First and foremost, I am a big Henry Slade fan – for me he is the best 13 in the British game and should be on the Lions tour, no question.
I also respect, if not agree with, his decision not to take the Covid vaccine – after all he does have type 1 diabetes and may well have genuine medical concerns.
And his decision certainly does not merit the online abuse he has received from some quarters.
But, by going public with his decision not to have the vaccine – using phrases like “I don’t agree with it all” and “I don’t think you can trust it, can you?” – Slade is, in my view, being horribly negligent.
It is pretty clear to most observers that the vaccination programme is the only viable way out of the pandemic and the only way to prevent the further loss of tens of thousands of lives in the UK.
Obviously Slade is entitled to make his own decision as to whether he has the vaccine or not, but to make public declarations that may cause others to follow his lead is, simply, irresponsible.
