Vaccine anxiety and not sure what to do.

[Littlelapwing]

I’ve been offered the Pfizer vaccine and in a total quandary. I haven’t trusted the Pfizer vaccine from the start, I don’t like the technology/basis for it and I don’t trust the company.
I don’t have a problem with the Oxford vaccine.....but that’s sadly not an option.

Has anyone else been in this position? Can you recommend any reassuring reading about the Pfizer vaccine in particular please? I’m not anti-vaccine at all but this particular one worries me.

I’m young, healthy, and 99% sure I’ve already had Covid. Can’t decide if that’s relevant.

I will also add (before any possible pile on, you never know) that anxiety over decisions like this is completely legitimate. I’m looking for other views/reassurance/helpful reading please.

Thanks.

BioNTech is a German company run by a married couple. They are by all accounts highly respected scientists. They have partnered with American pharma company Pfizer for production and distribution.

So yes the drug was developed in Germany but BioNTech lacks the ability to deliver it in millions of doses on its own.

I see no difference between BioNTech working with Pfizer and Oxford University working with AstraZeneca for the exact same reason.

"Yes it’s irrational, yes it’s woolly. Yes it’s probably silly. But I can’t help that and I know I’m not the only one. I need to work out what my problem actually is."

And you have many that can guide you in your real life. You won't get labeled anti- vax just for asking questions and info. It's human nature to worry about things, and I assume medical professional people are dealing people with irrational anxiety in daily basis, I doubt people around you treat you any different to their patients.

Just ignore the idiots, OP. I've noticed this is becoming more and more common on the MN Coronavirus forum - people who won't hear any mention that these vaccines may not be perfect, or that people could possibly have anxieties, or reasons for maybe not having the vaccine at all.

I know people are scared, I think that's why this is happening, they don't want anyone to hinder a return to normalcy, and they see any doubts people have as being negative and working against this.

OP, don't you have similar anxieties about catching Covid?

@Littlelapwing

It may also shock you to hear that I’m not alone in how I feel

Maybe also try and discreetly find out who has similar worries to yours amongst your colleagues and see if you can together find answers thay may help allay your fears?

I'm not sure why you keep banging on about " not being the only one" (to not trust the vaccine) "I'm not the only one to feel like this"

What are basing this on? Are you seeking validation for your anxiety from dubious social media groups? Do you have a group of peers who are feeding your fear? Not all material you read online is neutral or based on fact. If you look for dubious information to confirm your anxiety, you will find it online.

That is not doing "research"

I would certainly rather put my trust in a virologists and microbiologists with medical degrees, PhD in molecular virology, immunolgy and 5 years post doctoral research in the field than listening to some random online who does something vaguely medical for work.

Do you suffer from generalised anxiety or health anxiety? You might be able to access help through your work or your gp.

@Littlelapwing to be honest if all you wanted from this post was to share your anxiety and see if others have that same anxiety that is likely the worse thing you can do if you are supposed to be getting the vaccine - you will just be feeding your anxiety and irrationality.

I’m doing some work on my own anxiety at the minute and you need to step back, realise it’s irrational and not real, realise we are living in a scary time and you more than most on the front line, go easy on yourself and try break the spiral of anxiety you are in. Read up on facts instead listing all the ways the vaccine is safe, telling you that some side effects from the vaccine are completely normal, that no one has yet died from taking the vaccine but many have from covid. And accept that your anxiety is totally normal but it’s not based on anything.

@CrunchyCarrot

Just ignore the idiots, OP. I've noticed this is becoming more and more common on the MN Coronavirus forum - people who won't hear any mention that these vaccines may not be perfect, or that people could possibly have anxieties, or reasons for maybe not having the vaccine at all.

I know people are scared, I think that's why this is happening, they don't want anyone to hinder a return to normalcy, and they see any doubts people have as being negative and working against this.

Eh? Nearly all the replies here have been reassuring and helpful to the Op. She's been directed to various reputable sources of information online and shown articles to quell her irrational (her words) anxiety.

People aren't being idiots. Sorry but if the Op has flounced because she feels insulted then clearly she wasn't prepared to listen to reason and just wanted posters to agree they were scared to validate her own anxiety.

What a waste of time.

@SmileyClare and @FitzsimmonsMarvel

Do you suffer from generalised anxiety or health anxiety

It's very reasonable to be scared of vaccines that use new technology and have been in mass use for less than month. It's nothing to do with MH and it's wrong to manipulate people into believing this IMO

fitzsimmonsMarvel I think you have worded your post very kindly to Op and I've been rather blunt.

I agree with what you're saying in your very measured way. It's good advice andI wish you luck working on your own anxiety.

@trulydelicious op herself has said it’s nothing to do with the techniques it’s pure anxiety and just ‘a feeling’ - why on earth would posters then ignore that she has specifically said it’s anxiety?

Its very reasonable to be scared of vaccines that use new technology

Well, not really unless you make some effort to understand and judge the implications of that technological application. Otherwise it's a bit like burning 5G towers incase they let the Chinese read your mind.

I'm not trying to "manipulate" anyone. If you mean offering reassurance, directing the Op to articles and asking if she suffers from health anxiety then that's simply attempting a rational discussion of fears.

I don't agree that it's very reasonable to be scared of a vaccine.

@SmileyClare

I don't agree that it's very reasonable to be scared of a vaccine

Obviously not any vaccine, it's these new vaccines

I can understand you being nervous about the Covid vaccines as they are new. However you have specifically said it's the Pfizer vaccine and the only reason that you've given so far is that you have concerns about American drug companies. Is that the reason for not wanting the Pfizer vaccine?

@trulydelicious why? What about these new vaccines makes it reasonable to be scared of them?

My daughter has a friend who was part of the research into the Pfizer vaccine and she spoke to her as I was undecided. She said if she was advising elderly parents she would go for the pfizer vaccine. I have an appointment next week.

Lucky thing.

Assuming you’re medical/front line carer?

@Porcupineintherough

What about these new vaccines makes it reasonable to be scared of them

The technology is new (specially mRNA has not been used in vaccines before)
They have not been in mass use long enough (think 2+ years) to ascertain delayed onset side effecs
Safety for those with underlying conditions (e.g. autoimmunity) has not been proven

Those are my concerns. Others may have their own personal reasons.

It makes sense to me that HCP on risky patient facing roles or the elderly/ECV may assess risk differently and will be willing to be vaccinated early

What I don't agree with is to associate valid concerns with having to address MH issues. It's a tad sinister and it will likely push people away

Re American healthcare companies, Im not sure what you mean by "ethics"? In terms of quality and safety, all pharmaceutical manufacturing companies worldwide work to cGMP standards. Each country has their own regulator who ensures manufacturers meet these standards - the US is regulated by the FDA who are notoriously stringent. In the UK its the MHRA who had to approve the vaccines for use here. The EMA is the equivalent in Europe.

OP I'm sorry some people are being so arsey about this. I was also concerned about engaging with brand new vaccine technology that has seemingly been rushed into existence. But now having read loads about the Pfizer vaccine I can see that the people at BioNTech have been working on this new type of vaccine on for years and I actually think it's really cool. I hope that's the one I get (if I get one at all).

Sorry you're feeling anxious about it, I think it's a stressful time for everyone and it's not a surprise that people are feeling extra worried about their health right now. I'm also sorry that you feel like you've got no one to talk to. I experienced the same thing when I first aired my concerns to my family and they pretty much shouted me down. Asking questions is not the same as being an anti-vaxxer and you're right to want to understand what you're signing up to.

Asking questions is not the same as being an anti-vaxxer and you're right to want to understand what you're signing up to.

Having irrational anxiety is not the same as asking questions OR being an anti-vaxxer. It is a medical condition and not treatable by facts.

@ChateauMargaux

Pfizer is not German. It was founded in the mid 1800's in the US of german descent. It is a US company.

Biontech who developed the vaccine is a German company. They partnered with Pfizer for financing of clinical trials and manufacturing at a large scale.

@Haffiana

Having irrational anxiety is not the same as asking questions OR being an anti-vaxxer. It is a medical condition and not treatable by facts

The OP has candidly said she suffers from anxiety.

Using this to play mind games in order to discredit any rational concerns she may have in relation to the vaccines is disgusting and I would be really worried if these are the attitides/responses she has to face IRL

We should be able to ask questions and review the risks. There are risks associated with all interventions just as much as there are risks associated with doing nothing! (Which at the moment far outweigh the know risks of the vaccine on a population scale).

If I was at particular risk of autoimmune disease or systemic reactions I would be looking very carefully at my individual, particularly wrt Pfizer vaccine.