Please be civilised to unvaccinated people like my son | Letter

I was not happy with Dave Green's letter regarding the penalties for unvaccinated people. I can empathise with his words as a previous cancer patient, but I disagree with his judgement on anti-vaxxers. It's worth remembering that those who have chosen not to have the vaccine do not all share the same mindset, and it's worth keeping this in mind before they are excommunicated from society.

My adult son is unvaccinated because of his special needs. His belief system may be different than most people's, but as he is housebound due to anxiety, hopefully he will not be a risk to himself or others. Let's be nice to him so that he doesn't get further alienating him. He might have chosen to forgo the Covid vaccine without the complexity of an autism diagnosis, but we cannot punish those who are fearful or who want to preserve their self-determination.

Some people who take up hospital beds are judged as selfish because of their lifestyle choices. Where should we draw the line? I hope the discussion can continue.

The name and address is supplied.

Have you read anything in the Guardian today? We will consider your letter for publication.

We have a small favor to ask. We would like to thank you for trusting our journalism last year, and invite you to join the million-plus people in 180 countries who have recently taken the step to support us financially, keeping us open to all, and fiercely independent.

In 2021, this support will support investigative work into offshore wealth, spyware, the 6 January insurrection, the corporate actors behind the climate crisis, and the abuses of Big Tech.

The new year will hopefully herald a fresh sense of cautious optimism, and there is a lot for us to focus on in the next year, including the US elections, the fight for racial justice, and the World Cup.

We can set our own agenda and provide trustworthy journalism that is free from commercial and political influence, offering a counterbalance to the spread of misinformation. We can investigate and challenge without fear or favour.

Guardian journalism is available for everyone to read, even if they can't afford it. We believe in information equality. Greater numbers of people can keep track of global events, understand their impact on people and communities, and become inspired to take meaningful action.

It is now a good time to join us. Our journalism is powered by every contribution and sustains our future. It only takes a minute to support the Guardian. Thank you.