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Original poster

Will I get an exemption from the doctor?

60 replies

Snowmanslippers · 10/12/2021 23:50

I’m 32 and I’ve not had any jabs yet. The main reason being my extreme anxiety about anything going into my body. I don’t take the contraceptive pill because of my fear of medication, it takes me hours, if not days to take antibiotics when I’ve been prescribed them. I even avoid medications such as ibuprofen or codeine.

I’m not an anti vaxxer, but I’m genuinely terrified, I’ve got a real phobia of things entering my body.
I also have a fear of needles which doesn’t help.

I’m aware that vaccine passports are going to become a thing soon and that you’ll need them to enter most venues. I have a 4 year old son and I don’t want him to miss out on things because I’m unvaccinated. But I physically can’t do it.
I don’t think it’s a conspiracy theory or 5G or anything like that…

I’m just wondering if they’ll allow me an exemption on mental health grounds. But I’m not hopeful. Feeling really low and scared today.

I have had covid, I was obviously unvaccinated and it was just like a mild chest infection for me, with some nausea.
But I know that won’t be enough when it comes to the vaccine passports.

Please don’t judge me, I’m not an anti vaxxer, my son has had all his jabs.

OP posts:
Original poster
Snowmanslippers · 10/12/2021 23:52

Another barrier is that my mum had a bad reaction to her second vaccine and she had some swelling/tingling in her mouth and throat. So I’m worried it’ll be genetic. I know it’s nothing extreme, but it’s frightened me beyond words.

OP posts:
Original poster
Snowmanslippers · 10/12/2021 23:53

I also have ASD. In case that’s important in any way.

OP posts:
SnugKnights · 10/12/2021 23:54

I don’t the answer OP sorry, but wanted to say please speak to your GP. They can answer your question and will be able to offer support for your anxiety.

reallynow1 · 10/12/2021 23:55

I think the only way to find out is to ask your gp. They may be able to help with your anxiety also.

Original poster
Snowmanslippers · 10/12/2021 23:56

Thanks, I will speak to them.

The irony is that I won’t take anxiety meds because I’m too scared of taking them!

OP posts:
Immaback · 11/12/2021 00:00

Hi. I’m not 100% sure about U.K. but in ireland you’re issued a covid passport when you are either fully vaccinated or can prove that you’ve had covid in the last 6 months
Sorry to be brutally honest but I don’t think you stand a chance of getting one on the grounds listed aboveConfused

Hairyfriend · 11/12/2021 00:01

What treatment/help have you had for this condition so far? CBT, medication, mental health support? It must be awful. Is it anything entering your body (food, water, sex) or just medication that you struggle with?

squee123 · 11/12/2021 00:09

Are you I'm England? Because if so it is currently proof you are double jabbed or a negative lateral flow. So couldn't you just do the latter? Or is doing an LF an issue?

Original poster
Snowmanslippers · 11/12/2021 00:19

I can do an LF although it’s a struggle.

No it’s not food/water. It’s just medical substances.

I haven’t been to the dentist in 12 years for the same reasons.

OP posts:
AnotherOneWithNoGoodName · 11/12/2021 00:20

I've not got any advice re: the pass, but I think you should speak to your GP in any case. It's clearly having a negative effect on your life and they may be able to hep- not just medication but maybe counselling etc?

Thewiseoneincognito · 11/12/2021 00:29

Reiterating previous advice to speak with your GP but I can’t see this as being an exemption if vaccine passes become a reality simply because it could become open to abuse.

My personal opinion is it’s not an exemption and isn’t a valid excuse to be unvaccinated. Consider also the implications if you had a severe case of Covid that would involve far worse medical procedures than having a vaccine.

Bebabelouba · 11/12/2021 00:34

You could think about desensitization work?
Your GP could advise of local.services

Northsoutheastwest76 · 11/12/2021 06:15

I think you really need to seek help OP as you could require medical intervention at any time so wise to sort this.

Athinginitself · 11/12/2021 06:26

It's worth considering getting some treatment for this. Covid vaccine aside there might be a time when you really need a treatment for your health. I'm a CBT therapist, this is a fairly common issue with people with Health Anxiety and with therapy it's totally possible to overcome this if you want to.

SpindlesWinterWhorl · 11/12/2021 06:34

Like other posters, I think you should seek therapy.

You have been very lucky to have managed without any post-infancy vaccinations, blood tests, medicines, medical interventions in pregnancy, pain relief in childbirth, and so forth.

But eventually your luck will run out - and like pp said, it's unlikely your doctor will give you a vaccination exemption certificate for the reasons you've stated.

Namenic · 11/12/2021 06:37

Agree with @Athinginitself. It is highly likely that at some stage you will need healthcare and medication. In the long term, perhaps it might be worth addressing this issue.

Innocenta · 11/12/2021 06:41

I personally think psychiatric exemptions for very severe phobias should exist (and I'm extremely pro-vaccine, as anyone who has seen me post on the topic knows). My reasoning is that, while a person with a mild or moderate level of anxiety might be able to be supported through having the vaccine, realistically that isn't going to be possible for literally everyone with a phobia.

I do think you need treatment and support with this phobia because of the implications for your general health. But clearly it is very severe and I can't see how 'flooding' you (anxiety-wise) with an intervention like a vaccine would be possible until things change. Phobias are treatable (speaking from experience here), but I know it can be very hard to take even a first step towards it when the aversion is so strong.

Tabbacus · 11/12/2021 06:47

Who knows at the moment, take an lft if needed and get some therapy.

Athinginitself · 11/12/2021 06:48

@Innocenta

I personally think psychiatric exemptions for very severe phobias should exist (and I'm extremely pro-vaccine, as anyone who has seen me post on the topic knows). My reasoning is that, while a person with a mild or moderate level of anxiety might be able to be supported through having the vaccine, realistically that isn't going to be possible for literally everyone with a phobia.

I do think you need treatment and support with this phobia because of the implications for your general health. But clearly it is very severe and I can't see how 'flooding' you (anxiety-wise) with an intervention like a vaccine would be possible until things change. Phobias are treatable (speaking from experience here), but I know it can be very hard to take even a first step towards it when the aversion is so strong.

Yeah totally agree. I'm really pro vaccine but if your anxiety is so overwhelming that it feels totally impossible, you shouldn't be punished for that. It takes time to work on phobias and other severe anxiety properly, there's not an overnight fix.
MrsBillyNoJagNoMates · 11/12/2021 07:03

OP
Here are the possible reasons for medical exemptions as per government website.
If you feel your ASD fits into description below please go an discuss it with your GP
Actually I think you should discuss it with your GP anyway, he might help with your anxiety.

The possible reasons for exemptions are limited. Examples that might be reasons for a medical exemption are:

people receiving end of life care where vaccination is not in the person’s best interests
people with learning disabilities or autistic individuals, or people with a combination of impairments where vaccination cannot be provided through reasonable adjustments
a person with severe allergies to all currently available vaccines
those who have had an adverse reaction to the first dose (for example, myocarditis)
Other medical conditions could also allow you to get a medical exemption.

Short-term exemptions will also be available for those with short-term medical conditions and as an option that some pregnant women may choose to take.

WakeUpLockie · 11/12/2021 07:09

What happened in labour? Didn’t you have any drugs at all? Would you have refused if it was essential (emergency c section etc)? Vaccines in pregnancy?

Anyway OP I agree CBT or similar could really be helpful, it absolutely was for me (generalised anxiety disorder) and really helped me understand my thoughts were irrational and what to do about it.

heldinadream · 11/12/2021 07:16

OP I have genuine sympathy for you and my intention with this question is NOT to upset you but to understand better, because I really would like to know how people with these fears could be helped. But for me the obvious question is this; are you not equally afraid of the virus 'entering you body'? Has this occurred to you?

Innocenta · 11/12/2021 07:23

@Athinginitself Yes, with the degree of phobic response that a small number of people have, the only way to administer the vaccine would be for them to be very heavily sedated, or even anaesthetised - and that's a whole other thing with serious risks of its own, plus I don't see how it could be done with OP, anyway, who suffers from more than needle phobia and would struggle to take sedation by any route.

It would never be deemed ethical to subject someone to the risk of anaesthesia in order to give them a vaccine.

SpidersAreShitheads · 11/12/2021 07:31

@Snowmanslippers - I'm autistic and I have very similar anxieties to you. I'm not quite as extreme, but it's a struggle. Very recently I got prescribed some Diazepam as my anxiety was absolutely awful, and I couldn't bring myself to take it. I eventually managed because I cut it up into quarters and just took a quarter at a time. And of course, it was fine.

I'm double vaxxed but I got myself into a HUGE state of panic about having it. Logically I knew it was ridiculous but I just felt overwhelmed. No amount of talking sternly to myself or reasoning it out calmed me. I made myself go because I've got dependent DC and I'm higher risk - and I think if I ended up very ill in hospital because I didn't have my vax, I'd be kicking myself.

I'm going to guess that it's a feeling out of control that you don't like? Scared what the reaction to the medication/injection will be and you won't be able to do anything because it's inside you?

Standard CBT doesn't tend to work particularly well for autistic folk - it needs to be adapted and delivered by an autism-experienced practitioner. Some say that DBT is better but still isn't always effective.

Would it help you to have a back up plan when you need to take meds? So, for example, could you be with your mum or another trusted person who understands your difficulties. Then when you take the med, you know if anything goes wrong (which it won't) they can get you help right away. Or if you panic after taking it (which sometimes happens to me), they can distract you and calm you down. Once you've taken a certain med a few times, it does get less scary. I have a limited range of trusted meds I can take now.

I know you didn't ask for advice about overcoming your fears. And I know it probably seems too much and too overwhelming to contemplate. I'd have thought you'd get an exemption on ill-health grounds - but I would really strongly advise maybe thinking whether you really want to go down that route, or whether it would be better to grit your teeth and find a way to try and get it done. And I don't say that lightly - I know that might not feel possible right now.

I feel better when I have a disaster plan ready - if I've got a security net in place in case the worst happens, it's easier to face up to things. And of course, the worst NEVER happens anyway. This approach doesn't work for everything because anxiety is a bastard - but sometimes it can help.

AllyBama · 11/12/2021 07:34

ICU nurse here. I do sympathise with you OP and I do understand how health anxiety works but you really don’t have a snowballs chance in hell of getting an exemption on these grounds.

Just because you’ve had mild Covid before, doesn’t mean you won’t end up in ICU next time where, trust me, you will have a whole lot more than just vaccines put into your body.

Your son needs his mum. You should seek some therapy as soon as possible.