A number of people are planning to skip getting either of the two vaccines currently available. For some, it’s a matter of medical prudence; they have health conditions that preclude them: allergies, compromised immune systems, etc.
This request is not for them.
This request is for the people who, for assorted reasons, could be vaccinated but refuse to do so.
Disclaimer: I am not a physician; my advice is free — it may be worth exactly that. Consider my suggestions with all due care and make up your own mind.
1) Call your doctor and tell them you have no plans to get vaccinated at the current time, and will contact them only if you change your mind. (You may also want to notify family, friends, and co-workers so they can adjust their plans around you.)
This will serve several important purposes. Vaccine supplies are limited; if physicians know some of their patients will refuse to be vaccinated, they can allocate their supplies accordingly, and move patients up the wait list who do wish the vaccination.
It also means they will be better prepared to provide healthcare to you and your family if they are aware of your status ahead of time.
But here’s the real test of your principles. If you truly believe the virus is a liberal hoax, if you truly think it’s no worse than the flu, If you think the vaccine is a scam by the government to take away your freedom, if you just want to ‘own the libs’, if you refuse to live your life in fear — take the next step.
2) Tell your doctor you also wish to decline ICU care should you become sick from the virus.
ICU care may become limited in the weeks ahead. (It already is in some areas.)
While doctors cannot ethically refuse treatment to anyone save when triage becomes necessary, if they have to make those decisions it will save time and resources if patients have already sorted themselves. It will also simplify matters for family members who might have to make those decisions for you.
What is freedom, after all, without freedom to experience the consequences?
There are any number of reasons people are refusing to get vaccinated. I’ll skip over the more CT excuses to address a few of them.
• I don’t have any risk factors; I’m young and in good health. At worst I expect a few days with the sniffles.
The problem with this rosy scenario is, it is up to the virus how sick you will get. While some people are more at risk, people in otherwise good health have been infected and died, or have been left with longterm health problems. Do you feel lucky?
Even if you are one of the lucky few who become infected, but experience no symptoms, you are still a danger to others because you can be spreading the virus to them. Vaccination breaks that chain.
• I am worried about the long-term effects of the vaccines. What if something happens 10 years down the road from having gotten the vaccination?
That’s a question that can only be answered 10 years down the road, but consider several points. One is that you might not be there in 10 years if you skip the vaccines. Second is that every effort has been made to test the vaccines for safety. Third is that the possible unknown long-term effects of the vaccines should be weighed against the far greater known risk of long term effects from the virus.
• I want to wait a while, to see how others make out with the vaccine.
That’s not entirely unreasonable. However, how long is long enough? The longer people delay getting vaccinated, the longer it is going to take to break the pandemic by stopping the spread of the virus. At some point delay can become fatal. It will certainly add to the casualties.
Also consider this. Many of the people who were loudest in downplaying the dangers of the virus and were calling it a hoax have rushed to be first in line for a vaccination. You might ask if their previous convictions were based on facts, or something else. What do they know that they’re not telling you?
• I don’t want to get the vaccine because I don’t know what’s in it.
What exactly do you think is in it? What do you imagine might be in it?
This is a trust issue that can’t easily be addressed by reciting facts. Who do you trust to give you the assurance you need? Random posts on the internet? Youtube videos? Podcasts?
If you don’t trust the doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers begging people to do the right thing, if you don’t trust the scientists, if you don’t trust the people who are setting an example by getting vaccinated, you may have problems that a vaccine can’t address.
• Why should I get a vaccine when [fill in the blank] % of the people who do catch the virus survive?
Well for one thing, it’s not just about you. It’s about all the people around you, including the ones who can't get vaccinated. Until enough people have an immune response that can keep them from getting infected and passing the virus on, it will continue to spread. We already have over 300,000 dead in America for lack of a vaccine until now. That number will keep growing if too many people won’t get vaccinated.
For another thing, surviving the virus is a roll of the dice. Some people recover with no lasting effects — but a number are seeing things like lung damage, heart damage, kidney failure, neurological effects. We’re still finding out all of the ways Covid-19 attacks the body. The story of Crede Bailey is just one example.
One more thing: it would be a terrible thing to survive the virus, but have to deal with those you passed it on to who didn’t.
• Why do I need to get a vaccination anyway? I am willing to take the risks.
Well, aside from all of the reasons above, depending on the public health measures that need to be taken as the pandemic progresses, you may be barred from flying or other travel without proof of vaccination. You may not be allowed to got to work. It will be that much longer before it will be safe to go to church or any other activity where people gather. It will be that much longer before you can go clubbing.
So, what’s it going to be?
UPDATE: TRPChicago asked a question. The answers may be of interest to everyone.