Do you have friends who have declined to be vaccinated.........h ow do you deal with this (stay polite!)

Thank you welbeck I’m very good now thanks, and fully vaccinated. I just wish anti vaccine people understood how ill Covid can make people.

thank you for speaking sense, and sharing about that scary time, Maddyone.
hope you are doing ok now.

Thanks Varian.

I am glad you have made such a good recovery maddyone

No-one should underestimate the danger of covid 19 and its variants.

effalump I have to remember that I got Covid, was hospitalised for twelve days, was treated with a cocktail of nine different drugs and treatments, and I’m lucky to still be here. I welcomed my invitation for vaccination because I don’t want to ever go through that again. I’m one of the lucky ones, I left hospital with bad scarring to my lungs, but my recent X-ray showed the scars have healed. My consultant told that they might heal but not definitely, so yes, I’m lucky. I also have not got Long Covid, although I left hospital in a very weakened condition and it took a couple of months to get back to normal.
So no, we shouldn’t remember that not so many people died of Covid compared to the population, we should remember it could happen to any one of us, and the vaccination is a wonderful way to prevent not only death, but what happened to me.
By the way, our NHS treated me wonderfully and I will be eternally grateful for their care.

What we need to look at is excess deaths - that is a comparison of deaths in the average of that month over several previous years.

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/weekending14may2021

You have to remember that the number of people who have died (in the UK) is less than 1000th of 1% of the UK population and a lot of them may have died of some other ailment but just happened to get a positive (possibly a false positive) pcr result during the 28 days before dying. You really need to start and apply some perspective to this. Why do you think the governments never speak in terms of percentages? Because that would show how few have died and I'm not saying any one of those isn't tragic for their families. The Governments call it Collateral Damage.

"no one queried the harm or side effects that might present themselves later"

I query everything. And know lots of other people who have done so as well.

The possible side effects don’t worry me, they would be worth it, luckily I didn’t have any, but the reports of young people dying because of blood clots do, when they might have never caught the virus in the first place, or if they did, it’s usually a mild illness for them. So I agree with the countries in Europe that have reserved the AZ for the over 60 only.

I had the Pfizer vaccine but the 2nd one did have side effects, mainly not catching my breath, feeling listless etc. Lasted 2 weeks, on and off. I expected something as I have low immunity. But, I would have a 3rd booster in Autumn without batting an eyelid! Logic tells me, in our lifetime we've had so many immunisations, also given them to our tender babies, yet no one queried the harm or side effects that might present themselves later. It was our responsibility to do so and we did it. So is it our responsibility to help end this pandemic.

I know being vaccinated is everyone's choice but my son had covid quite early on in March last year, now has long covid and was registered disabled in January as he is no longer fit to work. He received the appointment for his vaccination and said he wasn't going to get the vaccination, then swithered about it and finally told me he had got it. I know people can't be forced but if they'd had a relative who had been so ill they would have gone. I have had both vaccinations but the lack of knowledge of the long term affects is concerning, I used to be a pharmacy technician, but after seeing how ill my son was I took the decision that being vaccinated was better than not. Apart from long haul covid he has no underlying conditions and was fit and healthy until then.

Adaunas you are right, between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Bluesky it’s really difficult decision. The family run hotel in Italy where we usually book to stay in Italy has closed because the father and daughter both died from Covid last year.
Who knows what is the right thing to do.

There are a lot of myths circulating regarding vaccinations. We have both had our full doses without any side effects. Some people are a little unwell afterwards, but they are the minority (I have friends who had some side effects but are glad they have been vaccinated). Vaccinating is the only way to get rid of this virus, it will take years but we need to start and hit it hard. All vaccinations carry a risk but the benefits outweigh these, so go for it and protect yourselves and your loved ones.

I have fb friends in Italy and tragically in the last few weeks at least 3 young women have died following vaccinations with the AZ. This is despite the AZ being recommended for the over 60 only, but these women received it voluntarily at an open day when left over vaccine was used. Sadly the confidence in the AZ abroad has reached rock bottom.

Regarding this issue that has divided so many people, families even, I believe it is in everyone's best interest to follow the advice: "Don't ask, and don't tell"

Just be happy with whatever your choice is in the matter and do not hold grudges against those who decided different from you. Keep your immune system healthy with compassion for others instead of contempt.

Biscuitmuncher, I am with you on this matter. Too many unknowns about long term effects. This is an experimental therapy and plenty of experts have weighed in on the possible risks, except, their voices are squashed in main stream media. I am so glad to have heard many of them and feel good about not jumping on the bandwagon that so may, including all my relatives in The Netherlands, have. You can say it is their choice, but I fear it is not a well informed one. The main stream media globally is not sharing the truth about some very serious side effects or long-term health risks. It is also atrocious that people are even thinking about vaccinating children!! They have decades of living ahead of them and it would be horrible if they get serious health issues from the vaccination to deal with for their entire life!
Find interviews with Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi on Youtube to feel confident about your resolve not to be vaccinated.

If it wasn’t for the vaccine we would still be in total lockdown for the foreseeable future. A ‘friend’ of mine won’t have the vaccine as “it changes your genes and makes you more vulnerable to other viruses we haven’t got a cure for.”

Biscuitmuncher

I think with most people who are choosing not to have the covid vaccine are not anti vaxxers but anti this vaccine

I don't even think most are anti this vaccine, just unsure about it. Though I know from social media reading some are anti. I've talked to two friends about it this week. Both are not anti but are unsure about it. There seems to be a significant hesitancy group. I'm not sure how big the group is that is actually anti it.

I had some tests in hospital recently. Most of the nurses were just back from the covid wards, either ICUs or palliative wards. They had no patience with anti-vaxers. Fortunately everyone I know couldn’t wait for the jab.

I know of one person in a wider group of friends who has decided not to have it. It's possible she has changed her mind but I doubt it. She maintains it changes one's DNA.
She talks about 'Big Pharma' a lot and her alternative treatments. It didn't stop her going into hospital twice with severe breathing problems and taking all the meds then. Nor having an epidural.
I have little time for anyone not taking it - unless there are serious medical reasons. I felt very rough for a few days after my first dose of AZ but was excited to have had it.

antheacarol that's so awful for your son and you.

I think with most people who are choosing not to have the covid vaccine are not anti vaxxers but anti this vaccine

I’ve now had both doses of vaccine. It was the AZ which was always my first choice as being a viral vector, I believed ‘safer’ as already used in other vaccinations. Tragically people have died in the UK and abroad because of the vaccine. I understand that given my age, the risk of catching Covid and dying of it, is much higher, but still I’ve been uneasy in the weeks after the jab.

What kind I’d world do anti vaxxers think we’d be living in now without it? Certainly in the U.K. we’d be in a cycle of lockdowns and surges. No doubt those people who have declined the vaccine without good cause are still enjoying our present freedoms, gained because the majority of us have had the scientific miracle that is the vaccine for this horrible disease.