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Original poster

Refusing services to unvaccinated. What are your thoughts?

458 replies

TheChip · 16/01/2022 12:25

I'm just curious to hear of people's thoughts on this.
I have currently been refused a service due to being unvaccinated, in the UK. Its not a service that would require close proximity like a hairdresser, but in the same space for a period of time.

My thoughts on it are while I understand and respect people's choices and comfort levels, I do find it hard to grasp when the virus is both passed between those vaccinated or unvaccinated. Even if you throw in the comments about how vaccination reduces transmission, it is still transmissible.

I would have been more than willing to LFT before every contact, and wear a mask. But this wasn't an option. Which I guess is the part I find most difficult to understand. That they would be comfortable and willing to be around those vaccinated, possibly even without testing. Which I'd expect testing to be expected for both vaccinated and unvaccinated for someone who is clearly so uncomfortable.

So yeah, what are your thoughts

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MaxNormal · 17/01/2022 14:18

I'm not assuming anything. In the UK noone apart from careworkers has had to get vaccinated to keep their jobs

DH needed to be vaccinated to continue working as his job involves a lot of travel. He wasn't keen but felt he had no choice.

Belladonna12 · 17/01/2022 14:40

@MaxNormal

I'm not assuming anything. In the UK noone apart from careworkers has had to get vaccinated to keep their jobs

DH needed to be vaccinated to continue working as his job involves a lot of travel. He wasn't keen but felt he had no choice.

OK noone except care workers and a couple of people who have needed to travel in the last couple of years to keep their jobs.
Mreggsworth · 17/01/2022 14:51

I think its fair. You don't know there personal circumstance they might be desperately low on money from lock down, they might be vulnerable or have vulnerable families. Even if the vaccine only ever so slightly reduces your chance of passing it on to people, that's better than nothing. And that knowledge could be the only bit of hope / reassurance keeping them in work.

I know someone with a daughter who has cystic fibrosis, she works doing massage and skin treatments, she wont see anyone who isnt vaccinated. Shes terrified of her daughter getting Ill. Those people saying "you should slate him and boycott him so he never works again". Would you say that about that mum who is trying desperately hard to make a living while making her own choices on how to keep her daughter safe?

Just because you personally dont believe that vaccination reduces your risk of spreading it, that is what the information from the experts are saying, therefore most people who are trying to manage risk will listen to that, not people of mumsnet and Facebook who try to claim that the vaccination status is pointless.

XenoBitch · 17/01/2022 14:53

@Belladonna12

No one should need to have a medical procedure to access things like nightclubs or the theatre.

Nobody does need to "undergo a medical procedure" to access things like night clubs and theatres in England and yet 90% of the eligible population have been vaccinated which suggests that it is not the case that "most" people are only vaccinated because they have to be by as suggested by a previous poster.

I don't know of any polls that ask why people got vaccinated. It would be interesting to see, for sure.
Original poster
TheChip · 17/01/2022 15:20

@Mreggsworth I completely agree about the boycotting and leaving bad reviews. I'd not do that. I might not agree with their choice, but I respect their choice and understand that their views and opinions are clearly different to mine. That doesn't mean they deserve to have negative reviews.

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Original poster
TheChip · 17/01/2022 15:21

@XenoBitch those polls would be interesting.

OP posts:
Genegenieee · 17/01/2022 15:34

[quote TheChip]@user76437990 The main point of my post is in the title. What peoples thoughts are on unvaccinated being refused services.

My post about the instructor was just one example of that possibly happening (which doesnt seem like that was the case). My questions about the instructor were not questioning their choices. Id already said I respect their choice. I was confused over what their thought process could be around it as it didn't make sense to me. Someone pointed out that my isolation period during lessons would be more disruptive and that makes perfect sense to me.

My complaint about the instructor was that they waited until the day before my lessons to tell me that being unvaccinated was a problem for them.[/quote]
Completely acceptable - their choice.

Belladonna12 · 17/01/2022 16:42

@Youarefakenews

I'd be interested in who is going to police these requirements anyway. How long will a store owner employ somebody to check who is vaccinated or not? Is it really up to them to monitor it? Likewise all the other 'restricted' places.
A lot of places have people at the door anyway though. A friend of mine was visiting a country that required vaccine passports recently and he was asked to show it before buying a drink etc.
Turquoisesea · 17/01/2022 17:10

I think it’s up to the individual business to chose, although doesn’t totally make sense when vaccinated can still get covid and pass it on. My DS(17) is currently having driving lessons and unvaccinated. He hasn’t been asked if he’s been vaccinated and he hasn’t asked the instructor. I think it’s more sensible to test before each lesson if the driving instructor is worried but I suppose it’s personal preference.

Turquoisesea · 17/01/2022 17:18

Also if people are asking for vaccination status are they going to put a time limit on when the person was vaccinated? Eg if you are double jabbed and not boostered and had your 2nd vaccine in spring last year? What if you had one vaccine but no more? Where do they draw the line?

Original poster
TheChip · 17/01/2022 17:29

Well exactly, how many jabs are good enough for them? Not only that, what do they class as medically exempt? What I think of as medically exempt might not be good enough in their eyes, and for some it's taking a long time to get confirmation from the doctors so they can only go off what some people say

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Turquoisesea · 17/01/2022 17:32

And unless they ask to see a Covid pass they are relying on people telling the truth too which not everyone will do.

Stroopwaffle5000 · 17/01/2022 18:34

Why would a hairdresser ask you to remove your mask? Mine never has.

Original poster
TheChip · 17/01/2022 18:52

@Stroopwaffle5000

Why would a hairdresser ask you to remove your mask? Mine never has.
I imagine it is easier to do men's hair without the mask. As for my hair, I have no idea. I cant see the mask causing any obstruction. Maybe she deals with more men than women and so is just in the habit of asking them to be removed. God knows.
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user1471443411 · 17/01/2022 18:56

Unacceptable for all the reasons others have already stated. I know many people who are double (or triple) vaccinated who disagree so strongly with these measures they will boycott businesses. I guess people will vote with their feet and time will tell, but people have long memories.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 17/01/2022 18:58

It's all a bit silly because the "risk" to the driving instructor is the same whether you are unvaccinated through choice, or unvaccinated for a medical reason eg allergy.

Instructors should wear masks and keep the windows open and were working on that basis before vaccinations were available, so I am not really sure why they care.

Anyway, unfortunately they can pick and choose at the moment so next time OP just lie and say you've been vaccinated and boosted. If they ask for evidence just say you don't have the NHS app (DH doesn't) and you didn't get a card at the booster appt (I didn't).

JuergenSchwarzwald · 17/01/2022 19:02

@Youarefakenews

I'd be interested in who is going to police these requirements anyway. How long will a store owner employ somebody to check who is vaccinated or not? Is it really up to them to monitor it? Likewise all the other 'restricted' places.
I keep hoping that the other countries will calm down but they seem to be getting worse - Austria fining people if they aren't vaccinated, Germany talking about it and apparently not recognising the J&J one dose vaccine as two doses so if you've had J&J and the booster, that's not good enough (in Berlin, anyway).

Time to stop trying to coerce people.

sweetbellyhigh · 17/01/2022 19:23

I fully support mandates and restrictions according to vax status.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 17/01/2022 19:30

@Stroopwaffle5000

Why would a hairdresser ask you to remove your mask? Mine never has.
Mine did on Friday so she could get the dye around my hairline.
thewhatsit · 17/01/2022 19:38

@Turquoisesea

Also if people are asking for vaccination status are they going to put a time limit on when the person was vaccinated? Eg if you are double jabbed and not boostered and had your 2nd vaccine in spring last year? What if you had one vaccine but no more? Where do they draw the line?
This is what I wonder. So it seems to be widely accepted now that two jabs alone from 6 months plus a go basically has little to no effect on your chance of contacting Covid though of course, still worthwhile as they still help you avoid hospitalisation. Wasn’t the headline figure that 2x Astra Zeneca seems to be literally 0% effective against testing positive for Omicron (caveat: contracting rather than against serious illness)?? Presumably it’s completely not on to differentiate between which brand of vaccine as none of us got given a choice when we had them.. Still if it’s about reducing risk then which vaccine you had and when you had it DOES matter?

I wonder sometimes if the whole 2 vax = safe thing is like when people who can’t or don’t want to wear a mask are encouraged to wear a visor..? We know that a visor alone is completely useless but for some reason it’s considered the respectful alternative to a mask - ie it’s all about the theatre rather than actual risk reduction.

One of my friends had two AZ in the spring and has so far not decided to get his booster. He isn’t any less of a risk to any of us but because he went and got the vaccinations he becomes a good guy in all of this and is treated accordingly..?

MaxNormal · 17/01/2022 19:40

I fully support mandates and restrictions according to vax status

People really have started saying the quiet part out loud.
Society has been emboldened towards something quite worrying.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 17/01/2022 19:52

I agree @MaxNormal, it's scary how people are so willing to go along with this

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 17/01/2022 19:53

I support people having the choice as to whether they vaccinate or not.

I also support the rights of employers and service providers to use vaccination status as a selection criterion.

For those who genuinely can't be vaccinated for medical reasons then I'd say it depends on the situation.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 18/01/2022 08:38

For those who genuinely can't be vaccinated for medical reasons then I'd say it depends on the situation.

Surely that would then be discrimination? I'm fully vaccinated (at the moment) but I would not want to support a business that refused service because of a medical exemption and I would hope they would be named and shamed.

Original poster
TheChip · 18/01/2022 08:44

But the only way for medical exemption is if youre literally dying and receiving end of life care. If you have learning disabilities or autism and a vaccination would cause distress and the other one was allergies to any of the ingredients or previous vaccines.

I have what I believe are genuine concerns with my current health situation and vaccines, but my concerns are irrelevant. Even though I would find it incredibly distressing if it was forced upon me in any way. Which thankfully isn't an issue yet, but to be denied access to services because my concerns aren't seen as good enough is shit.

Just to add that I am not talking about being denied services by this instructor here, more so if it was to happen all round.

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