Are people right to be worried about the vaccine?

[CutToChase]

I had a "good tempered" argument with DP last night. He says theres no way hes putting something in his body that hasnt undergone all the checks and tests and says that normally vaccines take 20 years to approve.

I think that when I have a choice between a known negative (covid) and an unknown (vaccine) I will always take the unknown.

In response he says people have forgotten a minuscule proportion of people actually suffer from covid. He says this is all about money (however he is a conspiracy theorist...)

What do you think about the vaccine and the speed of it?

Also vote:
YABU = I will not be getting the vaccine
YANBU = I will be getting the vaccine

I will have it because I want all these lockdowns to end and get back to normality not this weird new normal. And I want to go about my life without having to wear a bloody mask all the time.

@Torvean32

The vaccine is tested and had to pass stringent medical regulations. It's safe. I've no idea why ppl are suddenly such medical experts.

FWIW I'm taking part in a vaccine trial as are thousands of others.
Some of us have sacrificed to try and get this country back to a kind of normality
The conspiracy theories need to be deleted every time they are put on public forums.

People are concerned because AstraZeneca and faulty data and there have been reports of serious allergic reactions. We won't be taking the Oxford vaccine due to these reasons

@Ilovegreentomatoes

I will have it because I want all these lockdowns to end and get back to normality not this weird new normal. And I want to go about my life without having to wear a bloody mask all the time.

You will still need to social distance and wear a face mask though, unless you are exempt.

I’m a senior medic.
I’ve had the vaccine this week. First dose of Pfizer.
It’s ridiculous to think it’s not safe.
It’s been through all regulations all new medication goes through.
No side effects experienced except tender arm for 12 hours.
I also have multiple sclerosis, so I’m clinically vulnerable.
Please don’t think you know more about this than the scientists/ medics/ experts. You don’t. It’s not even a live vaccine.
It’s so easy to spread untruths these days.

@Whiterabbitsweets, you may find it inconvenient that people have rightly picked you up on your demand for 100% safety, but you need to own your own posts.

The simple fact is that we do have a pretty good idea of long term and side effects because this is not a weird new vaccine about which we know nothing; it is heavily based on the SARS COV-1 vaccine about which we have plenty of knowledge. We also have the benefit of the fact that so much has been invested in it that it really has gone through rigorous testing using our knowledge of many other similar vaccines. To state that we are in the dark on these issues is, quite simply, inaccurate.

@HibouMilou, thank you for posting this. I have been trying to find data on people with autoimmune diseases (I have a couple) and the likelihood of experiencing a serious flare, either after the first or the second dose of the vaccine, and so far have drawn a blank. I know you’re a case study of one, but still, it’s reassuring to hear.

I'll be getting the vaccine ASAP. I'm a medical professional, work full time and I have health problems that mean covid could be fatal for me.
I'm absolutely disgusted the 50% of medical staff in my hospital won't have the vaccine and never have the flu jab. They don't even have a good science based reason for it.

@CutToChase
I plan on doing some research today

By posting on Mumsnet??? 😂😂😂😂

Please also remember that the purpose of vaccination is for the whole population...not just the person being vaccinated.
Those folk who seem to have decided not to have it, because they feel they don’t need it, obviously don’t know that by getting a vaccine you are protecting others at a population level. Please think about the altruism aspect. This is why healthcare staff are encouraged to get flu vaccine every year: to protect vulnerable people they may be in contact with.

Re: autoimmune diseases and vaccine, I think it depends on your medication..it’s normal safe, but being on certain medication for autoimmune diseases will make vaccine less effective. Please check with your GP or specialist.

Another key message that people don’t seem to know is:

If you are not vaccinated you can (and probably will) spread virus to others who may be very vulnerable.
If a certain percentage of the population are not immune/vaccinated, the virus can still easily spread.

YANBU

I won't be taking the vaccine.

I will take it once the vaccine has been around for a few years so that I can determine what the long-term effects are (should there be any). I am 26 and in a low-risk category, therefore I am willing to risk contractong Covid. If I was in a higher-risk category, I would probably be more willing to take the vaccine.

Contracting*

I am willing to risk contractong Covid.

And willing to risk passing it on to people who can't have the vaccine for genuine medical reasons? (Which can be the case with any vaccine, not just this one.)

It's not just about you.

Your hubby needs to read more. I'm feeling a little bit the same way towards the vaccine shunners as I am towards leave voters at the moment I'm afraid!

I was massively against having it but my viewpoint has changed.

Funny really how when it comes to polio, smallpox etc no probs.

I think people have forgotten how amazing vaccines are and how much suffering they have prevented.

The number of anti Vax threads is a bit weird.

With a vaccine you're looking for herd immunity so it can't spread..

Why are people so funny about vaccines? They're one of the most amazing things we've come up with. Have a jab. Bye bye diphtheria, typhoid, smallpox etc. Polio. Iron lungs FFS. Disability. Gone. Because of vaccine.

Why the mistrust? It's very odd. Rather than any other medical interventions.

Why are people so funny about vaccines? .... Have a jab. Bye bye diphtheria, typhoid, smallpox etc. Polio.

I wonder if a lot of the anti vaxxers are people who are too young to remember, or have heard of, those diseases. I was in the first cohort to have the polio vaccine. A girl in my school year had had polio. She was unlucky enough to catch it just before the vaccine became available. It left her with a wasted leg.

Pre-war, most families would have lost someone to tb or diphtheria or one of the other diseases that have been virtually eradicated in the UK now. People don't appreciate how fortunate they are nowadays.

But why vaccines? Rather than other drugs or medical interventions?

Is it because it's preventative?

If smallpox came back. Polio. In the population. Would people say, nope to vaccines.

There have been outbreaks of measles in groups where they were persuaded vaccines were a bad thing. Resulting in death, long term issues.

Do the people who have issues with vaccines have issues with antibiotics, antifungals etc?

I suspect not.

Vaccines have done so much for us. Why are people so suspicious? In the UK? I know in many parts of the world people have gone out and told people not to have them because it's a conspiracy to sterilise their children etc (again, why? It was usually religious groups). But in the UK. Why?

What is it about vaccines that freaks people out?

I am sometimes cautious about vaccines and think hard about whether I need one. I had a flu jab for the first time this week, albeit after postponing my appointment four times.

I will have covid vaccine when I am able to do so. It may seem to have been made available more quickly than other vaccines but it has had resources thrown at it so that it can be rolled out and there has been no shortage of volunteers. I even volunteered myself although I was not called up.

I’m confused, if he’s a conspiracy theorist and thinks the government is out to get him, why is reaction surprising?

You aren’t going to change his opinion, so don’t waste your time trying.

I will have it as soon as it is offered to me and I am able to (breastfeeding) but I think people should be able to ask questions about it to alleviate their fears, without getting called a conspiracy theorist or mad!

I also suspect the vaccine will be fine overall but am glad won’t have it first. I don’t mind it was produced quickly.

I’m more concerned about any longer term effects which can’t be known yet. The allergic reactions weren’t picked up in trials - by definition lots of things can’t be. An increased risk of something like autoimmunity isn’t impossible.

Covid to me presents virtually zero risk so of course I’m going to question the vaccine. That’s only sensible. I’m watching carefully for how the administering of the various vaccines go.

When people scream at others for being stupid for asking questions, it amuses me and also increases my overall cynicism if they are so called “experts”. Life has taught me well that you should always ask and always follow the money

I cant believe people saying "its annoyed me that you say you will do research, why dont you trust the scientists"

FFS I'm not talking about researching the composition and technicalities of the vaccine, I have no fucking idea what is in that vaccine and how to analyse the data. I'm not a scientist. I meant research the process and how it compares to other vaccines using articles written in layman's terms designed for a general public audience so I understand what the debate is and what the timeline has been and where my partner may be wrong. I trust the scientists and will be getting the vaccine.

I also think the people asking why I'm with him are frankly hilarious. No, I'm not going to dump my kind, funny, supportive partner because he doesnt want to have a vaccine. Get real.

Your OH doesn’t understand the meaning of minuscule.