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?

@VanillaFlat

The thing is, the vaccine is gone from your body within a few days. Your immune system is then reacting to it, and that can have effects within a relatively short period of time (the consequences of those effects can be long lasting, which is what some people mean by 'long term side effects'). But it's hard to think of a mechanism where, years after the vaccine is gone from your body, a new delayed-reaction could cause adverse effects (which is what people tend to be thinking about when they hear 'long term side effects'). Most of the adverse effects occur within the short time period, and it just takes a very large number of people for them to sometimes show up, but because most of the time, vaccines aren't given to huge numbers of people at once, it can take years before you get to that number of people, so it might seem like it has taken years to find long term effects because of the amount of time, rather than the number of people. This vaccine has been different in that hundreds of millions of people are having it in a short time. There are lots of other reasons, too, why this vaccine is the same as others in terms of the amount of testing, but it seems like it is much newer. So if you decide that you will trust the evidence that is out there currently, then those are some of the things that you can tell yourself to help with some of the worries.

The Covid vaccines are different from every other type of vaccine that have ever been approved. There have never been mRNA or viral vector based vaccines approved anywhere in the world before. The Covid vaccines are, by their very nature, different from all others.

The Covid vaccines absolutely have not had the same amount of testing as other approved drugs (including other vaccines) which is why they are only conditionally approved/authorised given the emergency Covid situation.

I mean....you can still have both vaccines and still have to isolate for 10 days if you've been in contact woth someone with covid.... surely that tell you something?!

It tells you that the vaccine, like all vaccines, does not provide 100% protection. I hope this is not news to you. Because covid is incredibly infectious, extra measures are needed.

Yep, we have to accept that quarantine is going to be needed forever. Perhaps schools should move permanently to blended learning to facilitate this. And there's no NEED for anyone to flock to the pubs or go on holiday. It's just fucking selfish.

OP I don't have health anxiety, but I am the same age and am just not sure if I want the vaccine yet. It is so new still that I am not confident enough about any long term risks. So for now I will not be having it, but will keep a close eye on risks and side effects etc.

I know you have said you suffer with health anxiety, but you can also feel this way without having health anxiety. It is a totally valid opinion and not something to feel ashamed about. It is your choice what happens to your body. Nobody else's.

I have suffered terribly with health anxiety and nearly had a panic attack in the vaccine centre.

BUT, my friend is an A and E Dr and she was very honest about the medical procedures if someone has a bad case of covid. Having a tube shoved down your throat being put under GA.

For me the thought of that is FAR WORSE than the vaccine,

So my health anxiety actually drove me to get the vaccine!

I also have a friend with cancer who cannot have the vaccine at the moment, so that really drove me as well.

But I'm not minimising how you feel, it's PETRIFYING and those who don't understand will never know how scary it is.

BUT, my friend is an A and E Dr and she was very honest about the medical procedures if someone has a bad case of covid. Having a tube shoved down your throat being put under GA

Fucks sake, GA and being intubated happens hundreds of times a day up and down the country for all sorts of reasons, mostly elective. Pisses me off to see it used as a scare tactic. You are not aware at all when you are being intubated. People talk about it like it is unique to Covid patients. If you wanted your varicose veins stripped, you will also go under GA and get intubated... so stop standing up for hours at a time cos it will be your fault.

@RachyRoo89 it was sarcasm

Haha, no worries! I don't think online is very successful for conveying sarcastic tone!