Rules for vaccinated?

[MummaBear4321]

DH has just been speaking to his GPs who both have had the first dose of covid vaccine and will be fully vaccinated in 3 weeks time. They have completely isolated from everyone and everything since March. We said 'it will be amazing for you to have your freedom again' and he said that he wasnt sure he would have freedom as he has seen no mention of those who are vaccinated being able to see family.

Does anyone know will the vaccinated be able to mix in the world again, move between tiers, take flights, see low risk family members? The thought that after all the waiting, they would still not be able to go anywhere or see anyone, I felt so bad for them. Has there been anything from the government about this?

@MummaBear4321 yes I and Everyone I know will be extremely unhappy and angry if this is the attitude people are taking. I’ve sacrificed so much this year, including not seeing my family, family missing out on my first baby, their first grandchild, Christmas, so so much, all for people who are high risk. As a result of this thread me and DH have decided to start seeing family again now. Why should we give up any more when others aren’t prepared to do the same when they become low risk. If that means cases rose more and they get it before they get the vaccine then so be it, not my problem anymore.

@Egghead68

I'm incredibly happy for you that you're going to be able to stop shielding. I can only imagine how awful that would've been. And that is exactly the kind of freedom the vaccine should be bring for the first people to get it.

I think the only ones people take umbridge with are the people who go 'I'm vaccinated, I'm safe now, so screw the rules' when the rest of us have been relatively safe throughout but anytime we've thought about breaking the rules have been screamed down as murdered and lectured about collective responsibility and protecting other.

You shielding only protected you and being able to stop will be fantastic. The rest of the rules are for others and the vaccinated should continue to follow them, just like the rest of us who've been relatively safe throughout this, as part of their collective responsibility to protect others.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, DHs grandmother has died and mine no longer knows who I am as her Alzheimer’s has progressed so much further. We’re both deeply sad about having missed the final months that we should have been able to spend with them. For that reason we’ll be seeing our remaining grandparents as soon as they are vaccinated, they’re all in their late 80s and you just sadly don’t know how much time you’ve got left with them.

Typed a post and lost it so apologies if it appears twice.
Colleague (fellow teacher who I share a tiny windowless workroom with + one other in school) just cycled past my house. We waved but I did motinvite her in ‘cos ya know - da Roolz. Yet my house and garden are large and we could give a much more distanced chat than every school day.
No wonder people gave lost patience with this nonsense and lack of logic.

@Yakkity I think you have shown the logic that many people (including my DH whose grandfather has cancer and dementia). How much longer does he have left? We haven't seen him since January. But then, the vast majority of ECV are over 80 and have limited time left, so that logic can be applied to many who get the vaccine over the next while. This means the ECV will be seeing family, most likely indoors or travelling distances, something all of us low risk havent done. I genuinely see both sides. Personally, I think DH will be seeing his GPs.

Cannot believe what I'm reading. Have fun visiting your newly vaccinated family and friends. Don't worry about the "roolz" because obviously they don't apply to you any more. And don't worry about the tier restrictions lasting longer than they would have because - hey you're OK

I'm clinically vulnerable but have to wait for the Oxford vaccine. I'm worried about how the elderly will behave once vaccinated. I need to use public transport, so does my somewhat vulnerable (heart condition) adult DD who works in the type of shop many elderly people use as a day out.

It will be interesting to see if they become spreaders. There's a lot of unknowns about what this vaccine means.

I have to say this thread has both made me quite cross and also confirmed what I've suspected for a while; the people calling other people selfish and murderous for struggling with the restrictions don't actually give a flying fuck about the greater good, they just happen to have people that they care about who are vulnerable and want the world to be shaped around them. How fucking selfish.

My MiL is looking forward to getting the second dose of her vaccine. She can't wait to start going out again - the only trouble is, as her carers, we are her only means of transport to shops/restaurants etc, and it will be many months before we get our own vaccines. So it seems little will change for her, despite her having been vaccinated.

Surely the vaccinated should behave the same as everyone else and follow the same rules it just means they won't have to shield, people that have had Covid so likely immune can't go here, there and everywhere and still have to isolate if in contact with a case

@Mousehole10

Seriously why have I not been seeing my family for months if those I’ve been apparently trying to protect are now going to go straight out before the rest of the vulnerable have been vaccinated and spread it anyway? I may as well have not bothered. I hope you don’t have school/nursery children as you’ll be putting their teachers and other families at risk.

Yes this is the point.

We all still need to follow the rules - and hope rules can be relaxed more quickly as vaccination rolls out.

@Hardbackwriter

I agree. I've said throughout everyone is selfish in this. Those who break the rules and those who dont both do it because it's what they believe is best for them. Even those who believe they're completely altruistic in their rule following, id bet if you dig down it's because they believe it'll bring things back to normal for them quickest vs those breaking them because they truly believe rules are ineffective anyway.

What's more annoying is the hypocrites. Those who've screamed at the rest of us that were selfish all this time but are happy to go back to their lives as soon as they're vaccinated and trying to justify it.

Atleast own your actions. Like the rest of us who've said we're trying to be careful but ultimately need to see a single friend or family member for our own MH, whilst having them scream at us that we're all murderers.

I agree with hardback and mousehole

It’s absolutely right that the vulnerable are being vaccinated and will then be able to relax somewhat - but the suggestion that they can then go straight back to normal and ignore ‘the rules’ is quite galling for the younger generation who are lower risk (but not no risk) and have been asked to sacrifice a lot to protect the very people who are being vaccinated. It would create a very divided society and could lead to a lot of resentment.

It’s all very well for people to say the non-vulnerable are selfish for not sticking to the rules because they’re not personally at risk, but it works both ways!

@arevioletsreallyblue thank you and yes, I fully agree. Being vaccinated does not give anyone carte blanche. We still have to follow the rules, as everyone else has been doing, until such time as it has been proven that the vaccine prevents transmission or until we have herd immunity.

If you have been shielding, even the freedom to go to the shop to pick up a pint of milk (suitably masked) without worrying will be lovely. For 9 months everything we have eaten or drunk has been planned and ordered.

All my Grandparents want is the freedom to use their community bus to go and get their own shopping. Currently my Dad either does their shopping completely or he’ll take my Grandma depending on local rates. They’ll still wear their masks and it won’t be every day but they want to actually look at the food in a shop rather than send a list and have no spontaneous purchases.

@MummaBear4321

I see the sense in this, but I think DHs 82 year old grandmother hasn't copped that she will still be at home, under the same rules, not able to meet our daughter who was born at the start of the last lockdown. Mentally she went down rapidly as she was a very independent woman pre covid, but the idea of the vaccine has really perked her up. She sees it as light at the end of the tunnel for her, when in reality nothing will change. Poor woman.

It might not change right away, but of course it will change

It's unlikely to be the travel companies who make the rules - if it happens, it will be the destination country who imposed rules re vaccinations etc, i.e. no vaccination, no entry.

Slightly off topic, but this (which I agree with) made me wonder how any countries are going to be able to impose rules about entry, if people who are being vaccinated aren't being given any certificate or whatever as proof^ they have been vaccinated anyway ?

@BackForGood I imagine they will start issuing some sort of vaccine certificates or cards...... which freaks me out a bit tbh. Not entirely sure why.

My friend who got vaccinated (frontline NHS) said she got a vaccine card 'like the cat gets from the vet' but I don't really know what she meant by that and it doesn't sound like something a country offering a visa would accept?!

Looking at the irish approach to people travelling from the uk, they had a blanket travel ban up to Saturday but have announced now that they intend to allow travel with 'health regulations to control travel'. They had testing in place in dublin airport but it wasnt very practical (test day before you fly out. Test 5 days after you arrive into the country, only one test centre at dublin airport). It looks like they are leaning towards some way of proving you are "healthy". The Irish people have in general been very anti air travel throughout the pandemic, so I imagine something like proof of a vaccine would be supported by the public.

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

If you have been shielding, even the freedom to go to the shop to pick up a pint of milk (suitably masked) without worrying will be lovely. For 9 months everything we have eaten or drunk has been planned and ordered.

Exactly. We've been shielding due to OH's cancer. Just being free to do what everyone else can is going to be brilliant. Simple things like going shopping, re-opening our business, etc. We know that masks, SD, screens etc will still be here, but it will be a start to getting back to normal. Holidays, restaurants, theatre trips etc can wait - 6 months more or a year more for us to be able to do those kind of things is fine.

@BackforGood

It's unlikely to be the travel companies who make the rules - if it happens, it will be the destination country who imposed rules re vaccinations etc, i.e. no vaccination, no entry.

Slightly off topic, but this (which I agree with) made me wonder how any countries are going to be able to impose rules about entry, if people who are being vaccinated aren't being given any certificate or whatever as proof^ they have been vaccinated anyway ?

The Govt/NHS may well have to come up with a system. Perhaps something like the driving license system where you get a code from DVLA which you give to the overseas car hire firm which they use to login to a system at their end where they can see your license info. A paper/card system is a bit antiquated and very easy for fraud.

Sorry haven’t read every post. I think initially it will be vaccinated following the same rules as everyone else for lots of reasons already mentioned, but a) that will change hopefully as the vaccine is rolled out further and rules change and b) for many elderly that in itself will be a huge improvement. Most people I know over 70 have been going way beyond the rules to protect themselves and if allowed to actually do what the rules allow they will see a lot more of family and be able to do much more.

I think for this whole process to work we all have to be committed to keeping cases down, even among the less vulnerable. Every new case is a chance for further mutation and if one occurs that evades the current vaccines things will be at best hugely delayed, and at worst, well let’s not go there.