Made the decision not to have the vaccine yet, worried I’ll be treated like a leper

[Daffodilsinthewindow]

I have debilitating health anxiety and it’s ruined many years of my life. I’ve currently got it control and haven’t had a ‘relapse’ for a while. I’m absolutely terrified of the vaccine. I’m 31, so my age group has just been called up. All my friends and family keep asking me if I’ve booked it. I just keep saying “I will do”.

My health anxiety has meant several trips to A&E when I was on the contraceptive pill a few years ago, over fears of a blood clot, so that in turn has meant I haven’t been on it since.

I’m making an informed decision, taking my mental health into account...just like somebody would do if they had a physical health issue.

I’m not saying I’ll never have the vaccine, but I do want to wait a while as I feel it’s too soon for me personally. I’m not an anti vaxxer, I don’t believe in conspiracy theories about Bill Gates or microchips or anything like that. This is just a personal decision I have made about my body.
Pre covid, me making decisions about my body and mind to benefit me and not cause my mental health to spiral out of control, would be supported. Now I know I will get judged, talked at, made to feel small and as though I’m doing the wrong thing, not helping society etc etc.

Just wondering if anyone else is in a similar position?

Why would vaccinated be jealous of people who didn't have the vaccine if it doesn't turn out to give long term immunity? @Larkstongues what is there to be jealous of?

Thinking people should get the vaccine doesn't mean you think its 100% effective? Everyone knows that its not, and that's why as many as possible need to have the vaccine in order to kerb the spread and protect the vunerable.If you are unvaccinated that's your choice but lying about it to others isn't fair. If you are confident in your decision not to vaccinate why do you want to lie about it? Going back to your first point, if everyone thinks you've been vaccinated they arent ever going to be jealous of your unvaccinated state

If you really don't want to get it (although personally I think everyone eligible should) then why do you have to actually tell anyone you haven't had it?
Just don't get it, people will either assume you've had it or you can just lie.

@Toty

i'd hope you would stay away from public places though?

Seriously, just go away, what a silly silly post. Are you one of those thick vaccinated people who think they can no longer infect others? Will you refuse medical care from unvaccinated health care workers? No because you won't know who's vaccinated because it's none of your business.

Honestly OP just lie, that's what I've been doing.

sounding as thick as pigshit!!

@Larkstongues

I agree with other posters who've suggested if it wasn't the vaccine it'd be something else bothering you, however, my advice to be treated like a leper is to simply lie about having had the vaccine. After all, you CAN still catch it even IF vaccinated so nobody need ever find out you lied.

Yes indeedy you can catch it, its not like a vaccine creates a shield that stops those nasty bugs getting on to you is it. Just means you might not notice you ever had it or have much reduced symptoms compared to someone whos not had the vaccince. It simply triggers your immune system to generate the antibodies to fight off the infection, should you catch it. Vaccine 101 really.

I'm not in the exact same position as you because I don't have medical anxiety

However, I won't be having the vaccine until the final clinical trial data has been reported to the European Medicines Agency in 2022. Until then, the vaccines only have 'conditional marketing authorisation' which mean that they have submitted less comprehensive data than normally required for drug approval.

I will wait until the vaccine have full authorisation before I get vaccinated. If people ask, this is what I'll tell them.

However, I'm getting a bit pissed off with people very freely asking (and telling) about vaccine.
It's private medical information so I don't really understand the freeness with which people ask "Have you had your vaccine yet?". It's no-one else's business.

Ask yourself, are you prepared to wear a mask once they aren't compulsory, not to go into peoples houses or to hospitality, will you practice social distancing of 2m? The things we did before the vaccine brought down the rate. It's not fair on all of us who have been vaccinated to be exposed to those who have chosen not because it puts us more at risk (vaccines aren't 100%). Some people cannot be vaccinated, that's different, they need all of us to do our part. It's worrying for everyone, we had to have the AZ including our 20 year olds, be thankful you have been offered Pfizer/moderna!

Just speak to your drs - the nurses tend to be the best when it comes to these things actually

@NoviceGardenLady - it’s the business of every vulnerable person that you stand next to unvaccinated FFS

[quote Allmyarseandpeggymartin]@NoviceGardenLady - it’s the business of every vulnerable person that you stand next to unvaccinated FFS[/quote]
It really isn't. If someone is that vulnerable that standing next to an unvaccinated person in the shops will put them at risk, they should stay home. They have no business asking strangers what their vaccine status is.

It seems though op your health anxiety is helped by not taking medication, but it then seems to manifest itself as social anxiety that you will be judged for it? So whatever you do, anxiety will be present.

Sorry if I missed it, but are you getting help

[quote Allmyarseandpeggymartin]@NoviceGardenLady - it’s the business of every vulnerable person that you stand next to unvaccinated FFS[/quote]
Nope - what someone puts into their body, when and why is a personal medical decision. Asking someone whether they've had their Covid vaccine is intrusive and rude.

I'm in the same situation as you.
Do what is right for yourself and your body. If anyone has a problem with that, the issue is theirs, not yours.

All the unvaccinated should obviously be made to wear a badge in public and that way nobody would have to ask!!

Im sorry but any selfish anti vaxxer needs to be imprisoned till they see sense- lives are being lost but seemingly it is ok to commit manslaughter by not taking it

@Jourdain11

All the unvaccinated should obviously be made to wear a badge in public and that way nobody would have to ask!!

And a bell around their neck, so people can hear them coming.

A bell round their neck makes life too easy. They should have to ring a handbell as they walk around.

@Jourdain11

All the unvaccinated should obviously be made to wear a badge in public and that way nobody would have to ask!!

yes, I know a neighbour who lives on the corner of my road who won't take it. A selfish anti vaxxer, I give him dirty looks when I pass his house and have let the community know what he is after he told me

It's a personal choice if you don't wish to have the vaccine. But it is a quick and easy process to go through, and quite painless. I am not an anxious person, but I think I would be worried if I Hadn't had my jabs,

However, I'm always less sympathetic to people with MH issues who refuse to deal with them

Sadly it's not that simple, and the NHS provision for mental health is shambolic and lacking. Taking the lid off can result in a massive downward spiral and the general population both underestimates the impact of mental health issues and overestimates the provision of services. As your comment shows.

@Daffodilsinthewindow

Thanks for all the replies. It’s good to hear other people’s perspectives.

I was very anxious about covid at the start, but as time has gone on, I’ve become much less worried about it. I think, for me, it’s the idea of a substance being injected into my body and I don’t know how my body will react. To put my anxieties into perspective, I even struggle to take antibiotics and can only take them if someone else is in the house with me for a couple of hours afterwards, in case I have a reaction. I won’t take meds for my anxiety and depression either, for the same reason. It may seem completely illogical to some of you, but to me it’s a huge deal.
With covid, I feel as though it’s a virus and viruses are natural and take their course. Obviously I hope I don’t get it, I’m pretty sure we’ve all had it already last march and we’ve been exposed to it several times since then too as my DP is a secondary teacher and he’s had to isolate a few times now. We were in a hard hit area in the Autumn as well.

If you knew anyone with long Covid, you would change your mind about Covid being natural and taking its course. What terrifies me most about Covid is not dying, it's about getting long Covid. The people I know who have it have had their lives wrecked.

It's not the law that you must have your jab, but I'm not sure you're making an informed decision.

Personally, I had my own concerns, but I made a judgement call based on the overall risk to me, the likelihood of what could happen if I did nothing, and the possible impact on those around me.

@TakeYourVaccine seriously

Shoot me down but anxiety or needle phobias won't kill you. Covid could. I'm not someone who personally worries about Covid but rationally I know which of these is more dangerous.

@Pootle40

Shoot me down but anxiety or needle phobias won't kill you. Covid could. I'm not someone who personally worries about Covid but rationally I know which of these is more dangerous.

No, they wont kill you, but anxiety and phobias can be very debilitating. Knowing Covid can kill wont make my phobia go away or make it easy to manage. Anxiety/phobias are not rational, so applying rational thought just does not work.

@RachyRoo89 you haven't really given any good reason to not have the vaccine.

Reasons to have the vaccine are heard immunity, even if you yourself are not vunerable it will reduce the spread. Therefore extra protection to the vunerable/immunocompromised. Reduction in spread/cases = reduction in mutations and hopefully reduction in new/more dangerous variants. If everyone who was low risk took your stance we'd be stuck in this mess for a really long time. Which of course you know as you have a biological science degree.

Incidentally how many vaccines do you know with longterm side effects? That come to light months after taking the vaccine?