Do you sit or stand when you have the jab?

[Remoulade]

Not had my first jab yet and going today. Pregnant and incredibly anxious about it. Want to minimise touching anything with any part of my body (yes I know I am over worried, saying it really won't help) and was wondering if you stood up or sat down when you had yours? The thought of sitting on a possibly covid infested chair is making my skin crawl.

Also, if you're meant to sit, can you ask to stand?😐

YABU - I was sitting down
YANBU - I was standing up

@babynameneeded

None of this is normal or funny.

Agree. Absolutely fine if it’s just you and it isn’t impacting anyone else, but you’re bringing a child into the world who is likely to see and copy your irrational and unhealthy behaviours

Perhaps she's been brought up to believe this level of anxiety is normal.

Both jabs I stood, there not the option to sit, probably to make it quicker, & saved on cleaning. There was a large room with chairs to sit on if required after you had your jab.

Chairs were cleaned between every person when I went for my vaccination.

I sat down for both mine. They wipe down the chairs with antiviral wipes between patients.

@babynameneeded

None of this is normal or funny.

Agree. Absolutely fine if it’s just you and it isn’t impacting anyone else, but you’re bringing a child into the world who is likely to see and copy your irrational and unhealthy behaviours

This. It's extreme.

Pre--COVID, what were you worried about catching from contaminated surfaces, OP?

Fwiw I sat. The chair was wet with anti bac after they had wiped it so cleanest possibly it could have been. The chair I waited on after injection was cleaned seconds after I stood up too so was obviously clean when I sat down. This was just in a Superdrug too. I don’t mean to scare you but what if you have a reaction and need to sit down? Or lie on the floor or bed?

I’m assuming you’re going into hospitals for scans, doctors for appointments and making content with furniture and medical professionals? It’s no different and how are you going to cope when your baby is born and it needs to be touched by medical staff, touching hospital blankets etc. All probably run a much higher risk than your clothes bottom touching a seat. I’m pregnant but honestly this level of anxiety isn’t healthy for you or your baby.

I didn’t have the option to sit with my first. Second I sat. If you have Pfizer you are asked to sit for 15 mins before you can leave the building and those chairs were wiped over as soon as anyone left. I’m sure if you prefer to stand they will let you for your jab. Make sure you let your arm go floppy as it reduces the soreness.

I developed anxiety during the lockdowns, so I do understand where you're coming from, OP.

I patiently queued at a social distance and sat in chairs that a volunteer had wiped clean. Although you can probably stand to get the vaccination if you really want (assuming you're not very, very tall!), remember you will have to wait around afterwards too, so there's going to be quite a bit of standing involved if you won't sit.

My advice is to tell the vaccinator that you're nervous. Everything I've seen and heard suggests that the people helping to get jabs in arms are very kind, and will help you get vaccinated even though anxiety is conspiring against you.

If you're not comfortable explaining your fears, you could just play the pregnancy card instead and say because of where the baby is currently sitting, you find it more comfortable to stand where possible. No one will question that.

I sat. The chair was wiped down before a nd after I used it. I sat in another chair to wait after the jab - there was a box of wipes and a request to wipe this down before leaving.

@ilovesooty

I use my sleeve to press the button on traffic lights too. I also use my elbow/sleeve to open bathroom doors. Turn taps off with my elbow after washing my hands. Use my knuckle on self service checkouts.

Pretty normal to me, most people I know do the same sort of things 🤷‍♀️.

It may not be normal but what we do works. I can't remember the last time DH or I had a sick day and our employers absolutely love us for it.

Yes I will start getting things once our kids are in day care/school. I'm not afraid to have a cold or the flu, but I am afraid of covid. I honestly don't see the issues in trying to minimise how many colds etc. we get though.

[quote Hobnobsandbroomstick]@ilovesooty

I use my sleeve to press the button on traffic lights too. I also use my elbow/sleeve to open bathroom doors. Turn taps off with my elbow after washing my hands. Use my knuckle on self service checkouts.

Pretty normal to me, most people I know do the same sort of things 🤷‍♀️.[/quote]
Thank you!!

I sat for mine, you probably could stand if you wanted but you have to be observed for 15 mins afterwards, and at my vaccine centre you were shown to socially distanced chairs for this observation time. However I noticed that in between each person being vaccinated they swapped the chairs. So for example in each cubicle there were two chairs. Someone sat on one, got the vaccine, and then before the next person was shown in the chair was cleaned and swapped with the other chair meaning one was always drying from its clean while the other was being used. Likewise in the observation bit they cleaned each chair as someone left it and someone only went back in to that chair once it had dried.

OP: AIBU?
Everyone: Yes, downright ridiculous
OP: I AM NORMAL

I really can’t remember, the whole thing from arrival to departure took about 3 minutes. I mostly remember asking the lady administering the jab where she got her hair cut! By the time she’d told me, I was done.

I stood - wasn’t given a choice! Although to be fair I’m fine with vaccinations so it wasn’t a problem.

Same as nearly everyone else. I moved chair 5 times. Sat in a pre-check waiting area (socially distanced), moved to another chair to check medical and personal details, then moved to a pre-vaccination area, then to the nurse doing the vaccination then to the 15 minute post-vaccination side effect waiting area. Every time the chair was wiped down - in fact I was asked to wait for a minute whilst they wiped one chair down for me.

I also agree that it could be worth a chat with a GP re the germ issue. When your DC is here it would be unfair to them not to take them to baby clubs, soft play etc as that all helps their development and socialising. Covid is likely to still be with us then and for a long time to come unfortunately and it isn't fair to our children if they can't develop like we did.

Our DS has a heart condition and is currently heading off to spend the afternoon with his friends. Of course I worry about his catching the illness, but making those friends, being part of the group and just being a teenager is just as important. He's at school full time too so is in the thick of it there as well - we can only do our best and trust the rest to luck at the moment. He's going to live a life, not have an existence.

My GP told me that if I needed my reliever several times a week then my asthma is not under control and would need better prevention (tablets and preventer inhalers). If your husband is using his reliever several times a day then something is either quite wrong with his asthma treatment or is he is overly anxious and abusing it.

You have bigger problems than covid if you're genuinely worried about sitting on a chair in what is probably one of the cleanest places in the country right now.

I don't know anyone who consciously does all those things.

If I were concerned I'd sanitise my hands afterwards and of course I'd wash them as a matter of course on arriving home.

Sorry, just reread that you’d said several times a week.

You need to stay for 15 mins after for monitoring anyway so might as well get comfy unless you really fancy standing in 1 spot for 15 mins while pregnant.

@Zilla1

Pre--COVID, what were you worried about catching from contaminated surfaces, OP?

Just normal cold and flu. Worried for hsuband cause I really hate listening to him struggling and worrying about whether or not I'll need to call an ambulance but also cause we both have jobs where us being sick means meetings won't go ahead, work won't get done and we will have to play catchup once back. A week off with the flu resulted in a couple of weeks of 11-12h days at work. How I wish his junior colleague hadn't tried to play the hero coming in with a cough when he knew full well his wife and kids had the flu. I still curse him to this day.

So when are you going to get help for your health anxiety and germ phobia?

Please tell me you are seeking help.

I really hope you don’t pass on these fears to your child. It’s important for them to be able to play and explore freely.