Will you spend time with partially / un vaccinated people?

[roseyroses]

I have severe health anxiety and after a conversation with my Dr this morning I have decided against my second Covid Jab.

I had my first AZ but I’m severely anxious about my second one and it’s really interfering with my work / home life.

I don’t want this to get in the way of being able to spend time with friends or family (who will be fully vaccinated)

I have a small child and I want to be able to arrange plat dates and days out by I’m afraid people won’t want to be around me if I’ve only had one vaccine.

[quote roseyroses]@TwoAndAnOnion

it's your choice not to receive a second vaccine and leave yourself vulnerable

I disagree with this. I feel like I can’t chose because my incredibly anxious brain is not capable of thinking rationally about this. 😔[/quote]
But it is your choice. And your responsibility to try and tackle that.

Baluchistan really?

I think you'll have the benefit of being surrounded by vaccinated people, not be at any risk of them. What an odd thing to state.

I'm not planning on asking anyone TBH. I have had both doses myself so feel I have protected myself the best I can.

It's up to everyone else what they decide to do.

The Covid vaccine is different from other vaccines as it doesn’t necessarily stop you getting it and spreading it; it’s more to do with limiting the severity of the disease if you catch it.

Therefore you getting vaccinated isn’t necessarily protecting me (or my children) in the same way.

So for day to day stuff it wouldn’t make a difference.

The only time I can see it coming up is in a future where vaccine “passports” exist - if we were planning a holiday I wouldn’t necessarily think it fair we could never go abroad just because you weren’t vaccinated, so I’d possibly go ahead with my own holiday plans and catch up with you for uk weekends away etc.

Only outside. Not meeting anyone indoors who is not vaccinated. Yes, of course the v few people I am meeting could be lying but I am fairly confident they are not.

If anyone is afraid of meeting me because I am 'shedding' , that's up to them too.

OK Covid shedding is not a concern (unsurprisingly).
www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/what-is-vaccine-shedding-covid

Wouldn't bother me at all. Kids are all unvaccinated and probably by far the biggest risk.

My current outlook is that infection rates are low, everyone's risk is fairly small at the moment so I'm going to try to enjoy socialising while I can.

Life is full of risks and this one seems quite small at the moment for me (as a healthy 42yo who has had one vaccine and been infected previously, completely understand others not sharing my view).

It would depend how careful you were being tbh.

My DD is CEV and as she’s so young it’ll be a while before she can be vaccinated (assuming she can be eventually).

I won’t be mixing with a former friend of mine as she doesn’t believe in covid, is taking no care (parties of 15/20 most weekends) and is openly yelling about not being vaccinated.

However, I also know someone who has been recommended not to have the vaccination. They’re being extremely careful and I would only hesitate because of the risk to her rather than from her.

Well.

I feel safer with people who have had both jabs.

So may not be that relaxed to spend indoor time with unvaccinated people until we know whether the R rate is under control re the Indian variant and other strains of the virus.

I understand your anxiety OP, but some people may feel nervous.

I spend all day surrounded by young adults who are unvaccinated.

I have only had my first AZ jab. Luckily, I don't suffer from health anxiety. I'll be having my second jab.

It wouldn't bother me at all. I'd just like to spend time with my friends and family, regardless of vaccine status

You've already had one dose. How come you were able to do that but now feel like you can't get the second?

The real life data is increasingly showing that even though fully vaccinated people can theoretically catch the virus, they won't get sick from it or pass it on to others. So therefore as a fully vaccinated person I know that me spending time with you isn't doing anything to make the covid situation worse.

But you not being fully vaccinated can affect yourself and others, and everyone who makes this decision makes it take longer until we get past this.

I would prefer both me and my dc spend time only with vaccinated people BUT I wouldn’t quiz people about it and I know that I could come into contact with unvaccinated people any time I left the house and I would never know.
If you volunteered the information I would probably not want to spend time with you, especially if you also added shite about “shedding” or similar because you would be the type of person I would rather avoid anyway..

Not remotely interested in whether people are vaccinated or not; if they’re my friends/family then I accept them as they are and respect their bodily autonomy and right to make their own decisions.

Of course.

I've good friends who are not having it and I'm seeing them this Friday

Also, since children are all currently unvaccinated, does that in theory mean they and their parents are all essentially persona non grata until they too have had the vaccine? Are people who won’t see unvaccinated friends also avoiding everyone under 18?

If people want to narrow down their friends and family wo are vaccinated then they are bonkers

I feel very strongly that the solution to anxiety or other mental health issues is not to organise your life around the problem, but to seek and obtain help to address the problem. Rather than worrying about whether to have the vaccine, or whether people will socialise with you, I would advise that you defer that decision and instead seek help for your anxiety.

You can't live like this forever, because at some point in your life you will need medical treatment for something, and you need to be able to handle that.

Once the anxiety is treated, you will be able to make informed and rational healthcare decisions based on what is best for you.

I had PTSD as a result of severe trauma. Avoiding my triggers was a useless waste of time, because avoidance is impossible in the long run. Appropriate therapy was what I needed (and was what eventually fixed it).

Wouldn’t bother me and nor should it.

I have to admit I'm not comfortable with household mixing yet. I've reached a compromise with DH only to have people in house who are fully vaccinated, with us in lounge/extension and them the other end. Not had to do that yet, as our friends/family seem to want to meet up outside, and still be distanced. I only have one friend hasn't had her vaccine yet, pregnant and suffered four previous miscarriages. She's trying to be careful and wants to meet up distanced outside. So for me, if I were meeting you, I'd be a lot more comfortable outside and distanced.

How would they know?

I wouldn't care less. I wouldn't even ask

@TempsPerdu

Also, since children are all currently unvaccinated, does that in theory mean they and their parents are all essentially persona non grata until they too have had the vaccine? Are people who won’t see unvaccinated friends also avoiding everyone under 18?

I see my own 17 yr old DS, but he tests twice a week as DH is CV and wears a mask in school. I didnt hang out with other people's children even pre pandemic. All the rest of my family over 18 ( who are anyway in other countries) are vaccinated. Surely bodily autonomy goes both ways.

Don't care, won't ask.

I think it's pretty rude to ask someone actually.