Arguments amongst friends over the vaccine

[janicewheeler]

Is anyone else's friendship group starting to see a divide regarding the vaccine ?
I've noticed it between my close friend circle. Out of 10 of us only 4 are vaccinated. The other 6 are dead against it for their own beliefs. Which is fine. But it's really starting to bubble over recently I've noticed. I'm worrying that this is just the beginning for a massive divide in society. Being labelled a sheep and worse than the government for being vaccinated... or that anyone who has had Pfizer will be dead within 3 years.

It's got to the point I don't want to tell anyone I've got my booster booked in!!

We're about 60/40 too and have managed to be supportive of each others decisions, being sensitive that those who haven't had a vaccine are likely to be concerned about covid and those who have had the vaccine, may have concerns about their vaccine as well as covid.
When all this blows over, hopefully we'll still remain a strong, supportive group.

Virtually all my friends (50s and 60s) are vaccinated. One acquaintance put up a lot of anti-vax posts but she has stopped doing that now. Not because we argued about but because she died of Covid.

@Downton57

Virtually all my friends (50s and 60s) are vaccinated. One acquaintance put up a lot of anti-vax posts but she has stopped doing that now. Not because we argued about but because she died of Covid.

Sorry to hear that!

I was desperately sorry and her family's grief stricken. Maybe we should all have argued harder.

I guess I know a few people who are strongly vaccine hesitant.
I perceive that they are very pro-choice about what other people choose.

I know a lot of ppl sharply saying the unvaccinated person should be denied medical treatment, entertainment or shopping opportunities, jobs, etc. That they should be forced to have the vaccine, otherwise. These voices are strongly intolerant & anti-choice.

i try to ignore their words since I so strongly disagree with them. I suppose I'm monitoring & letting the "natural consequences" people enjoy their apparent echo chamber. I don't want to fall out with people over something so stupid, but hope I don't regret keeping my silence.

Op, you sound lovely. I am only half vaccinated for covid but fully vaccinated for flu, etc, but nonetheless 'anti-vax' according to many. To borrow a phrase from Laura Dodsworth, I am more scared of manipulation than I am of disease.

I declined further vaccines at the point when 'vaccine passports' were mooted as a serious possibility. That is a huge line in the sand for me. Riding roughshod over my own principles would be terrible for my mental health. But others have different principles, different priorities, as is their right.

You would have no argument from me regarding your personal choices.

I know only one antivaxxer thank fuck and she lives abroad.

I would really struggle to remain friends with an antivaxxer.

Refusing the covid jab does not automatically make someone an 'anti-vaxxer' this ridiculous labelling is the most divisive thing happening.

Honestly I cannot believe people are falling out with friends and family over this. I've had my jabs, I know people who have had them and who haven't had them for various reasons and I wouldn't dream of arguing with anyone about it.

Definitely a divide. Most of my close friends aren't vaccinated (im the only one in my closest friend group) and I find myself bubbling with rage inside with their shitty conspiracy theories. I shouldnt get mad, its their choice, but Im a frontline nurse in one of the busiest a&e departments and when I say we all RAN for the vaccines last year after what we went through it would be an understatement. We don't argue but there's definitely a divide.

I wouldn't fall out with someone for not being vaccinated. I'd judge them for being gullible though and believing the shite that's out there and for not fact checking it.

@Sirzy

To be honest I would be distancing myself from any “friends” who were coming out with the sheep like comments.

Deciding not be be vaccinated is one thing, being and idiot towards those who are vaccinated is another

This.

I took myself off Facebook three years ago as I was exhauated the constant polarised arguing. People took it personally if you didn't hold the same views, even over Christmas choices and best local takeaways, never mind Brexit! I now have less than 30 friends now on a new Facebook account and most are family.

I've seen very little pro / anti vax stuff, although one friend said she was sick of seeing it, on Facebook! It's easy enough to distance yourself from this. I haven't had any vaccine discussions in the office or when out for meals, it's never really come up in conversation.

*exhausted with

Lucky that within my friendship group we all respect eachother views and opinions. I have friend who had the vaccine at the first opportunity as they where so scared of the virus and I have friends who haven’t had it as they are scared of the possible long term side effects. So to get annoyed at someone for doing or not doing something because they are scared is well wrong really. At the end of the day a fear is a fear who are we to tell someone that they are wrong to be scared however irrational we may feel it is!

@youkiddingme

I don't want friends who are intolerant of the decisions of others or who call people rude names. Simples.

This

Thankfully most people eho matter to me are on sane page. The ones who aren't (1 friend and 2 family ) Irately see.
I certainly no longer be divulging anything shout vaccination status of ne and kids again.after being caught on the hop.
I have been told that me and DH will be dead within two years.
That if dds are vaccinated I can forget about being a grandmother.
That seeing me is a risk as I will shed the vaccine.
Could give loads more examples but you get the picture.

Ffs autocorrect.

FWIW I respect their decision nit to have the vaccine. I only object to the constant attempts to convert others and use teenage sudden deaths to further their agenda without evidence.

All my friends are vaccinated and boosted but sadly some are shutting themselves away because they are so afraid. It’s incredibly disappointing/frustrating/sad to have good long term friends who will now only meet up outside on occasion, and who have stopped attending anything. I’ve tried to be understanding but it’s hard not to be upset- these are good long term friends

I’m fully vaxxed also

@Whattochoosenow your post hit a nerve. I feel me and DH may be becoming those people. I've had very poorly parents to manage and look after but tbh it's wearing thin and I'm getting quite cross with myself for all the times I'm saying 'no' to myself and others when fun things crop up.
I was only saying to DH yesterday that we need to give ourselves a shake.

Trouble is, Government have given the impression that we should all be crow barring our way into other people's business. They have encouraged a divide. In my experience, those who have had ' the vaccine ' tend to go around asking others ' have you had the vaccine? ' the question has been normalised. This is where divides start. In my circle of friends we talk about other stuff. We've all had it with Covid as a topic. Yes it's there, and we can't ignore it but we can enjoy time with friends and talk about other much more inspiring subjects. I don't understand why people want to live, eat and breathe Covid as a topic. Some people are extremists in their views and if they're like that they will be anyway whatever you do or say ( I have one friend like this so I know what it's like! ). It's unpleasant, and I would just either be steering the conversation differently or spending time with people who are fun to be around and give off good vibes. Life's too short.

Vast majority of my friends and family are vaccinated, I'm not bothered who is and who isn't, I'm happy with my choice to be vaccinated. Out of my circle the ones who shout the loudest though are the unvaccinated ones if I had a pound for every time I'd heard "it's just a cold " "it's all about control " "you'll be dead within 3 years " " the boosters are giving everyone
covid" I'd be able to retire to the Bahamas!
Unfortunately these are close family who I can't cut ties from. I hate it when covid inevitably becomes the topic of conversation, I don't preach to anyone to go get the vaccine, others shouldn't preach to me about not getting it.

Old dear Friend sent a Christmas letter which has a whole paragraph about how careful she is being to socialise with only vaccinated persons & even that is limited numbers. I suppose it's an honest account of her life in 2021 & I prefer honesty first and foremost.

Obviously I can't be honest in return about my own attitudes, though, about risk, rise of health authoritarianism, Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ppl who choose to not vacc. We'd just fall out. So the relationship is diminished, after all.

@XenoBitch

The vast majority of people who catch Covid do not need hospital treatment at all. The strain on the NHS at the moment is not because of people who are not vaccinated.