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Original poster

Feeling so low about this new world of vaccines

999 replies

blue12345 · 07/07/2021 21:36

Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat as me? For many reasons, I've decided not to get the Covid vaccine. I' have all my vaccines and all my kids are vaccinated. I state this to show I'm not an anti-vaxxer, although I increasingly feel like one.

I'm feeling very isolated from my friends and family as a result of this. Everyone I meet asks me am I booked in yet, am I double-vaccinated. I don't bother getting into conversations about it , but it still causes me anxiety and has led to friction. A very close friend has asked me a few times have I got an appointment for my vaccine yet and I've tried to brush her off, as I think she will be unlikely to want to spend time around me after she finds out I'm not getting it. I've also found that lots of friends have cut back on their contact with me.

I am very comfortable with my decision, but I'm just so sad that we now live in a world where the segregation of vaccinated and unvaccinated people is allowed, in both interpersonal relations and also looking more and more likely that services like restaurants and travel will be similarly restricted.

OP posts:
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 09/07/2021 21:26

Herd immunity can come from either catching infections or from vaccines. It isn’t just from people catching a virus.

XenoBitch · 09/07/2021 21:31

@bumbleymummy

Our cases are now beginning to soar again, and will very quickly lead to the emergence of new variants which will then be exported across the world just like last year.

Sorry, I call BS on this. There are countries much larger than the U.K. with soaring cases and 10s of millions of unvaccinated. I reckon new variants are more likely to emerge there.

Where did Delta variant come from again? ;)
speckledostrichegg · 09/07/2021 21:36

@XenoBitch

yup the Delta variant came from India, which is a perfect example of how uncontrolled transmission leads to new variants

this is isn't an argument against controlling the situation in the UK with mass vaccination, it demonstrates why we want to avoid this happening here (again).

bumbleymummy · 09/07/2021 21:44

Ours isn’t ‘uncontrolled’ in comparison though, is it? Massive difference between the U.K. and India and there are lots of other countries in worse positions than the U.K. too so I’m really not going to get worked up about the idea of a new variant emerging here. If not here, then somewhere else.

marmaladehound · 09/07/2021 22:04

@Nerdygirl

Herd immunity only comes if you have immunity from a virus . The vaccines don’t give you immunity!!!

????? Completely wrong! The whole notion of herd immunity originates from immunisation programmes.

Nerdygirl · 09/07/2021 22:10

It’s actually when the population has immunity which stops it spreading. This is not happening with these vaccines

Nerdygirl · 09/07/2021 22:11

@Bovrilly

The vaccines don’t give you immunity!!!

What do you think the purpose of a vaccine is then?

Most other vaccines do give immunity. The virus is still spreading through vaccinated people. The vaccines lessen the chance of serious illness
worktrip · 09/07/2021 22:16

We have an acquaintance who won't vaccinate. Everyone shifts quietly away from her if she sits to chat. The vaccines are not 100% effective and some of our friends are still vulnerable. It's her choice, as it is yours, not to vaccinate, but it's also our choice not to associate with her very much.

marmaladehound · 09/07/2021 22:17

@Nerdygirl

It’s actually when the population has immunity which stops it spreading. This is not happening with these vaccines
So after my Covid infection March 2020, no antibodies when tested in June 2020.

1st vaccine January, 2nd one March, positive antibodies when tested June 2021... yeah the vaccines clearly don't make your body generate antibodies!!!! Hmm

Sunshinegirl82 · 09/07/2021 22:18

I don't understand why this misconception that the covid vaccines have no impact on transmission persists.

The vaccines do not prevent all transmission but they substantially reduce it. A vaccinated person is much, much less likely to contract and transmit covid than a non vaccinated person.

speckledostrichegg · 09/07/2021 22:23

@Nerdygirl

It’s actually when the population has immunity which stops it spreading. This is not happening with these vaccines
ugh

Herd immunity is when a certain proportion of the population has immunity to a pathogen. The proportion of people required depends on how transmissible it - hence all the "moving goalposts" of herd immunity to coronavirus, as new, more transmissible variants keep emerging.

Immunity can be generated via infection or vaccination.

Herd immunity via infection is not recommended for coronavirus because of the deaths, long term complications, increased mutation rate which leads to new variants, and high degree of transmissibility (i.e, almost impossible to protect the vulnerable) associated with letting it spread through populations. Vaccination offers protection without this negative effects.

Immunity from both infection and vaccination is not perfect, and it seems to be slightly better from vaccination. This is mainly due to the fact we can control the dose of vaccination (ie, safely give a very high antigenic load to induce a response), whereas many infected people are exposed to a low viral load, leading to mild illness but poor immune response.

XenoBitch · 09/07/2021 22:26

@worktrip

We have an acquaintance who won't vaccinate. Everyone shifts quietly away from her if she sits to chat. The vaccines are not 100% effective and some of our friends are still vulnerable. It's her choice, as it is yours, not to vaccinate, but it's also our choice not to associate with her very much.
Do you know how she feels about you all not bothering with her so much anymore? I would you all treating her like a biohazard is not great for her mental health.
XenoBitch · 09/07/2021 22:26

I would imagine you all treating her like a biohazard... that should say.

Jaxhog · 09/07/2021 22:30

While I understand that everyone is entitled to make their own choice, they must also live with the consequences of that choice too. People who are (or who feel) vulnerable must also be allowed the choice of not being in close proximity to someone who may do them harm i.e. pass on Covid. So if people ask you if you've been vaccinated, don't be offended if they then ask you to move away.

Jaxhog · 09/07/2021 22:31

Do you know how she feels about you all not bothering with her so much anymore? I would you all treating her like a biohazard is not great for her mental health.

But this is a consequence of her own choice not to be vaccinated.

Endofether · 09/07/2021 22:33

Op I relented and had my first Pfizer last week (I’m 48 and was undecided so didn’t have it)

I changed my mind because a. It won’t be long before we are all going to be exposed to the new variant and b, my friend who is fittest person I know has currently got cv very badly and that made me think I could also be quite ill, despite having it mildly in March 2020

I don’t feel totally pleased I had it but I feel it’s very close now to us all and even more so from July 19th and I think being unvaxed will as you say result in segregation

I would never judge anyone for having or not having it tho - personal
Choice !

XenoBitch · 09/07/2021 22:33

@Jaxhog

Do you know how she feels about you all not bothering with her so much anymore? I would you all treating her like a biohazard is not great for her mental health.

But this is a consequence of her own choice not to be vaccinated.

Would you treat someone who was unable to be vaccinated the same way? The risk from them is the same as someone who chooses not to be vaccinated.
Holdingontonothing · 09/07/2021 22:36

@Jaxhog

While I understand that everyone is entitled to make their own choice, they must also live with the consequences of that choice too. People who are (or who feel) vulnerable must also be allowed the choice of not being in close proximity to someone who may do them harm i.e. pass on Covid. So if people ask you if you've been vaccinated, don't be offended if they then ask you to move away.
Exactly this. And it doesn't just need to be "vulnerable" - it could be "don't want to risk being ill and losing money from time not working".

As I said earlier up thread, I'm currently positive despite being double vaccinated. Shows it can happen, and as far as I'm concerned, anyone who doesn't have the social responsibility to get vaccinated (if able) and not risk people's health, income, quality of life (in the instance of long covid) is absolutely getting short thrift from me. You're either protecting those around you or potentially harming those around you - if you choose to not get vaccinated, you risk those round you so don't be surprised if the cut you off to protect their health and incomes.

Rant over.

Endofether · 09/07/2021 22:39

I think people get annoyed with non-vaxxers because nobody would ideally want aun unlicensed experimental vaccine injected into them
But people are doing it so kids can go to school and the nhs isn’t overwhelmed and life can become normal and fun again ? It’s a bit of a kick in the teeth when someone chooses to opt out isn’t it ?

FindYourPorpoise · 09/07/2021 22:40

@Endofether

I think people get annoyed with non-vaxxers because nobody would ideally want aun unlicensed experimental vaccine injected into them But people are doing it so kids can go to school and the nhs isn’t overwhelmed and life can become normal and fun again ? It’s a bit of a kick in the teeth when someone chooses to opt out isn’t it ?
Yes, completely agree.
XenoBitch · 09/07/2021 22:41

@Endofether

I think people get annoyed with non-vaxxers because nobody would ideally want aun unlicensed experimental vaccine injected into them But people are doing it so kids can go to school and the nhs isn’t overwhelmed and life can become normal and fun again ? It’s a bit of a kick in the teeth when someone chooses to opt out isn’t it ?
And some people are having it so they can go on holiday. Not everyone is doing it for altruistic reasons. And some have had it because they feel forced.
Endofether · 09/07/2021 22:43

I think many people are having it to just get life back to normal .

I mean - would you honestly prefer nobody had it and we just had endless lockdowns? What’s the alternative to it?

bumbleymummy · 09/07/2021 22:45

@marmaladehound it actually originated as a concept in livestock in the early 1900s :)

Endofether · 09/07/2021 22:45

I personally want kids to go to school and live life
In a normal carefree way, that’s prob my driver to have had it

bumbleymummy · 09/07/2021 22:47

@Holdingontonothing but you put people at risk even though you were vaccinated. Do you think it makes any difference to the virus what the persons reasons for not being immune are? Do you think it makes any difference to the person who contracts the virus whether it came from an unvaccinated person or a vaccinated person? They still got sick.