Why haven’t you had the vaccine?

[TheChosenTwo]

So, this is not in any way intended to be a goady thread. I was reading about the statistics of how many people have now had one and two doses and was curious to see what the number will rise to before everyone that’s been offered it wants to have it.
So, out of pure noseiness, if you haven’t had the vaccine, why haven’t you?
Just to add my own answer to this - a member of my family has refused as they don’t trust the long term effects. Fair enough, I totally respect their decision, it’s not mine to make. Is everyone else who hasn’t had it feeling the same? Or is there another reason?
In 5 years time might you feel better if those that have had it aren’t showing a swathe of the same side effects? Longer than that? Are you planning on having it in the future or is it a total no from you?
As I said, not intending to cause any drama and I really am just asking because I’m curious as to what percentage of the population will end up being vaccinated!

I find that it's difficult to be able to just talk about it, to be allowed to be anxious about it. I know family who do not intend to have it and have strong opinions on it, then most other people start on about 'selfish anti-vaxers' or 'would you rather be on a ventilator?' (I am in my thirties, healthy weight, no underlying conditions, have had covid, so that is highly unlikely to happen).

I havent had it because i dont want it and dont need it. HTH.

I haven't had it because the vaccine centers are too hard to get to. The closest is only 10 miles by car but practically impossible for a non driver to visit.

It’s been interesting reading the responses, so thanks to everyone who has commented. I really did just want to hear from other people as aside from my relative I don’t know of anyone who has turned it down (I may know other people but not aware of their stance). A friend has a dd with severe allergies but she’s too young to be offered it at the moment.
I know we will never reach 100% of the population vaccinated, you don’t have that with other vaccinations anyway, I am just interested to know what percentage we might achieve.
For me I find it encouraging seeing the percentage going up but as a pp pointed out, we’ve come this far with the roll out process and are still living in a kind of lockdown. Obviously we are allowed to meet people, go to restaurants indoors and children are back at school, offices are slowly encouraging people back in, we can visit elderly relatives again. But our freedom is still somewhat restricted. Masks, travel, bubbles, social gatherings still limited etc.
It’s interesting to read/see/hear about, it’s the first time in my lifetime that such a vaccine has been introduced to the whole population at once so hopefully this will make it easier to find any long term side effects (if any) and future generations will have the benefit of this knowledge.

At the beginning I was unsure because I have had so many complications with licensed meds I didn't want to risk it.
Now cannot have it due to allergies. Plus as I'm reminded by consultations unknown contras.

Several reasons here

No photo ID

Barely leave the house due to anxiety

Live rurally

Worried about effects on fertility in the future

Worried about long term effects generally, we can't say what those may be yet

Because I identify as a hermit

@Thecathouse

Several reasons here

No photo ID

Barely leave the house due to anxiety

Live rurally

Worried about effects on fertility in the future

Worried about long term effects generally, we can't say what those may be yet

I don't understand the No photo ID. Do you need it where you are? It's not needed in England.

@kowari

I find that it's difficult to be able to just talk about it, to be allowed to be anxious about it. I know family who do not intend to have it and have strong opinions on it, then most other people start on about 'selfish anti-vaxers' or 'would you rather be on a ventilator?' (I am in my thirties, healthy weight, no underlying conditions, have had covid, so that is highly unlikely to happen).

I've found this too. My family understand and can discuss it normally, but online groups fall on one of two sides: either anybody refusing the vaccine is selfish and stupid, and that's that, and they refuse to address people's fears and anxieties, or they're the kind of group that believes the vaccines are a conspiracy, implanting 5G and microchips etc. I haven't found anywhere I can just have a reasonable balanced discussion, where people will acknowledge that while vaccines are a net-positive and the way out of the pandemic,, there are unknowns with a new vaccine, vaccines do have risks and that people aren't selfish for having doubts and questions.

@Tana433

I havent had it because i dont want it and dont need it. HTH.

So selfish

I've not had it and won't have it. I see little benefit to having it since it won't prevent me catching covid or passing it on if I were to get it. There is no herd immunity if that is the case. The vaccine simply reduces my chances of dying from covid and I'm happy to take my chances. I'm 53 and have never had flu so I'm happy to rely on my immune system for covid.

There is increasing evidence that it does reduce transmission.

it's individual choice whether anyone has the vaccine but please make the decision based on up to date information

@TheChosenTwo

The honest truth is they don’t understand about medical safety and public health.
They have got used to a world where most diseases prtotected by vaccines are so rare they don’t see the damage
And because they are selfish. This is a health war and everyone need to step up.

I the anti vaccine zealots hide behind a lot of other nonsense to spread there horrid vitriol.

In a population sense they are harming people.

This is just the truth but so doubt I will get the regular assault now.

I've seen people at work become much more unwell from the vaccine than I was from covid, as in in bed level of unwell. I'm younger than them and have read that younger people and people who have had covid have worse side effects.

This is the main reason for me.

I had the virus which for me was nothing more than a couple of days of stomach pains. If an older relative hadn't been experiencing the same thing I wouldn't have bothered testing.

Meanwhile the two people I know under 30 who've been vaccinated wish they hadn't bothered. Both really ill, one ended up in hospital and now has constant migraines having never suffered one before.

So either one (covid vs vaccine) seems like a bit of a gamble to me.
Covid: I might catch it again, and I might become ill to the point I miss work.
Vaccine: I will have it, and I might become ill to the point I miss work.

I'd rather choose the one where there are two "mights" instead of one.

That's the main reason really, but the emergency approval and lack of long term data tip me further into the take my minuscule chances with the virus camp.

Your question on when I'll change my mind:

If it's still a thing when I'm older, or I put on a lot of weight, or I develop an illness / disease that makes me especially vulnerable to covid then I might. That would depend on what specific vaccine I was offered and if the company was still protected from legal action / liability.

Not yet - I'm in Australia and my age group hasn't come up yet. However I'll be booking the first possible day I can - the country won't be able to open its borders until a large percentage are vaccinated. I want to be able to travel and see my parents again sooner rather than later!

@TheSlayer

I've had it, but respect others' choices as none of my business really.

Has anyone else had short periods since theirs? I'm hoping it's a side effect and not the perimenopause as I would like another baby at some point.

Yes there was a thread on this recently. I thought peri as I'm 44 and didn't link it to the jab. Mine came two weeks after the last one (always regular as clockwork) very heavy. Many women have yellow carded it.

Just had my second one so will see.

@AnotherSunrise why is it selfish?

I've just had a baby, so at the moment I don't want two days of fever or a dead arm as already have no sleep and aching arms juggling baby and toddler.
Not enough assurances for the jab in pregnancy and breastfeeding either.

I do actually want it eventually though

@TheChosenTwo

"in the meantime I’m just wondering how close to 100% we’re going to get."

If this is genuinely what you are trying to achieve then you could simply try Googling " what percentage of UK population has been vaccinated "

The answer if you aren't able to do this or don't know how to do this is:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55274833

Alternatively if you are looking for random conspiracy theories to kick off the thread then try this one:

"I definitely haven't had the vaccine as it's all a inter governmental conspiracy to make people infertile in order to reset and control the population in order to save the planet - hence all the period problems and reluctance to give vaccines to children "

If that conspiracy theory doesn't sufficiently kick off the thread then let me know and I'll come up with something about 5G / microchips / Bill Gates etc etc

[quote Justa47]@TheChosenTwo

The honest truth is they don’t understand about medical safety and public health.
They have got used to a world where most diseases prtotected by vaccines are so rare they don’t see the damage
And because they are selfish. This is a health war and everyone need to step up.

I the anti vaccine zealots hide behind a lot of other nonsense to spread there horrid vitriol.

In a population sense they are harming people.

This is just the truth but so doubt I will get the regular assault now.[/quote]
That's good. Use fear and intimidation and insults to try and spread your message. That will work well.

I also didn't want to mention it because I dont really think this is a good message to get out there.

But the reality is (can't be disputed) that the most beneficial position to be in is to be unvaccinated but have everyone else get vaccinated. So we are playing a bit of a game of chicken. If you can pull off not getting vaccinated you won't get any of the potential health issues related to vaccine and if most people are vaccinated then risk of getting it so quite low too. It's the best position to be in... But you can't exactly wave this message around because then too many people sit out the vaccine and it doesn't work.

So that's what's happening. That's the reality of it. I just got annoyed by a couple people in here calling anyone sitting it out stupid when it's really the intelligent thing to do for many of us with low risk profiles for covid.

If this is genuinely what you are trying to achieve then you could simply try Googling “what percentage of UK population has been vaccinated "
Thanks for the comment, I am aware of the current percentage, if you read the op carefully you’d see that I am actually wondering what the total percentage will end up being. Not what it is now. Because I already know that information. It is, as you’ve pointed out, easy to find.
You’ve quoted me in your comment and then come up with a totally different question which isn’t what I want to know

So our household is split, we have two fully vaccinated, and then me, who isn’t vaccinated at all. We are on the extremely vulnerable list, we shielded all of last year, no daily walks or anything. Just hospital appointments. We caught Covid from that last Christmas, we all have some natural immunity due to this, however the reason I chose for now not to be vaccinated is because I am currently breastfeeding and I’m unsure on the long term effects for baby. I will however be getting vaccinated in the future. Covid was a horrible experience, and gave me extreme illness for months. So I certainly don’t want that again!

@TheChosenTwo

If this is genuinely what you are trying to achieve then you could simply try Googling “what percentage of UK population has been vaccinated " Thanks for the comment, I am aware of the current percentage, if you read the op carefully you’d see that I am actually wondering what the total percentage will end up being. Not what it is now. Because I already know that information. It is, as you’ve pointed out, easy to find. You’ve quoted me in your comment and then come up with a totally different question which isn’t what I want to know

Well if you are aware of the current percentages that have been vaccinated then you will see that 85% have had the first vaccine, the overwhelming majority of which will get the second. Plus more are getting vaccinated everyday. Therefore IF you are genuinely interested in how many will get vaccinated then you can make a fairly simple guess that is more than 85% and less than 100%. Personally I would say between 90 and 95% and it is fairly irrelevant to the control of the virus whether it is 91.2% or 94.4%.

Alternatively if your real interest is to set up a goady post (which I think everyone realises you are doing) and trying to pit the vaccinated against the unvaccinated then maybe try something more exciting like:

"AIBU: to think that those refusing the vaccine should be tried for witchcraft by dunking and then burned at the stake"

Alternatively you could adopt the view that what people choose to do with their bodies in deciding whether or not to get vaccinated is their own personal choice. Unless of course you are proposing compulsory vaccination?

But either way a bit of honesty of what you are really trying to do would be easier and less tiresome for everyone.

If you want the statistics, place to look for is not MN. You can find many thread asking exactly same thing started by others on coronavirus board too.