Job vs Vaccine

[Fizzi12]

• Name change for this

I work in a care home and it’s now mandatory for me to be fully vaccinated against Covid.

I had my first vaccine beginning of March, I had AZ.

I’m early thirties, no risk factors and I had Covid in May 2020 (thankfully symptoms on a week off so didn’t pass to anyone at work)

I made the decision that I won’t be having my second AZ vaccine, as for myself, I don’t find that the benefits out weigh the risks.

I’m now in a position where I HAVE to have the vaccine or I could face losing my job!

I’m absolutely furious about it.
I took the vaccine to protect others, not myself, but given that the vaccine has a very serious risk attached to it (which hadn’t come to light when I had my first dose) I no longer want to take it for the benefit of other people.

Why should I be forced to have a vaccine that Isn’t deemed safe for my age group, for the purpose of protecting the vulnerable?
Why am I being asked to potentially put myself at risk to look after someone else.
Is my life not as important?

I want to protect the vulnerable, I really do, and so I’ve asked for Pfizer / moderna as an alternative but have been refused.

Why is vaccine mixing approved in other countries, but not the UK!
If I lived in France I would now be classed as fully vaccinated (1 dose following Covid infection)

It just doesn’t seem fair at all :(

I completely respect your choice not to have the vaccine if you don't want it, but I think you also need to accept the consequences of that choice. If my loved ones were in care homes, then I would expect them to be properly protected and not exposed to unnecessary risks. And whether we like it or not,
unvaccinated carers do pose a higher risk.

I understand your anger and I can see that this puts you in a very difficult position. Ultimately, though, I think it's a reasonable decision to require that carers are vaccinated, so if you're not prepared to do that, then you'll have no option but to find another job.

You have done your own risk assessment and concluded that the vaccine is too risky for you. The government has done its risk assessment and concluded that it's too risky to allow unvaccinated carers to work with vulnerable people. Both reasonable positions to hold, so you may need to accept that your current job is not compatible with the choices that you have made.

Sorry, I get that it's shit from your perspective. I hope you can find alternative work soon.

I thought that if you were ok with the first dose of AZ you were likely to be fine with the second? I may be wrong on that.

I’ve been in contact with my GP, and CCG neither will approve it.

You could try having your second dose at a walk in centre?

My local town hall is doing all day Saturday walk ins. As a result, they are only offering Pfizer as it is acceptable to all ages. There are no issues with mixing vaccine types as far as I know.

@Dsisproblem

I thought that if you were ok with the first dose of AZ you were likely to be fine with the second? I may be wrong on that.

"The risk of a blood clot after a second dose is about one in 600,000, which is one-tenth the risk of clotting after an initial dose. "

@Dsisproblem

I thought that if you were ok with the first dose of AZ you were likely to be fine with the second? I may be wrong on that.

This is correct. The slightly increased clot risk is overwhelmingly with the first dose.

Read the stats, UNDERSTAND the risk and then get vaccinated.

This is just spectacularly unhelpful as OP clearly has understood the fact that the AZ is no longer recommended for her age group and that is beyond OP's risk appetite.

My local town hall is doing all day Saturday walk ins. As a result, they are only offering Pfizer as it is acceptable to all ages. There are no issues with mixing vaccine types as far as I know.

They won’t give you a Pfizer second dose if you’ve had a different first dose. That’s not on the protocol. They will check which first dose the op has had when she turns up. It’s recorded on your NHS record.

My 22 year old DC had both doses of AZ as they work in NHS. It had been withdrawn for under 30s by the time of their second dose but they didn't hesitate because the risks are so vanishingly small. More likely to die in rta on way to vaccine centre.
Just get the 2nd dose and forget about it.

@Suranjeep

I can’t offer advise, but let’s be honest it won’t just be care homes, they’ll come back for others in the future. It’ll be vaccines to work then it’ll spread to other places to catch the unemployed and retired and health care.

Yesterday in the House of Commons the Health Secretary said that his and the NHS’s duty of care was less to the unvaccinated and there could be times when the NHS will not deal with the unvaccinated. (It was during his debate between 1500-1600 if you wish to look up the Hansard).

I have looked up the Hansard and can't see anything that matches your summary. Can you provide the actual quote please?

Think you either take the vaccine or find a new job. I wouldnt want you around my DF who is in a care home.

There are also strong rumours that you will not need to self isolate if you have been double jabbed and travel to an amber country. Is that fair - absolutely!

You are putting the people you work with at risk.
I've had both AZ doses.
The risks of the vaccine are absolutely tiny, you take significantly more risk doing everyday activities like driving in a car for example.

If

Why am I being asked to potentially put myself at risk to look after someone else. Is my life not as important?

What you on about! No one is asking you to, if you don’t want it then work elsewhere. No one is making you work in care and our your “life ar risk”

For goodness sake

Op there is not a serious risk from the AZ vaccine.

There is a miniscule risk from the AZ vaccine, primarily with the 1st does bit even that is tiny.

Other countries like France have made decisions throughout that have often been politically driven and not science driven.

It's very likely that there will be no consequences of getting 2nd dose of Pfizer / Moderna but there have not yet been completed trials to show that it is safe. Which is madness when they use the same reason to hammer AZ. One would almost suspect there is more at play here.

But back to your dilemma! You are not getting Pfizer / Moderna. Your choice is AZ or nothing at this time. It may change in the future. But you may have lost your job at that time. The fact that you are still here just now makes me suspect you did not succumb to blood clot with your 1st dose and will likely be OK with your 2nd dose so ultimately its your choice. I am sure there are other jobs out there.....

The vaccine hasn’t been deemed unsafe for your age group, it’s been decided that on the benefit of risk/benefit the risks outweighed the benefits at the point the decision was made. It’s probably already shifted back, with rates increasing again particularly among the younger age groups.

Since you work with other people who are vulnerable that does also have to be taken into account. For me, if it was a choice of the risks of the AZ second dose or changing career I’d have the second dose, because those risks are much lower than many other things I do every day and I love my job. If you are incredibly risk averse elsewhere in your life (not driving, flying, taking hormonal contraception or getting pregnant) and/or don’t feel the same about your job then it would be a different decision.

They hyperbole is something to behold

Who’s personally asking you to work in care op? God? Boris? The government? Are you some super duper care assistant personally being requested to work in care and put “your life at risk” .

I’m guessing no one is asking you to work in care, that’s who. You’re not being asked by anyone to do anything. If you personally wish to work in care you need the vaccine. For obvious reasons. If you don’t want the vaccine, then off uou pop and get a job elsewhere. No one is asking you to do it.

I would be comfortable with a one in 600,000 risk, especially if my job was on the line, but the OP will have to make her own decision.

Gotta love how we expected to fuck up our futures, including our health in many many cases, for the best part 18 months because "if it just saves one life it's worth it", but to insist someone has a vaccine to save 100K+ lives is utterly reprehensible 🤦🏼‍♀️

I’d
Go back and talk to your GP, see if you can start again with 1st jab Pfizer. Book an actual appointment and make a big fat fuss
Or if not then hold out for a bit till it is hopefully possible

Don’t waste your time being annoyed you’d be Ok in France, everyone is just experimenting right now.

NHS is just the start, life will get v difficult for the majority of people without the vaccine.

You are not being forced to have your 2nd vaccine and you are not being forced to work with vulnerable people.
Do some proper (ie not on Facebook) research and then decide whether you want a career change.

Sorry, but if you want to work with vulnerable people, then you must be prepared to have the vaccine. If you don't want to, then find a new job. I wouldn't want someone who could potentially put a vulnerable family member at risk working or caring for them.

@rosie1959

Fizzi12 no I dont know who called him probably the GP surgery think they were looking for volunteers to test out mixed vaccination. As I said he wasnt fussed about changing just wanted it done. Probably preferred the trusted method at the moment of 2 doses of the same vaccine.

That's not possible, it's only being done at large clinical research centres currently, not GPs. Mixing not currently allowed except under extreme circumstances as it's not known if it's safe or effective (almost certainly will be, but data not available yet).

Cookerhood he has just popped in it was out local group of GP practices who asked him part of some research that is being carried out

@bunburyscucumbersandwich

Sorry, but if you want to work with vulnerable people, then you must be prepared to have the vaccine. If you don't want to, then find a new job. I wouldn't want someone who could potentially put a vulnerable family member at risk working or caring for them.

Exactly. All this hysteria “I’m being asked to put my life at risk, does my life not matter” is ludicrous. It’s a requirement of the role of carer. Don’t like it, then jog on and do something else. No one cares.

Fizzi12 I'd hold fire for a while, i think your position is understandable; i think a study on combining vaccines is due to be published in July . My relative is in a similar position to you ,GP wont give the second AZ dose after experiencing certain significant side effects after the first so likewise is in limbo until they do allow mixing (which they undoubtedly will at some point).

I sincerely disagree with forcing people to take the vaccine at this point. The elderly died in care homes as a result of them not being tested upon discharge to the care home, not due to the care home staff.

When I speak to senior medical professionals, they have all said that taking the vaccine is voluntary and you can't force individuals to take a vaccine furthermore whenever I have asked them the questions such as: how long does the anti bodies last as a result of the vaccine Thier response is that they don't know, other questions such as how long will boosters be required for and the response is that boosters may be required on an Annual basis over the next 5 years like the flu jab.
I have also asked whether the virus has mutated out of the vaccines and I have been informed that it has happened all over the world hence the different variants. When the medical professionals don't know anything about the ingredients of the vaccines and doesn't have enough data on aspects of fertility, clots and additional health ailments which have been reported via the yellow card scheme how would forcing someone to put this in their body help matters.
You can still catch covid and still be hospitalised with covid even if you are vaccinated.
If a care worker dies as a result of vaccine injury will their families receive the in service death benefit- these are the questions that need to be answered