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?

And in the meantime @openplankitchen I hope you wouldn’t complain about continued SD measures or restrictions if they had to be in place. More likely though you’d enjoy the herd immunity brought about by most other people doing the right thing for the good of all of us and having the vaccine.

I also wouldn’t be too sure about not being sacked from your job either.

@FizzFan are you seriously suggesting the nhs can sack a significant proportion of its doctors and nurses. What if only 5-10% refuse (I suspect it would be more like 50% based on compulsory flu vaccination). There is no way the nhs could sack us all.

Seat belts is not the same at all.

You’re right - seat belts predominantly protect the wearer, whereas vaccination protects others as well.

I am genuinely shock at compulsory vaccination.

We don’t have compulsory vaccination in the UK, and personally I doubt that we ever will.

Well there are certain jobs you can’t do without the relevant vaccines (e.g. healthcare).

Schools and nurseries could request vaccination.

Insurance companies may only offer travel insurance to the vaccinated.

@PuzzledObserver seatbelts also provide vital protection for others. It’s all good and well wearing a seatbelt yourself but if the passenger behind you does not you could get very badly hurt.

You only wear a seatbelt in a car.

A vaccination - like a puppy - is for life.

@DGRossetti

You only wear a seatbelt in a car.

A vaccination - like a puppy - is for life.

Good point! Seatbelts are even more like vaccination than I thought when I made the analogy. Which, by the way, was more about the spurious arguments raised against them than trying to draw equivalence between seatbelts and vaccines.

I don’t personally think vaccination will be compulsory.

That quote was supposed to be of @Loveinatimeofcovid’s post about seatbelts protecting others.

They require hepatitis B injections in many roles in the NHS don’t they?

All I’m saying is don’t be so sure you won’t be indispensable. Most people will cave and have it with the threat of losing their job hanging over them.

@PuzzledObserver they also sometimes kill people in freak accidents. But generally they have no real side effects bar perhaps mild discomfort. They’re very easy to use and are offered as standard so don’t cost you anything. On rare occasions they fail. They provide a sense of reassurance. There are a lot of similarities oddly enough, I guess that’s not particularly surprising when you have two products that have the sole purpose of saving lives.

Problem is no one can tell if this vaccine will have any longer term side effects that may not show up for years, this is why I don't think it could or should be compulsory

@PuzzledObserver

That quote was supposed to be of *@Loveinatimeofcovid*’s post about seatbelts protecting others.

Yes. But when you get out of a car, you take the seatbelt off, and it bothers you no more.

You also have a choice not to travel by car if you don't want to wear a seatbelt.

So comparing vaccines to seatbelts is of very limited use.

What will be the consequences if not enough people have the vaccine? It won’t work is the answer.

A vaccine is something injected into your body - you can't reverse that. A seat belt is something you put round your body temporarily. They're not comparable at all.

I think the vaccine (and we don't know what will be in it yet so I think we should reserve our judgement until we do know) won't be compulsory, but there could well be instances where you would need to have had it (e.g. international travel). In that case there would need to be some reliable means by which to prove you've had it.

Here's the thing - if enough people have the vaccine, then people who can't have it for medical reasons are protected by herd immunity.

If not enough people have it, those who do have it are protected, and those who don't remain vulnerable to Covid.

If they didn't have it because they chose not to - that's their lookout. I am sad for those who can't have it for medical reasons and then go on to catch Covid.

I will be having it - I will be protected. I hope that there is enough protection to enable more of society to open up without a massive Covid resurgence.

I also hope you all wear your seatbelts, even if the analogy is imperfect.

I don't understand the hysteria either JassyRadlett

Any covid vaccine is currently hypothetical, including those being tested. Any condition or consequence attached to it are similarly hypothetical.

Nobody here has suggested forced vaccination, despite several posters fearing that.

Who knows what will happen. I'm really hoping for a vaccine. Best chance of returning to 'normal'.

I have seen some CFs who want full lockdown until there is a vaccine, but are not intending to have the vaccine themselves...

@tilder

I don't understand the hysteria either JassyRadlett

Any covid vaccine is currently hypothetical, including those being tested. Any condition or consequence attached to it are similarly hypothetical.

Nobody here has suggested forced vaccination, despite several posters fearing that.

Who knows what will happen. I'm really hoping for a vaccine. Best chance of returning to 'normal'.

Posters on this thread said the vaccine should be compulsory.

@fizzfan

Doctors and nurses really are pretty much indispensable. There are already many vacancies nationwide. No trust is going to voluntarily sack a load more.

From colleagues I've spoken to I would estimate under 50% would agree to a rushed through vaccine with unknown risks.

It's happened before. Swine flu was it? Where the vaccine was worse than the disease

Remember a lot in nhs have already had covid. Making them even less likely to want a vaccine.

It's happened before. Swine flu was it? Where the vaccine was worse than the disease

We all had the swine flu vaccine and it was fine, it’s only been since then I’ve seen any concerns about it

As with any drug including vaccines. Most are fine. Some have side effects. Without having good data on the risks of these side effects I wouldn't consent to it. We will not have that data any time soon

Even paracetamol can have side effects. Read a packet of any medicine and it states that 0.000001% reported symptoms of believing themselves to be Donald Trump.

labyrinthloafer compulsory to access certain services. I think i said i wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Not that i expect it to be compulsory to have it. Since the op was asking about consequences of non vaccination (other than catching covid).

Different to the picture painted of pinning people down to stick them with a needle.

Do I personally think it should be compulsory unless you have a valid reason? Yes. Doesn't mean I think that will happen.

You must know a different NHS cohort to us openplankitchen. Everyone we know wants to be first in the queue. They don't want covid.

You must know a different NHS cohort to us openplankitchen. Everyone we know wants to be first in the queue. They don't want covid.
Nor would they want to pass on COVID to the vulnerable patients they care for