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Vaccines - should they be mandatory?

(118 Posts)
DaisyL Tue 23-Mar-21 11:11:14

At the moment no vaccine in the UK is mandatory - we are all advised to have our children vaccinated but it is not compulsory. I've had my first dose of the Covid 19 one and ab out to have the second and think it is a really good idea that everyone has it, but am IU the only one who feels slightly uneasy about trying to make it compulsory?

MayBee70 Fri 26-Mar-21 00:31:13

GrannyRose15

MayBee70

What do you mean by professional careers? You mean nursing home staff etc?

I didn't say careers - I said carers and what I meant was anyone who is looking after another person professionally. It was supposed to be a short hand term for nurses, nursing auxiliaries, care home staff, and those who provide care in the community.

Many of them had not had the vaccine even when it has been offered.

That will teach me not to try too hard to be succinct.

It was a typo.....

Whiff Fri 26-Mar-21 07:08:58

As Covid seems to be here to stay. I can see a time when mortgage providers , life insurance companies and the like won't consider lending or letting people take out policies without having the Covid vaccine. No matter what their age, status or job.

How many lives have been lost ,how many families have been devastated by Covid. Having a vaccine is no hardship. I think it should be compulsory not a popular view I know.

But how would you feel if someone who refused the vaccine for no reason other than they don't want it. Was a carrier or had Covid and past it on to you and your family . And you or members of your family became seriously ill or die.

How many of the people who refuse it but are willing to pay to have vaccines for holidays in far flung places that still have diseases like small pox etc.

I had said this before in some form on other threads. My daughter and family have had Covid luckily they are recovered from it. But my brother and sister in law who already had health problems 8 weeks after the isolation period was over are still not to how they where before . They had been shielding and don't know how they caught it.

The vaccine doesn't hurt ok there are side effects. I felt rough for 3 days after. But I always felt rough after the flu jab.

We are lucky in this country we don't have to save up before we can afford medicines or medical treatment.

Have the vaccine and and we can all get on with our lives.

Know I will get flack for this post but how many feel the way I do but won't say anything because they don't want to be seen in a bad light.

suziewoozie Fri 26-Mar-21 07:49:19

Whiff the issue is nothing to do with the wonders of he vaccine or how lucky we are to have such good provision of it in the UK. It’s about serious issues about the power of the state, the balancing of competing rights in a democratic society. It’s about treading carefully with those rights and reflecting carefully before we trample over them. It’s about how we tackle vaccine hesitancy - with quiet words or the iron fist.

But also it’s about respecting what the vaccine isn’t and it’s limitations. It isn’t 100% effective, we still don’t know how long immunity from it lasts and variants aren’t going to go away.

M0nica Fri 26-Mar-21 08:22:47

Whiff, I know this is picky, but small pox has been eliminated from the world except for a very small quantity, kept in several very high security labs. This is why children no longer have small pox jabs.

We all have the choice whether we have the vaccination or not and the choice to avoid those who don't and protect vulnerable people from them.

Whiff Fri 26-Mar-21 08:47:13

Problem is how do we know who had the vaccine or not. So how do you avoid those who haven't had it.

I'm 62 when I was young whopping cough, measles, TB, polio etc where is about so we had the vaccines against them. Meningitis was a killer . We have vaccines against them. But like all vaccines they didn't know the long term effects of them. But we had them as children and made sure my children had every vaccine going. My children have made sure my grandchildren have had all the vaccines even paying for chicken pox one.

Suziewoozie have you had Covid or family who have. Think you would soon change your mind if you did.

Trouble is people have made it political and it's a health issue. The simple choice is do you your family want to have Covid. No vaccine for anything is 100% but I would rather have the vaccine and limit my chances of getting any disease .

suziewoozie Fri 26-Mar-21 08:51:02

Whiff

Problem is how do we know who had the vaccine or not. So how do you avoid those who haven't had it.

I'm 62 when I was young whopping cough, measles, TB, polio etc where is about so we had the vaccines against them. Meningitis was a killer . We have vaccines against them. But like all vaccines they didn't know the long term effects of them. But we had them as children and made sure my children had every vaccine going. My children have made sure my grandchildren have had all the vaccines even paying for chicken pox one.

Suziewoozie have you had Covid or family who have. Think you would soon change your mind if you did.

Trouble is people have made it political and it's a health issue. The simple choice is do you your family want to have Covid. No vaccine for anything is 100% but I would rather have the vaccine and limit my chances of getting any disease .

Change my mind about what? Again I think you’re missing the point. And I don’t base my decisions about what’s right or wrong in terms of personal experiences alone. The world is far bigger and more complex than the little bit I inhabit.

Grannynannywanny Fri 26-Mar-21 08:51:14

I have spent the past year visiting a loved one in a care home by standing outside in all weathers trying to communicate through the window. Heartbreaking and gut wrenching in equal measure. But, it was necessary to keep everyone safe.

Despite the govt saying indoor meaningful weekly visits should now be permitted for designated visitors, the care home companies have the final word on how this is managed.

I have a covid test on arrival, wait 30 min for result then I am dressed in full PPE before visit proceeds. But unlike the emotional reunions seen on tv news we are not allowed any physical contact and have to sit 2m apart and a carer supervises the visit.

I can only hope all the staff are vaccinated but some may not be. Care staff are in close contact with residents for 12 hour shifts. Surely they pose more of a risk to residents than vaccinated relatives who are sitting 2m away for 30 mins wearing PPE?

Lovetopaint037 Fri 26-Mar-21 08:52:23

AsMichael Ball said the other day you have a right to refuse vaccination so long as owners of businesses, etc have the right to ask it of customers and employees.

Galaxy Fri 26-Mar-21 08:56:04

Who is Michael Ball?

JaneJudge Fri 26-Mar-21 08:56:27

the chap who likes dressing up as a woman

Galaxy Fri 26-Mar-21 08:59:49

I am even more lost nowgrin. If it's the singer then we cant be taking his guidance on ethical and moral dilemmas for society.

JaneJudge Fri 26-Mar-21 09:01:30

We have a Prime Minister who in his spare time likes painting boxes to they look like buses - so maybe this levels things out?

JaneJudge Fri 26-Mar-21 09:03:35

I can't stop laughing blush can you imagine turning up at the vaccine centre and Michael Ball was one of the volunteers dressed as Edna Turnblad and over on the right we have Jason Donovan as Frank n Furter

suziewoozie Fri 26-Mar-21 09:03:44

Galaxy

I am even more lost nowgrin. If it's the singer then we cant be taking his guidance on ethical and moral dilemmas for society.

There’s even a debate about how much of a singer he is anyway ?

MerylStreep Fri 26-Mar-21 09:11:28

I don’t know if Michael Ball likes dressing as woman
The only time I’ve seen him dressed as such is when he’s performing in a musical.
I think you maybe getting confused with Grayson Perry.

lemsip Fri 26-Mar-21 09:13:20

Janejudge.
(the chap who likes dressing up as a woman)

Michael Ball has been the star of many west end musicals, one being when dressed as a comedic women in Hairspray.

before casting aspersions on Michael Ball. He is also popular singing with Alfie Boe. cheap laughs are what they are, Cheap.

Mollygo Fri 26-Mar-21 09:13:46

JaneJudge

the chap who likes dressing up as a woman

Have I missed something? I know he played a woman in Hairspray- disguised so well that we thought he’d not appeared. I didn’t know he did it in a more regular basis.

JaneJudge Fri 26-Mar-21 09:14:29

"Michael is extremely flattered that his disguise is so good. He does make an extremely impressive woman." ... The show's manager Rebecca Quigley said: "Michael says that he thinks that all men want to dress up as a woman once in their lives. He says that this is his moment at last – and he's loving it.20 Oct 2007

Galaxy Fri 26-Mar-21 09:15:31

Although to be honest I dont know why I am worrying if Johnson is seen as qualified to make ethical decisions all bets are off.

JaneJudge Fri 26-Mar-21 09:16:15

Michael Ball, I apologise

Galaxy Fri 26-Mar-21 09:19:39

It's not cheap to poke fun at the concept that celebrities are in any way qualified to give guidance on societal issues. They are as entitled to their view as if everyone but poking fun at them (not the poster) is the sogn of a healthy society in my view.

Galaxy Fri 26-Mar-21 09:20:37

Everyone has free rein to poke fun at my typing this morning.

Whiff Fri 26-Mar-21 09:36:27

Suziewoozie your bit of the world must be perfect and therefore you have plenty of time to worry about the bigger picture.

Unfortunately mine is not. I worry about the people I love and care about. And will do everything in my power to protect them.

foxie48 Fri 26-Mar-21 09:44:19

I almost stopped reading this thread part through, so glad I didn't as the last few posts have made me smile. Thank you for that.
With regard to vaccinations, I would be happy for individual care homes, hairdressers, dentists etc, in fact any business where I come into close contact with staff, to decide on a covid vaccination policy. I can then make a choice about whether I want to use their services or not. Chois=ce cuts both ways IMO. I think the NHS will bring in mandatory vaccs at some point and there is certainly internal pressure for staff to have the vaccs.

GrannyGravy13 Fri 26-Mar-21 10:00:34

We saw Michael Ball in Hairspray, he was funny and good.

Have also seen him in Les Miserables and Phantom of The Opera, he can definitely sing, nothing cheap about him in my opinion.