To expect to be able to choose not to have the vaccine without being made to feel uncomfortable? *edited by MNHQ at OP's request*

[Drogonssmile]

Risking a flaming here:

I work in the NHS not patient facing. Our Trust has said all non frontline staff are likely to be offered the vaccine next week. (1000 staff have already been done which is brilliant!)

I'm a fit and healthy 39 year old with no underlying health conditions. I am not an anti vaxxer however I am concerned about the lack of long term research that has understandably not been able to be done on the vaccine and have made an informed decision that I probably won't have it. I'd prefer my dose to go to someone more vulnerable. I believe this should be my choice.
My colleague is 62 and is all for having the vaccine which is great. I said I probably wouldn't as it doesn't affect transmission only the severity of the illness. Now she isn't speaking to me.
AIBU?

(Also given the amount of setbacks and govt lies/omissions in the last 10 months I wouldn't be at all surprised if the vaccine isn't the silver bullet we've been told to expect. The way things are going I can see is in the same situation in 12 months time).

Yes. I've only had the flu vaccine once in 15 years as an employee.

That'll be because you are not patient facing. But you cannot assume that this will be the case with covid. That's the point.

When you ask your manager this afternoon remember to ask how you wlll be informed of any changes to requirements and to ask if you need to sign the vaccine refusal form.

I don’t understand why a 39 year old non-frontline NHS worker is being prioritised over the vulnerable.

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Surely that is massively discriminatory. Why should non BAME be lower priority in the list. In the battle against covid all lives matter A joke, yes?!?!?!

I am dubious about the OP's claim that BAME people have been vaccinated 1) because of the issue I mentioned - identifying such people and 2) is it actually clear that BAME people are more at risk? Where is the evidence for that?

It's totally up to you but I certainly won't be an arsehole and not talk to you because of your decision. Too many arseholes these days!

@CuriousaboutSamphire

You're sick of hearing freedom of choice?! No, like many others it's the blh blah blah that's the issue!

Rights come with responsibilities. That's the social contract.

What CuriousaboutSamphire said.

OP, ignore these horrible comments. I won’t be getting it for my own reasons and I don’t expect to be getting judgemental comments. The vaccine reduces the severity of illness, not your ability to pass it on, so I can’t see why anyone would refuse to work with you or me.

Stop wittering about your freedom of choice when you don't respect others. You want freedom to not get the vaccine, then you need to accept your colleagues freedom to think you a dickhead and not speak to you. You wan freedom to walk around unvaccinated, you need to respect everyone elses freedom to not be put at risk by you, and not want you anywhere near them.
Don't be such a hypocrite,

@Drogonssmile

Do you have a personal food taster too ? Just to make sure you don't inadvertently eat anything that might be off/upset your stomach ? Best to let others run the risk for you eh ?

If everyone took took the same attitude as you, we'd be in permanent lockdown.

But, yes, expect others to consider your actions self-centred and treat you accordingly. Surely only the truly self-obsessed could consider that "being discriminated against".

WRT the BAME being more vulnerable, my understanding is that a high % of those in frontline roles are from BAME groups, so high numbers of doctors, nurses, carers, transport workers etc which was why there were so many getting it. As well as that, many are more likely to have underlying medical conditions eg type 2 diabetes is much higer in people from BAME groups making them more vulnerable if they do contract it. But I am happy to hear other resons

I'm no anti vaxxer by any means, however I have been suffering (and still very much am suffering) with bilateral frozen shoulders. There is a huge link, albeit anecdotal since very little research is done, connecting having a virus or vaccine to the onset of frozen shoulder. Indeed mine came on after a really bad virus, within just a couple of weeks.
I've been told that because the vials are pre filled needles they can only be given in the arm. I am not willing to take the risk of a setback in my recovery for any reason, but if they will give it in the leg, bum or stomach I will definitely consider it.
But if any of my colleagues decided to ignore me or ostracised me because of it I think I'd feel the same way as OP.

YANBU.
Reading the majority of the posts on the thread scares me.

@Em777

I don’t understand why a 39 year old non-frontline NHS worker is being prioritised over the vulnerable.

Here’s the answer I have a couple of pages ago.

The NHS is run by the back room people needed to keep it going - ordering supplies, paying invoices so supplies keep coming, working in kitchens to make food for patients, doing building maintenance so the lights - and oxygen - stay on, and thousands of other supporting roles. If all those people are off sick with Covid or self isolating for 10 days, then medical staff can’t do their thing. Like a beehive, all the roles are needed to keep it running. Just because they’re not on the frontline doesn’t mean they’re not essential to services running.

@TheOrigRights

I am dubious about the OP's claim that BAME people have been vaccinated 1) because of the issue I mentioned - identifying such people and 2) is it actually clear that BAME people are more at risk? Where is the evidence for that?

My apologies, I should have been much more clear in my incredulity!

Yes. There has been evidence regarding ethnicity and infection rates and severity since April last year. It has been headline news for months.

www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30228-9/fulltext

www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/behind-the-headlines/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-ethnic-minorities

There's been a sub committee looking into it for months

committees.parliament.uk/publications/3965/documents/39887/default/

@Okeydokeypiginapokey I agree with you... it’s very scary. I feel as though I’m reading The Daily Mail

@MoiJeJous

OP, ignore these horrible comments. I won’t be getting it for my own reasons and I don’t expect to be getting judgemental comments. The vaccine reduces the severity of illness, not your ability to pass it on, so I can’t see why anyone would refuse to work with you or me.

But you're still happy to contribute to the NHS being overwhelmed when there is a quick and easy way to lessen this?

You're happy to limp from lockdown to lockdown affecting your mental health and social and economic implications of this?

Oh but that won't happen, will it? Because unlike you. others are looking at the broader picture and are happy to get immuniised. And hopefully enough will get the jab to gelp society as a whole, not just looking after yourself.

Sorry, I think unless there are clear medical reasons why not, I think it's selfish not to get it but then continue to complain about lockdown or having elective surgery or treatment cancelled because the NHS are overwhelmed.

Selfish, selfish, selfish.

@MoiJeJous

OP, ignore these horrible comments. I won’t be getting it for my own reasons and I don’t expect to be getting judgemental comments. The vaccine reduces the severity of illness, not your ability to pass it on, so I can’t see why anyone would refuse to work with you or me.

As has been said a few times on this thread alaone: that is not true!

It is a mix of Media Hype, fear and misundertsanding of some very complex science.

When a journalist hears a scientist question an outcome they think there is an issue, something is wrong, we need to be told.

When a scientist hears a scientist question an outcome they think there is an issue that needs to be looked at, a statistical outlier that needs to be understoood. That will take months and won't affect the main findings.

And if you think nobody will judge you based on your decision you will be disappointed!

For those who say that the OP is not being discriminated, being ignored on purpose is a form of bullying

Do you think mobbing at the workplace is acceptable?

Just because someone wishes to retain autonomy over her own body (whether her arguments seem reasonable to others or not)?

being ignored on purpose is a form of bullying

OP, ignore these horrible comments. I won’t be getting it for my own reasons and I don’t expect to be getting judgemental comments

You'll be getting them. Maybe not to your face....

For those who say that the OP is not being discriminated, being ignored on purpose is a form of bullying

No it isn't. If I think my colleague is being a massive tit and putting us all at risk, I don't have to talk to her. That's not bullying.

@BertyFlanter

I'm no anti vaxxer by any means, however I have been suffering (and still very much am suffering) with bilateral frozen shoulders. There is a huge link, albeit anecdotal since very little research is done, connecting having a virus or vaccine to the onset of frozen shoulder. Indeed mine came on after a really bad virus, within just a couple of weeks. I've been told that because the vials are pre filled needles they can only be given in the arm. I am not willing to take the risk of a setback in my recovery for any reason, but if they will give it in the leg, bum or stomach I will definitely consider it. But if any of my colleagues decided to ignore me or ostracised me because of it I think I'd feel the same way as OP.

See I get that. You clearly have a medical reason for not wanting it but if it was available in a different form eg injectable in another site you would consider it. I also get why pp who are pregnant are reluctant. It's those without medical reasons/pregnancy I get antsy with.

One thing you should consider re the vaccine, OP. Your chance of dying of Covid is undoubtedly 0.000001 as you put it. But your chance of ending up with long Covid is much higher. If you look at the support page on the Coronavirus board, you’ll discover that you’re at the prime age for it. There are pets who have had it so badly that they’re not likely to work again or at least not for some time. I have it badly myself. I have recovered somewhat ten months on, but I still suffer from exhaustion, breathlessness and coughing fits as well as dizzy spells.

Yes the odds are still that this won’t happen and you’ll have it mildly or asymptomatically. But a vaccine will make certain that the odds are zero. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to make sure of that.

If you choose not to have the vaccine and talk to people about it, you have to accept that they will form a judgement about it.

You are removing the agency of the co worker @trulydelicious

If she continues to ignore OP then yes, there could be an allegation of bullying. But at the moment, for all we know, the woman is just gobsmacked at OPS stance!

One person does not make a mob!

Bullying and socrimination are entirely different things.

As is keeping a healthy distance, removing yourself from potential areas of conflict!

I think there is a fundamental moral question here.

Everyone wants this over. Everyone wants to be safe. For their loved ones to be safe. For life to go back to normal. The only way to achieve this is mass vaccination.

So when someone says, I don’t want to take it but I’m delighted everyone else is, then it appears inherently selfish. In addition the more people who do this, the longer this situation will go on for. So if all the nhs staff said they refuse to take it, where would we be? If everyone refused to take it where would we be?

So when everyone else is expected to take one for the team, and one person pops up and says fuck no, but could you all take it, that would be brilliant please, no one is going to like it if you’re that person. Other than other people like you.

Whether to have the vaccine or not is a personal decision for each and every person. You shouldn't be discriminated against if you don't choose to have it, otherwise where do we draw the line? Should people who make other health related choices be discriminated against. If someone chooses to smoke and therefore not protect themselves from lung disease for example, should they be discriminated against on the basis that they aren't protecting their health? No of course not. It is private individual choices (remember that thing called choice?) And private medical information regardless of the profession of the person. It should remain private.

@Mittens030869
Did you mean to say pets getting it and not working? My collie is now getting worried that she will contract it and not be able to herd all her toys up......