What would be the consequences of refusing the coronavirus vaccine?

[Redolent]

So it’s being reported today that a sixth of all UK adults wouldn’t get vaccinated for coronavirus, and up to a third are unsure. I had a chat with my own sister-in-law few days ago and her family is also ‘worried about what they’re going to pump into us’...

I can’t see the vaccine being compulsory - it would just further fuel conspiracy theories - so what might be the consequences of turning down a vaccine? For instance, restrictions on international travel, countries refusing admittance? Employers requesting evidence of vaccination?

gosh that would be draconian. Nobody requires proof of polio or measles vaccine to allow travel. Or Ebola vaccine if you come from central Africa. Maybe some countries would bar entry... isn't yellow fever required for non-citizens to get into some countries?

This was reported in The Telegraph last year:

Children could be banned from school if they have not had MMR vaccine, Matt Hancock hints

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I struggle to also see how you can refuse vaccination and be able to work in the NHS, as a carer, etc

It will depend a lot on how effective the vaccine is - if it prevents disease entirely (v. unlikely) then I could see governments insisting on it to allow travel, schools etc (there is precedent for travel in yellow fever). If it simply lessens the disease I doubt it will be compulsory

Make it compulsory for anybody in a job which involves working with public, if they don't like it tough luck, get a different job.

@okiedokieme

It will depend a lot on how effective the vaccine is - if it prevents disease entirely (v. unlikely) then I could see governments insisting on it to allow travel, schools etc (there is precedent for travel in yellow fever). If it simply lessens the disease I doubt it will be compulsory

That’s a good point re:effectiveness, and also whether it stops transmission completely. Less likely for the Oxford vaccine, but promising for the Moderna one.

Countries around the world have had their economies monumentally screwed by attempting to contain this pandemic. I can’t see them wanting to keep going through that if a vaccine becomes available, eg in the EU.

It could make a difference to travel insurance.

I think it’s quite likely that there might be travel restrictions, as there is for Yellow Fever

But what is also not yet known is whether the jab will be safe for everyone (if live attenuated, then there are quite a lot of people medically excluded from all live vaccines)

I think it is quite likely there will be occupational requirements, especially for those working in hospitals, care settings or in the homes of those requiring care.

And incentives for other groups.

In my line of work we are required to have certain inoculations

But no one can force you
However the guidelines state that we cannot be insured ( and then employed) without the relevant jabs - therefore no jab no job

I imagine that in healthcare and caring jobs this will be the normal with the covid

I saw them discuss this in parliament the other week and shadow health secretary Johnathan Ashworth asked handjob to confirm that the government would have no truck with anti vaxxers. It was agreed that it would be obligatry. Unsure how it would be enforced though

Handjob

You have to be fully vaccinated to work in the nhs don't you? I had to have my rubella repeated as a student nurse as I didn't have antibodies. I imagine they will add covid to the list.

The last few years they have really toughened up on the flu jab, my husband was chased down on his ward and injected as he hadn't been to occupational health yet.

One consequence of not having the vaccine would be being at risk of catching coronavirus. And either becoming very sick or dying yourself, or passing it on to someone else who becomes very sick or dies.

I'm a bit behind on the news, have we got a vaccine now? That's a game changer.

I guess we now wait and see what the rules will be about having it, not much else we can really

I believe France makes attendance at nursery/school conditional on having had certain vaccines; I would imagine any CV vaccine, when it arrives, would be added to that.

We have resisted such a path so far; but this may prove different I guess.

Considering that they are saying that the vaccine won't be effective in the over 75's, I think they've got to ban unvaccinated people from care homes and hospitals, as visitors and unless medically exempt, from working in them.

I don't think a higher cost of insurance is going to sway people's decisions, because so many people travel without adequate insurance.

Anyone who doesn't get the vaccine is possibly going to shorten the life of any relatives over 60, or those with health issues. If not themselves, because any of us could have cancer etc without having any symptoms.

lifesalongsong, the government has just spent £500 million on ordering 60 million doses, to the two combined companies who are selling it. This is all on it being proven to work.

I thought all vaccines were still at the trial stage? Just had a quick Google and can see nothing to suggest anything else.

So not all relevant information is yet available?

I feel very uneasy about talk of making this compulsory.
Im not in any way an anti vaxxer but I question if it's the right thing to do, what happened to my body, my choice?

@Ponoka7

lifesalongsong, the government has just spent £500 million on ordering 60 million doses, to the two combined companies who are selling it. This is all on it being proven to work.

Thank you, so no definite news yet?

@lifesalongsong

I'm a bit behind on the news, have we got a vaccine now? That's a game changer.

I guess we now wait and see what the rules will be about having it, not much else we can really

No, we haven't got one yet. This was based on a survey asking people how likely they to have one when available.

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-up-to-a-third-of-britons-wouldnt-use-a-vaccine-for-covid-19-12022735

Bear in mind there are many different vaccines being worked on, all of which have different characteristics. So comments such as "it wont work in the over-75's" or " it will only offer partial protection" are a bit premature. As more and more vaccines are approved, they will probably develop a protocol for which one to give to which sort of person for the best effect. Who knows, it may be one shot of vaccine A followed by one shot of vaccine B gives better results than two shots of either of them alone, but over 75's have vaccine C instead.

I can't see there being any consequences- you can't deny education to a child because the parents refuse. Not in the long term anyway.

And it would be hard to sack somebody for refusing it, I can't think of parallels where that happens. The flu vaccine isn't compulsory even for nhs staff (even though that puts patients at risk).

In reality, if a sixth don't get vaccinated, the. You probably get to herd immunity anyway.

To encourage take up, you probably say that only when vaccinated do social restrictions get lifted, but that's pretty much unenforceable, as they are already only guidelines not law.

More likely to be compulsory in at least some countries than other vaccines,
since no other disease in modern times has caused worldwide lockdowns and a global recession

However, in the Uk and several other Weatern countries that could cause political problems
So maybe it will just be a matter of individuals balancing the disadvantages of not having it:

• travel or private health insurance having exceptions, or refusing cover
• some countries may not allow entry without a vaccination certificate
• some employers may require vaccination

• not just healthcare or schools: many very ordinary employers may not want to run the risk of employees being off sick and maybe even their business being closed down for a couple of weeks,

I imagine one consequence would be that you might catch it whereas if you had the vaccination, you probably wouldn't.

We're a long way off vaccination. It has to be thoroughly tried and tested before people will trust it.

I don't think it would be compulsory as in tie you down and inject you

But I can see people being excluded from thing if they don't get the vaccine.

Its still their body their choice - they choose not to get, then they accept the exclusions.

I feel very uneasy about talk of making this compulsory.
Im not in any way an anti vaxxer but I question if it's the right thing to do, what happened to my body, my choice?

There is currently nothing in UK law to allow compulsory vaccination.