Will the vaccinated 'oldies' become the new superspreaders?

[OnlyTeaForMe]

So, if people who have been vaccinated can still catch and pass on the virus (but not get so ill with it themselves) isn't there a chance that the active 75+ group will become the new superspreaders once they've been vaccinated?

I know several people in this age group who intend to get out there and live life to the full once they've been vaccinated, and I sense that people don't really understand that they still need to wear masks and social distance.

If they all start visiting family and friends and shopping and drop their guard, then surely they will begin to put the non-vaccinated at risk?

@Feelingblue, you're not reading what I have written at all. In the last sentence I stated that my experience of the younger families and middle aged 'that I work with' are not mixing. The seven families belonging to the one elderly man, I don't work with them, I don't know them, I've met a couple of them over the last decade or so. He told me they would be visiting and he wouldn't be stopping them. They asked first if he would be OK with it.

Do you work with the public and a range of ages every day? Do you see first hand what others are doing throughout this pandemic? I do. I'm in their homes for hours every day, I'm involved in their lives.

I'm stating my experiences, which I am entitled to do.

@Tootsey11 - of course you're entitled to relate your experiences.

And from those experiences and how you interpret who is and who is not likely to be a super spreader you reinforce your biased ageism.

b) For me the period of concern here isn't once all the vulnerable are vaccinated, it's the period, likely to be a good few months, where some are and some aren't. If vaccinated over 70s stop following the law because they feel personally safe then if case numbers rise significantly, whether it's as a result of them transmitting it or (which seems more likely to me) because this causes a general collapse in compliance, the end result is that groups like the at-risk under 65s, or 60-65 year olds, who are a lot lower down the vaccination list, will be at significantly increased risk.

Firstly, the chances are high that the vaccine will stop or massively reduce transmission in those who've had it, so 'vaccinated oldies' are unlikely to be a huge source of risk to the unvaccinated.

Secondly, if we're talking about attitudes to mixing after vaccination - I think the unvaccinated young and less vulnerable are likely to be a far bigger risk. I have heard a lot about how once the vulnerable have been vaccinated everything should get back to normal ASAP.

I agree that it's the middle aged/younger old people (who are far down the vaccine list but still a bit vulnerable) who will be most at risk during the time when we're only halfway through vaccinations. I'm not at all convinced that the risk to those people is going to come from reckless vaccinated people more than from the reckless unvaccinated people who are keen to get back to normal.

At least in theory, middle-aged people are going to be at risk from both those groups - but given that the vaccine probably will reduce transmission a lot, probably we'll be a lot more at risk - by numbers - from younger unvaccinated people. We'll be relying on both groups to modify their behaviour to reduce a risk they perceive as only affecting others, not themselves.

I don't believe that age is going to be the thing that determines how people choose to behave. I think personality, education, individual character, family attitudes that cross generations and so on will make more difference to people's behaviour than their age.

Firstly, the chances are high that the vaccine will stop or massively reduce transmission in those who've had it, so 'vaccinated oldies' are unlikely to be a huge source of risk to the unvaccinated.

Secondly, if we're talking about attitudes to mixing after vaccination - I think the unvaccinated young and less vulnerable are likely to be a far bigger risk. I have heard a lot about how once the vulnerable have been vaccinated everything should get back to normal ASAP.

I agree that it's the middle aged/younger old people (who are far down the vaccine list but still a bit vulnerable) who will be most at risk during the time when we're only halfway through vaccinations. I'm not at all convinced that the risk to those people is going to come from reckless vaccinated people more than from the reckless unvaccinated people who are keen to get back to normal.

At least in theory, middle-aged people are going to be at risk from both those groups - but given that the vaccine probably will reduce transmission a lot, probably we'll be a lot more at risk - by numbers - from younger unvaccinated people. We'll be relying on both groups to modify their behaviour to reduce a risk they perceive as only affecting others, not themselves.

I don't believe that age is going to be the thing that determines how people choose to behave. I think personality, education, individual character, family attitudes that cross generations and so on will make more difference to people's behaviour than their age.

All excellent points. Funny though, how some people have been wanting to accept what they considered a small risk and go back to normal, but now aren’t wanting to accept the same small risk because it appears that the elderly won’t have to be punished and shut themselves away forever.

And anyone is entitled to relate their anecdotal experiences as long as they own them as such - I’m quite old and nobody I know in real life is behaving like the people @Tootsey11 describes (sorry, that should have read the ONE person).

[quote Tootsey11]@daisychain01 I'm not peddling any lies. My job involves being in others homes on a daily basis. I'm a service provider running a business. I've had bloody covid. I have no reason to lie and am a genuine person. It has really really shocked me, the attitudes I have come across to this virus. I'm stating what I have seen and been told. I could tell loads more, and all involve the elderly but what's the point.[/quote]
What I find unacceptable about "discussion threads" like this one, is that they start from a position of targeting and branding a certain group of people in a certain way (negatively). The title of this thread is biased!! It reinforces a skewed view from the get-go, when all it can ever be is people like you providing anecdata, based on your experience, validating it because "it's my job, I know what I'm talking about". Your examples are an atom on a pinhead, compared to the complete view (which is impossible to know).

And for every one of you, the discussion will attract others who are angry, resentful and frustrated at the situation and want to find any opportunity to have a pop, 'othering' people based on their age group. It is never OK to generalise just because people think they know a few people like that. And it's never OK to label people "old'uns", "young'uns" - I thought that type of thinking went out decades ago, clearly it's alive and well. It creates societal division.

Why don't we just see how this vaccination program plays out, it's only been live for a couple of weeks and people are already making useless lazy speculation based on prejudices, perpetuated by these "discussion threads" and bloody cesspits like Twitter.

@daisychain01 Well said!

Daisychain01 well said. There are some really offensive views on this thread.