My best friend is refusing the jab & trying to convince me to refuse it too.

[Kellogschocrolls]

I feel a bit put-upon by my best friend who is intelligent & very educated & who is refusing to have the jab. She's putting pressure on me to refuse it too, telling me I don't know what I'm poisoning my system with & the true side effects won't be known for years. I don't have the knowledge to argue back I'm just bloody glad to get my dose when the time comes. I feel like I'm being made to feel a naïve fool. Please tell me I'm not being unreasonable. I want to have confidence in this not feel like I'm signing my own death warrant.

You know you’re not unreasonable. She can do what she likes with her body and should respect your right to do the same with yours. Refuse to discuss it with her anymore and do some reading up on the facts.

Tell your "friend" that the conversation about the vaccine is over, and you will no longer be discussing it or listening to her opinions. She is free to refuse, just as you are free to make your own decision.

Put a stop to this nonsense.

I'd just reply "Given that you are supposed to be my closest friend, it's a bit shitty that you are not respecting my ability to make my own decision on this. I am not you"

Just keep changing the subject. If she is being sucked in by conspiracy theories, there is nothing you can do to change her mind, so change the topic instead. Refuse to engage.

Ignore her. She's entitled to her opinion but she shouldn't be forcing it kn you. Don't even waste time trying to reason with her.

Rehearse something to say to her and stick to it. For example "We've had this conversation before, I am not going to change my mind. I disagree with you and will be having my vaccination the minute it's offered. Now let's change the subject". And if she won't talk about anything else then reduce contact. One or two conversations about it would be fine in the spirit of friendship, but if she keeps banging on about it it's just rude and disrespectful.

Each time she mentions it tell her that it’s not up for discussion and swiftly change the subject.
If she persists, I’m sorry but, I would be reconsidering this friendship.

Just tell her you refused it but have it anyway? No need to tell her your medical decisions and you don’t have to advertise it to her that you have had it (it’s none of her business!)

Please don't allow yourself to be influenced by her. Just go ahead and get yours and hope that she changes her mind.

i agree with aquamarine above.
i think you need to consider the place of this person, purported friend, in your life.
you may have assumed she is your friend due to length of acquaintance, shared experiences etc.
but from reading on this forum, i think many women fall into assuming someone is a friend when really they are just someone you are acquainted with.
let it go. and her. refuse to discuss the matter.
good luck.

All the people refusing the vaccine because of various conspiracy theories will jump to have it if vaccine passports become a thing.

Your body your choice.

I am one of those people who would quite happily ask her when she got her medical degree.

But most of all, I would distance myself from her and possibly just forget the friendship.

who is intelligent & very educated

Yeah...

Did your mother never say "If [such&such friend] stood on her head in the middle of the road, I suppose you would too"? Follow your own judgement, which appears to be to want to be vaccinated against a potentially serious illness.

My friend is much the same. I'm having my vaccine tomorrow. She is now messaging me horror stories about people she knows who have been horribly ill as a result of the vaccine. Strangely, everyone I know hasn't had anything worse than a day of shivers and fever. Most have been completely fine.

I feel your pain OP. It is extremely annoying.

Just tell her you refused it but have it anyway

No way. That's just encouraging her behaviour. People like her need to be stood up to.

I think you can safely assume that your friend is neither intelligent or well-educated.

We don't know the long term impacts that is true

It is equally true of the virus itself

So those factors negate each other

We do know the short term impacts of both virus and vaccine , and on that basis I would have the vaccine

DO NOT be pushed to not have the jab if you want it. She obviously thinks she's looking out for you as she has her own concerns. No we do not 100% know the impact long term. But we know the impact of the virus. Its a roulette you either get it and have mild symptoms or become extremely poorly. Everyone is entitled to choose, that's YOUR right.

Just tell her you refused it but have it anyway?

Fuck that. Any relationship wherein you have to lie to keep the peace is not one worth nurturing.

If she’s happy to stay on the island for the foreseeable future, good luck to her! You do you OP, you’ll be fine. I wish I was getting mine anytime soon.

YANBU. Just don’t discuss it anymore. And if she assumes from that you are not getting the jab then let her think that. She doesn’t need to know when you get it

if she's so sure of her position why does she need the validation of you agreeing with her?

my best friend who is intelligent & very educated

Is that her own opinion OP? She sounds anything but 😂

As soon as your “intelligent and very educated” friend realises she will be exempt from travel and attending social groups she will be having the vaccine.

Just tell her it’s her decision whether she has it or not and it’s also your decision whether you have the vaccine and you will be having it. End of.

YANBU, if she is your best friend a simple, I've made my choice so let's just leave it at that and not discuss it further, chat.

As a best friend she should respect that.