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Scott Begbie: Santa’s name is top of the anti-vaxxer naughty list

Proof positive that anti-vaxxers are unhinged - not that much is needed - can be found in the fact they hate Santa, writes Scott Begbie.

Proof positive that anti-vaxxers are unhinged – not that much is needed – can be found in the fact they hate Santa.

OK, that might be a stretch. They hate Tesco for having Santa Claus show his Covid passport to border control in the supermarket’s new Christmas ad.

Personally, I’m just chuffed he can actually get his Covid status app to work. Could someone in the Scottish Government please fix the glitch that stops me from having a big green tick, same as Father Christmas?

But, back to the matter in hand of the bizarre mindset of the conspiracy theorists.

Basically, the thrust of the Tesco advert is that, in spite of the travails that assail us – reports of shortages and travel issues – nothing is going to get in the way of us all having a great Christmas, hopefully. (I added the “hopefully”, but then I’m less optimistic than supermarket conglomerates.)

I was tempted to join in the fray by pointing out that Santa is an anagram of Satan, therefore proving the vaccine is the work of devil worshippers

Yet, the tongue-in-cheek Santa moment set off a Twitterstorm of nonsense from the usual suspects who think Covid is either a hoax, a scheme by the government to control us, or part Bill Gates’ masterplan for global domination. I’m still not clear on why anyone would buy into any of the above fantasies but, hey, I’m not the sort that thinks a tinfoil hat is a must-have fashion accessory.

Your friendly neighbourhood ranters took to their keyboards to demand we all boycott Tesco for reasons ranging from its support for “medical apartheid” to a “horrifying, fascist nudge from a retailer”.

I was tempted to join in the fray by pointing out that Santa is an anagram of Satan, therefore proving the vaccine is the work of devil worshippers, but thought some of the loons might take that seriously.

Our best chance of a merry Christmas is the vaccine

Of course, this online storm in a teacup will pass and if the vaccine refuseniks really do boycott Tesco it will make it that much safer for the rest of us. The issue, though, is there are still people out there spreading nonsense and trying to discourage others from staying safe or taking the jabs for reasons that aren’t just misguided, but downright malicious.

Winter is upon us, the season when the coronavirus can thrive. We need to stay cautious, to stay with the guidelines that keep us safe

This tiresome nonsense is thrumming on, even as we reach a rather delicate moment in the long fight to beat the pandemic.

Keep taking the jabs… the vaccine is our best defence against Covid

Winter is upon us, the season when the coronavirus can thrive. We need to stay cautious and to stay with the guidelines that keep us safe.

Our best protection is the vaccine. It is reducing the rate of deaths and serious illness. This is why we should be encouraging everyone to take it, not trying to fill heads with mince about nanochips or whatever the latest lunacy is to take the fancy of the moon-howlers.

The anti-vaxxers deal in fantasy – which is why they are bent out of shape over Santa’s involvement. The reality is, we all need to do our bit to keep Covid at bay so we can have a merry Christmas.


Scott Begbie is entertainment editor for The Press & Journal and Evening Express

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