Coincident deaths or diagnoses will influence anti-vaccine people. For example:
81 year old person in poor health in a nursing home gets vaccine, dies shortly thereafter. Anti-vaccine people blame vaccine, even if that person died of unrelated reasons.
Someone gets a COVID-19 diagnosis shortly after getting vaccine, blames vaccine, even though the vaccine cannot cause COVID-19, so they must have been exposed to COVID-19 about the same time as getting the vaccine.
Someone’s kid gets diagnosed with autism shortly after getting MMR vaccine. You know where this analogous situation goes…
Yes, they likely are drawn to home schooling and they might use homeopathic doctors. Our neighbor is one. I didn’t even realize they had them in the US until I went to a block party. I’d imagine these doctors share similar views to their patients. In Europe, they were very popular. I’m not sure how it works in the US. I do know that a couple of my neighbors were going to this neighbor’s practice.
they do, but all of those required vaccines were approved the old-fashioned way prior to being mandated. I’m betting that the covid vax will not be mandated in public schools (K12) while still under a EULA.
If I were betting, I’d bet that these will not remain EUA vaccines for much longer. The data being collected on millions of people will be used to move toward a regular authorization , in my opinion.
Every family member or loved one who had the opportunity has gotten their vaccine—HC providers, my 91 year old mom, H, me, nieces and nephews, all of them. Those who weren’t eligible all plan to get theirs as soon as they are eligible and can snag an appointment. We don’t see the reluctance.
Our state is >90% want it and folks are happy to get it as soon as they can.
I am not eligible yet nor am I in a big hurry to get it. I’m not anti vax, but I don’t go for anything that’s brand new until they have worked the kinks out. This is the first generation of the new type of vaccine and I believe it will be improved upon in coming months and years. I remember when my DD was eligible for the HPV Vaccine when it was brand new - the recommendations were changing monthly it seemed and so I declined getting those for her (Her doctor also had a daughter the same age and her daughter wasn’t getting it either).
Also, for my comfort there are too many unknowns. We don’t know how long you’re protected, if there will be boosters required, etc. etc. I just like knowing exactly what the long term plans are before doing anything. I have no comorbidities or known risk factors and take the vitamins recommended during cold and flu season to be as proactive as I can. I also don’t see a lot of people in the course of a work day (maybe 5-10 a week), so minimal risk there as well.
It’s interesting to me that when my dad (elderly) got his vaccine I felt good for him - but he’s one of those retired guys that make volunteering a full time job and sees an even more vulnerable population in his volunteering. My mom is not getting one yet, if ever. Immediate members of my family have had Covid and had the vaccine - no judgement on how anyone else chooses to handle it.
I’m in shock- I just heard that my sister-in-law who never gets the flu shot and didn’t want the Covid vaccine got her first shot yesterday. This is someone who is highly educated but has some different ideas on things. She has been a promoter to the entire family on the benefit of gargling to prevent Covid.
I’d bet she got vaccinated because she wants to travel.
I’m thrilled… my sister, who has been adamant at not wanting any “new” vaccine, just texted me saying she was able to get Moderna today. She was at the drug store picking up some things and they had extra - she was at the right spot at the right time. I have no idea what changed her mind.
This means she’ll have her second shot in 4 weeks and that means we’ll invite her to visit with us on our family trip to cabins on the St Lawrence river the end of May! We haven’t seen each other in a year and a half. I wasn’t going to tell her we’d be up in NY.
I really am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Any tips for dealing with a relative who keeps sending me links to crazy anti-vax websites. I told him I was getting vaccinated; his response was—if I was getting the vaccine, I should get the Sputnik vaccine (Russian vaccine). Crazy, right? Recently, he sent YouTube links from a doctor who believes, among other things, that Bill and Melinda Gates are behind the spread of the COVID virus. My H thinks I should stop communicating with him completely. My cousin isn’t uneducated–he is a retired college professor. He’s my closest relative on my Dad’s side and I like him. He lives overseas, so we rarely see each other.
My advice…If it’s important to you to stay in communication, tell him that you’ve already decided to get the vaccine and you would love to keep in touch, but would appreciate if he wouldn’t send you anything else about Covid or the vaccine. If he keeps sending you that stuff, I agree with your husband that it’s time to start ignoring him. It’s unlikely you will change his mind if he’s already down the “Gates-wants-everyone-to-get-Covid” rabbit hole.
My kids once shared the following with my MIL. She’s very anti-vax, anti-mask, and thinks her vitamins will cure all ills. She didn’t get the joke until they explained it to her. Such is the level of her understanding of science, and yet she’s certain she knows more than all the public health experts who promote masks, vaccines, etc. I’ve given up hope that she’ll ever change her mind.
I think sometimes what’s missing in these discussions is an appropriate level of humility. I do hear humility coming from a lot of the scientists when they acknowledge they don’t have all the answers and they’re doing the best they can with limited information. I don’t hear the same humility coming from many people who oppose public health guidance. Some personalities just don’t want to be told what to do.
My family is perfectly comfortable with the vaccines. H gets his 2nd Pfizer shot today. S21 and I have had one shot. I almost started crying from joy when we arrived at the clinic for our shots. As a numbers person, it’s clear to me the risk from COVID is higher than risks from the vaccine, even for low risk adults. I’m not interested in taking a chance with long-haul COVID symptoms which I think doesn’t get enough attention in media coverage.
That’s not my field, but I’d imagine a good portion of the information needed is long term studies. Of course, it could be pushed aside/pushed through but there isn’t any data on long term effects (pregnancy, etc). Lots of people is great and means it’s safe in the short term but some folks aren’t moving forward due to long term concerns.
I would definitely mute him. Works great. That way you don’t have to see all the information he sends. I send one of my SIL’s e-mails to my junk folder.
Actually, I went a little too far and put her number into my blocked telephone number lists. She was able to somehow see that my number wasn’t accepting her. OUTED. I had gaps in the family texts when she added content but it was great. I’ve told her our phones seem to be incompatible.
That is not what the two epidemiologists in our family are saying. They are saying that the data being collected will be used to get regular authorization.
I guess we will have to wait and see.
Adding…there are a lot of pregnant women who have gotten this vaccine, as well as folks who have gotten it and subsequently got pregnant.
Like I said…we will have to wait and see what happens.
Well no one in our family is in that field.
Sorry you missed it. But my point was they have no LONG term data. Can’t make it up, can’t create data that doesn’t exist. The development of previous vaccines has been years so it is very different. As for pregnancy, since the vaccine has been out months and it takes 40 weeks for full development of a pregnancy, that also falls into the category of not long enough to know effects. Looks good so far.
I don’t doubt that they can still push it through but that’s entirely different from having long term effects in a data set.