it’s unfortunate it’s really important anti-vaxxers understand that they are no longer welcome in society. I feel very sorry for their children but there’s nothing we can do about it. Behaviours have consequences. I don’t understand how these people can willingly hurt their children but they do
I was a Playcentre kid, my kids were Playcentre kids, it has a lot going for it. And I do understand the questions they have around how they check and enforce the mandate but the key thing is, it's about keeping the kids safe. vaccinating the adults is the only tool we really have to keep them safe right now soooo . . . jab up or go?
I’m relieved we’re all finally being adults and discussing the elephant in the room - vaccinations. The truth is that covid vaccines aside, many of us have felt deeply uncomfortable about the lack of transparency around the vaccination status of our health and education and business workers for a long time. I want to know so that I can choose which businesses and people to financially support. Where to send my kid to get cared or educated. Vote with my wallet etc. Its not really any different than deciding I don’t want my KiwiSaver being invested into guns or deforestation etc. How can I make an ethical choice (for me) if I don’t know the business/teacher/nurse/police vocation vax status? If I don’t have that information?
Yeah, I have to say I feel the same. I while back I set up a charity with friends for free ballet lessons for kids, it was aimed at immune compromised and medically fragile kids who can’t attend other classes because vaccination status was unknown. We had kids who couldn’t be vaccinated for live vaccines because they were so vulnerable. This was the one place they could be safe and be like other kids even for half an hour. The classes were open to every child, as long as they were vaccinated. My god the bullshit I got from anti vaxxers was devastating. Most of the hateful stuff I was sent was from parents who weren’t even in Wellington. They wanted to take away this beautiful thing for kids, even though they weren’t even going to use it. It was so hard explaining to people that Eddie couldn’t do play group because it was considered wrong to ask for all kids to be vaccinated. I had one playgroup taken over by anti vaxxers so the medically fragile kids had to leave. I am so glad that finally people are seeing how much they exclude others when they act like it’s wrong to ask people their (or their child’s) vaccination status. I too want to support people and businesses that care about others, vaccination to me is an act of love - I’m so glad to back people who do it.
You are incredibly awesome for setting that charity up with the dance lessons…seeing the gap and understanding that need. I love it! It makes me so sad that people go out of their way to try and poo on others joy. The irony being these people who set out to bag it will be the same nutters who blab on about freedom of choice. It’s pretty clear their idea of free choice is only if we agree to their choice. An anti vaxxer (and anti lots of facts/ethics) I know put up a post having a moan about the vax mandates, saying what about freedom of choice or does that only for abortions (she’s anti choice on that matter). Like no one is making you work in that vocation just like no one is making you have an abortion if you don’t want one - you still get choice! And then had the gall to suggest that if she gets covid really bad she should still get to go to hospital. Never mind all the other people who’ve been waiting freaking forever in our over burdened health system for regular treatments and surgeries. It just made me soooo steaming angry but the comments were turned off and I couldn’t reply. I’ve been stewing on it so much thanks for the space to vent! I really do think we should consider a priority system it’s not fair if someone (eligible) chose not to do the mahi by getting a vax why should they bump someone else from a hospital bed?
As an ex Playcentre mum I was very uncomfortable at the idea that many of the kids weren’t vaccinated for measles let alone the covid pandemic. What really shocked me this week was those midwives crying on tv about having to get a vaccine when they work with pregnant people and babies. You cannot get more vulnerable than that. It just made me cringe. An unintended consequence may be a clear out of science deniers from the midwifery profession. And where will they go? Most employers want vaccinated staff to avoid their entire business being shut down if someone tests positive.
Right? The midwifery one got me, perhaps we'd be better off without those midwives who are OK with putting our most vulnerable at risk, even if that put our already understaffed midwives under more pressure.
I'm a Playcentre, and actually it's MY mum who attends with my daughter, so the two most vulnerable people in my family. If the mandate didn't include Playcentre, then WE would certainly leave, and I would be very disappointed for the families who ARE vaccinated and/or NEED others to be vaccinated so that they can survive the pandemic. I've been upset at what I feel has been quite 'charged' language that Playcentre and some of the leadership have used in the communications sent out; "imposed" mandate, "leaving not of my own choice" and more. A tone of not being pleased with the mandate, vs trying to figure out Playcentre's responsibilities and going with the directive. I feel it is a small minority who don't agree with the mandate, but is making out the whole organisation will collapse because MOST of the community are not being vaccinated. It's ridiculous on a professional level.
Also, I heard on National radio this morning, that in the last 7 days 280 children 9 and under have covid in NZ. Since children are now the LARGEST cohort of the unvaccinated in NZ, we're going to start seeing the numbers of children vs adults with covid rise!!! We know they're not as likely to become very unwell, BUT there are still children both medically fragile and not that will be at risk from severe covid and worse. Heartbreaking. Terrifying.
Playcentre mum*