If the vaccine was immediately available for everyone - would you have it?

[Dinosaur19]

Not after an argument I’m just genuinely wondering! I have spoken to two friends and one would have it and one wouldn’t. If the vaccine (still with 90% effectivity) was available for everyone in the UK, would you have it straight away?

No, I'd wait 6-12 months then have it.

No way and I think anyone who does is a fool

@DigOutThoseLemonHandWipes

Those that are a firm no (not because you are currently pregnant, have another health condition etc) what would you like to happen? That we return to normal and take the covid death toll whatever it my be? That we carry on with lockdowns/restrictions indefinitely? That we are get tested on a week basis?

You've missed out the most common answer given on the thread.

You have instead interpreted "No I won't" as "Nobody should." That's not what was said.

Nearly everyone giving a reason said they support vulnerable people and worried people having the vaccine if they so wish.

I personally choose not to have it in the first year. I have no objection whatsoever to anyone else having it.

Same as how I usually don't get a flu jab but would drive my MIL to get hers. Like I would easily accept a tetanus shot after a mishap with a rusty nail but wouldn't insist someone else do the same.

Would want to wait 4 weeks to see how it goes.

Absolutely

I genuinely am struggling to understand the vaccine refusers here - even when you take asymptomatic cases into account, the case fatality rate for winter flu is about 1 in 10,000, whereas for covid it's above 1 in 1000. Most people wouldn't bet their house on odds of 1 in 1000. Yet they're quite happy to say "really, really remote chance the vaccine might be bad for me... you know, I'll take those 1 in 1000 odds of death. I'm really struggling to understand why someone would look at risk this way.

Is it that you magically don't think you'll catch it?

Do you not believe the numbers on the case fatality rate (they're pretty constant across developed nations)?

Is it that you think the distribution is so skewed to older demographics that you'll be okay if you catch it?

About the only people I do understand are the ones saying "I'm pretty sure I caught it back in March." (And even then given that we now know it's possible to catch it twice, I'd still be having the vaccine.)

Nope

The more people who don’t have it the quicker it comes my way !

Yes I'm late 60s DH mid 70s and I want my life back.

@tootyfruitypickle

The more people who don’t have it the quicker it comes my way !

That's how I'm looking at it!

Yes

Is it that you magically don't think you'll catch it

Nope. But it doesn't frighten me if I do. It's unlikely bearing in mind that I am generally careful and have limited contact with others on a regular basis anyway. We all do our own risk assessments and make our decisions based on that. If I was in a customer facing role and meeting lots of others each day then I would probably reconsider, balanced against a different risk. But where I'm at right now, I don't need to. More importantly, it remains my choice whether to do so or not.

whereas for covid it's above 1 in 1000
That is not correct for my demographic. For mine it is 1 in 10,000 and that was the situation calculated in June when most asymptomatic and mild symptom covid went undetected so the real ratio is probably more in my favour. In any case, I am pretty sure I had it mildly in wave 1. So, I am happy with those odds.

No

@StrippedFridge
But if everyone says I won't get it there can't be long term studies. What I was trying to discover was what people regard as a viable alternative to a vaccine if they regard a vaccine that hasn't been proven by decades of testing as dangerous. So far no-one has suggested a reasonable alternative. I understand that people have personal reasons for not wanting it but there doesn't seem to be a viable alternative for the world (rather than select individuals) to get back to anything close to normal. Either we ask a fair proportion of the population to "risk" vaccination or we condemn the CEV to either never returning to anything like a normal life or to risk CV-19. On an individual scale it OK to say I don't go out but in order for society to function lots of people do have to go out. Children shouldn't have to chose between seeing their grandparents and having normal everyday experiences. I feel that a vaccine is our best chance of getting life rather than existence back for everyone not just the fit and well.

God yes

[quote DigOutThoseLemonHandWipes]@StrippedFridge
But if everyone says I won't get it there can't be long term studies. What I was trying to discover was what people regard as a viable alternative to a vaccine if they regard a vaccine that hasn't been proven by decades of testing as dangerous. So far no-one has suggested a reasonable alternative. I understand that people have personal reasons for not wanting it but there doesn't seem to be a viable alternative for the world (rather than select individuals) to get back to anything close to normal. Either we ask a fair proportion of the population to "risk" vaccination or we condemn the CEV to either never returning to anything like a normal life or to risk CV-19. On an individual scale it OK to say I don't go out but in order for society to function lots of people do have to go out. Children shouldn't have to chose between seeing their grandparents and having normal everyday experiences. I feel that a vaccine is our best chance of getting life rather than existence back for everyone not just the fit and well.[/quote]
I think I've done enough for anonymous strangers already. I would only have the vaccine for my benefit and I don't see a need for it.

The general population are about the 10th priority group (if its done the way its been suggested). Assuming a 3 week roll out for each group from Spring, you would be looking at getting vaccinated in Sept. Or, if we start with priority groups before Christmas then May time.

I wouldn't being doing it for anonymous strangers, well I would but mostly for my friends, family, colleagues etc. I'm not sure if my immunocompromised mum will be able to have it but once I had it I would be able to lay eyes on her for the first time since February.

@CaraDuneRedux there is no way that the covid case fatality rate for healthy younger people is 1 in 1000. Doesn't mean I'd be happy to get it, nor do I want to risk spreading it, mind you.

Absolutely - I’m a junior doctor and want to keep my family and patients safe and get life back to normal as much as we can. If I’m pregnant when it’s available I think I’ll wait for second trimester as the first trimester is such a delicate time in development, and the risk in pregnancy with COVID is third trimester and we don’t know how long the vaccine lasts.

No, as I said, it's 1 in 1000 overall - varying according to demographic group. I'm at the older end of things, so for me having the vaccine is a no-brainer. But I know people much younger than me who have had covid very badly (mercifully no fatalities among that age group), and having heard from them how seriously ill they were (and in some cases how serious the after effects have been) I'd still have it.

I know my son's biggest worry is bringing it home from school and infecting me (having had a child ridiculously late, I'm mid 50s with a school-age child), so it's not as easy as just isolating myself from everyone, either. He has to go to school.

Yes

Pinkdaffodil, is it likely you would even be allowed it while pregnant?