But note that when vaccines were rationed due to shortages, the senior citizens had first access to them. In some places, the 18-29 year old people may not have easy access to vaccines until early May, so they may not have had a chance to get vaccinated by then (don’t forget the 2-6 week time from first dose to fully vaccinated, depending on the vaccine).
My 31 year old son went to an ultra liberal college and sometimes I think that ended up turning him off so much that he went over to the “other side.” Mostly he’s distrustful of the medical community with a few conspiracy theories thrown in there for good measure. His newly pregnant wife is afraid of shots and thinks the vaccine has been rushed. No matter what my husband and I say there is no way to change their minds about this issue. I’m worried about the risks of Covid to her pregnancy. My daughter is eight months pregnant and was told by her OB that the risk of Covid is much higher than the risk of the vaccine. My son has actually said that there is no way he thinks he would ever get the virus since he hasn’t up until this point. He is an engineer at a software company. I would imagine the company will be bringing it’s workers back to the office. I don’t know how my son will work around that situation. I worry about them getting the virus, but I also worry about them fitting into the world now. We are in a heavily vaccinated state.
@ams5796 thank you not only the perspective of your son and his wife but yours as a loving family member. The worries!
It is also hard for me to understand those that don’t trust the medical community as a whole. Have docs you didn’t care for? Sure. But people saving lives daily, if not yours? Or not yours now but maybe later?
The lack of trust should be addressed if possible.
Well, the new variants are so much more contagious. If he is this convinced that he is invincible, I doubt he will do anything to “work around the situation.” You don’t change what you don’t acknowledge.
I would be frustrated too, but what can you do? Just hope for the best. Maybe he will come around.
I would be curious if there is data to back up the effects of getting a vaccine vs getting covid during pregnancy. Neither has been around long enough to say that with 100% certainty and it may also depend on which vaccine.
Apparently there is a TV personality who has a LOT of influence making his viewers have great doubts. “For weeks, he has been posing questions to his millions of viewers — and to the additional millions who stream his content or see it pop up on their Facebook pages — about the safety and efficacy of the extremely safe and effective coronavirus vaccines that are presently saving American lives.”
So, I also have to accept that a lot of people get this constant, constant, constant “information” driven into their thoughts. This is a new age for our country, where people choose to listen to entertainers (this person is not a news journalist) and believe them over scientists, among other issues.
I’m almost 70 years old. I remember the relief and joy over the polio vaccine. Everyone knew someone who had polio or died from it and it had been a nightmare in the early 50’s. So different now, so different.
Do you think the TV personality has had the vaccine?
Oh yes, I’m sure the TV personality has had the vaccine. It’s infuriating that some of those people wouldn’t be more forthcoming about their vaccine status. We told my son to try to read or listen to some other sources that might have different views about the vaccine and even the virus. He told us that we should do the same thing. So, you can see where we are with this. We’ve always had a very good relationship with him and with my other two children so this is really eating us up. We’re vowing to not bring it up anymore. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing him and his wife inside a lot. We’re really sad that they’re not coming on the family vacation next week. That is a first. This virus has affected all of us in so many ways.
The data regarding vaccines while pregnant are limited - pregnant people are usually excluded from vaccine trials but there is clinical data (at the very least) that is being gathered. CDC has a statement on the relative risks:
The majority of my family members are more reluctant than me. Whenever I get vaccinated I know I will given a hard time by them. My family members will most be reasonable even if they don’t agree with me, but I know people who might think I will shed dangerous virus particles and will be afraid to have me near them. I have heard this lately from educated people.
I can see whichever side any of us take it can be divisive.
I think everyone here has been very respectful of me and I appreciate it. And I can honestly say, I feel more inclined to get vaccinated but I still have those moral reservations. A good friend’s parent is hospitalized now though and that does hit close to home.
“Data presented on Wednesday show there’s only a 0.00126% risk of developing the heart condition for those 12 to 39 years old within 21 days of being administered their second dose.”
“The officials said for the young people who do suffer the side effect, most cases are mild and that individuals often recover on their own with minimal treatment. Similar heart problems are more common in patients who get Covid-19, they said.”
I have said all along that we will find out in the fall that the math does not add up. I believe that the data will show that the number of unvaccinated people in the US is significantly smaller than the number of people who say the are not getting the vaccine.
I don’t judge the folks who don’t get vaccinated. I am all about choice in all areas. I would not be so concerned if it were not my son. The selfish part of me wants him to be part of the family events that we have over the next few months. I feel like we got through the virus and we still can’t have our family together. I have an unvaccinated grandchild who will be in the mix. I can’t risk anything happening to her. I am a stage four cancer survivor who worked very hard to make sure I could protect our family time. I must admit that I am a bit hurt that seeing his family does not weigh more heavily into his risk assessment. I also worry how this affects him in the eyes of his boss and coworkers depending on when and how they go back to the office.
I am reluctant. While I am fearful of getting Covid, I am also worried about the safety of the vaccines. There are multiple instances of pharma companies “ignoring” data regarding side effects etc. regarding their products or actively promoting their products without consideration for the larger societal impact (e.g. Purdue Pharma).
There are huge incentives to promoting the vaccine mandates. For example, a friend of the family, 1 year out of college, received a $150k bonus because her vaccine producing employer made so much $$ this year. Imagine what the bonuses were like for higher ups in the company.
The CDC study regarding effectiveness was based on less than 4,000 health care workers during the highest levels of lockdown.
While the short term side effects of the vaccine appear relatively mild, no one knows the longer term impact or unintended consequences of vaccinating such a large percentage of the population with mRNA vaccines.
I live with one vaccinated and one non-vaccinated person under 25 and have no babies or elderly people in my life. I work from home and don’t socialize indoors. I wear a mask if I need to shop (which is only about twice a month.) If I need to travel, I will probably get vaccinated. Until then, I’ll wait and see.
That’s really sad you get pressure from both sides. As I wrote somewhere upthread, I hope everyone who can get vaccinated will do so, but I’m empathetic with people who are afraid. There are some legitimate and less legitimate concerns and some people need to work through them.
But, anti-vaxx tropes and propaganda can make it very difficult. The same well-worn scare tactics are out in full force (for example, vaccinated people shed dangerous virus particles, as you note) and they can be very powerful. Even if they are illogical or easily disproven, they feed into and support the concerns people may already have.
That’s why I save my greatest ire, not for the average person who is not yet ready and may never be ready to be vaccinated, but for celebrities, politicians, community leaders and others looking for attention or maybe to make a quick buck who use fear tactics and rhetoric to delegitimize vaccination.