Mark Dolan: It's a fundamental human right to decide what goes into your body

The health secretary was schooled in some basic science from a top anaesthetist at Kings College London this week.

What troubles me about Javid’s reaction is the way that he belittles this highly experienced medic, by saying we speak to the expert on vaccines. The classic kind of gaslighting that we have seen in the course of this pandemic, by anyone that challenges the cosy Covid consensus. This is a guy that's dedicated years of his life to the NHS and spent months on end in intensive care wards, dealing with Covid. And who now faces the sack. One less anaesthetist, amid unprecedented staff shortages.

Look I'm wildly pro vaccine. I think it's fabulous against severe illness and death and a vaccine is something that most of us wanted to see when the full scale of the pandemic began to emerge. But in my view, it's been oversold. CCTV sex bomb and then health secretary Matt Hancock famously said “15 million jobs to freedom”.

Well it didn't happen. Because the vaccine is not stopping transmission and it's not stopping people from getting Covid. Triple vaxxed to Keir Starmer has had Covid so many times, I'm beginning to think the virus is not a Labour supporter. Meanwhile tennis supremo Novak Djokovic is effectively in jail in Australia, for daring not to declare his vaccine status, even though he caught the virus in December and boasts the five star immunity that recovery from infection delivers. Most virologists worth their salt will tell you that natural immunity always has been and always will be the ultimate vaccine. Which is why the milder Omicron variant in my view should be welcomed not resisted for those not in vulnerable groups – a view shared by the few medics who are not afraid to speak out.

The South African authorities were incredulous at the time when they saw us rolling out more damaging control measures, given that this new strain is akin to the common cold. The mail newspaper this week are suggesting its 100 times less dangerous. But you know the theme of this pandemic. When the news gets better, the measures get worse. In the context of the milder omicron variance, why hasn’t plan B been reversed? And why haven’t mask mandates in the classroom, for kids as young as 11, been scrapped when the government’s own evidence was quote: “inconclusive”.

Whether you’re a medic, a care home worker or a tennis player, it's a fundamental human right to decide what goes into your body.

The virus isn't bad enough and the vaccine isn't good enough, to justify this tyranny.

High case rates in ultra vaccinated countries like Israel and closer to home Gibraltar, demonstrate that this virus isn't going to go away, which is why a vaccine must be a matter of personal choice. Mandating vaccines is sharp practice, it’s needle-less and something only a small prick would ever consider.

Look, I'm triple jabbed. I've been poked more times than a playboy bunny, and if you are in a vulnerable group, older, overweight or have comorbidities, I think you'll be mad not to have it. But in the end it's up to you. To jab or not to jab, that is the question. The only person that should ever answer that, is you.