Vaccination. Have you opted out?

I had the first one but am not prepared to go through the symptoms of a stroke to have a second one.

But surely it is better than having covid and possibly dying? I have to say the first one I just felt a little off for a couple of days but the second knocked me completely off my feet and a fortnight later I am beginning to feel less worse.

I don’t know anyone here who hasn’t had it but my DD2, who is 46 and lives in Australia, is wary. There’s an element of feeling less concerned about Covid-19 because the no. of cases there is so much lower than here. She also maintains that the vaccines haven’t been tested fully. I’ve no wish to fall out with her but have gently pointed out that millions have been vaccinated without issue, including her younger siblings, aged parents and stepfather.

The vaccination rates are really high in most parts of the UK, I don’t actually know anybody who has refused to have it. My 24 year old son went with his age cohort yesterday for his first, and a very high percentage of young people had turned up too.
It seems that there are hotspots of low vaccination uptake, which may be due partly to factors other than refusal - an inability to get to a vaccination centre because of cost, transport or responsibilities seems to be one factor.
EllanVannin if your doctor advises you not to have the second vaccine you need to abide by that advice of course.

In the UK lowest rates of vaccination are in certain ethnic groups and in areas of poverty, but even in these groups rates are rising fast. I suspect that few in those social groups are on GN.

Like others, I do not know anyone who has not leapt at the chance to have it.

As others have said amongst friends and family I do not know of any vaccine refusers.

Everyone I know has either had the vaccine or cannot can’t wait to get it, except for one person who would rather stay at home until it’s eradicated ( the rest of us vaccinated as we don’t matter) and for the life of me I cannot understand it. It’s like putting yourself in prison. I cannot find out the reasoning behind this decision, except for You Tube and Bill Gates saying we are all being microchipped with something nasty with the vaccine, potty. It’s terribly selfish.

I had the Pfizer one. First jab I started to feel sick after 15 minutes which lasted 3 weeks. Had a very sore arm too. Second jab only a slight sore arm nothing else. Doesn’t seem to be inevitable to have worse symptoms for second jab.

I think the reason why quite a few Australians have opted out,apart from our low rate of infection, is because the news channels went on and on and on about blood clots and people being ill after vaccinations. Really irresponsible because if we got a lot of Covid here we just wouldn’t cope. The hospitals barely cope without it.

I had my second Pfizer jab during the third week of April. My arm was a little sore but I expected it to be. However, I now have a small bruise on the site of injection and it is extremely painful. I know I haven't bumped it so I'm puzzled as to why it's like this.

Midgey I have a sneaking suspicion that I had Covid at the beginning of last year which lasted months, up until last summer and I wouldn't wish it to happen again and because we've been told that Covid can cause strokes, the vaccination I had at the end of January felt like the last straw.

Having already suffered a TIA 3 years ago, the symptoms of prolonged dizziness were with me all of February.

If my INR levels had registered low at the time of vaccination then that wouldn't have been a good start, as a low reading is a sign of clotting and would have accounted for how I'd reacted.

Might I also point out that I had to attend the nurse every Thursday last month because my INR levels were skew-wiff.

am not prepared to go through the symptoms of a stroke to have a second one
Ellen V Sorry, I don't understand.!
You are on Warfarin, a blood thinner that was initially prescribed to reduce your chance of forming blood clots and therefore the chance of stroke and heart attack.
Wouldn't you think, therefore, that you still have the same reduced chances of developing clots regardless of Covid vaccines. or whatever?
OoRoo

I attend very often for my INR doing- sometimes its the following week, sometimes its a bit longer, like 3/4 wks, its because im on pills for epilepsy also- so its up& down like a fiddler's elbow!(once was there xmas eve,then back NYE, only 2 of us in clinic) But as clinic nurse pointed out, at least im already on blood thinners (will be for life) so if there was any clot risk, im protected already.made me feel less worried.She also told me to get INR reading done before i had jab, which i did, (i rang & they said come in, just 2days before jab!) so felt was more safe.

Various regulatory agencies oversaw the development of the vaccines to enable them to be released quickly.

There will always be a small number of people who have an adverse reaction to any vaccine. When my OH was a child he suffered a severe reaction to the polio jab in that he became paralysed. His father heard him groaning during the night and found him unable to move. He can't remember what happened next.

He has also had an adverse reaction to his first covid jab. 2 1/2 years ago he had shingles and still suffers from PHN. He has also had the shingles jab. Since the covid jab he developed a large red patch inside his elbow. When we went for the second vaccine he wasn't able to have his - he not only has shingles but also excema. Apparently the covid vaccines do play about with your immune system. Which must by why so many of us feel a bit rough afterwards.

My OH now has to decide whether to have the second jab. He probably will because he won't otherwise get the vaccination certificate which may be needed for travel to other countries. Mine is on our mobile.

As regards strokes - my understanding, having listened to various experts - is that the percentage of people having the jab is much smaller than the percentage of the total population who have strokes. Also those people could have been heading for a stroke anyway.

We had our first jab and received our cartes de sejour on the same day. We were over the moon!!!!!

Ive had very little by way of 'reactions' to both covid jabs- bit of headache day after, and arm was more sore after first, second sore only 2days, with just a twinge if i lift things heavy.But nothing bad enough to risk covid for! I think my oldest DD & family is a bit reluctant but no idea why- i always made sure my kids had all the vaccines growing up and if i can survive the jabs with all my medical problems, i dont see why it doesnt encourage them?

Whats this 'certificate' for having Both vaccines? We were just handed back our cardboard appt cards (which my youngest son, 18, then promptly lost in the wash!) So how do you prove you've had them??

Nannan2

Whats this 'certificate' for having Both vaccines? We were just handed back our cardboard appt cards (which my youngest son, 18, then promptly lost in the wash!) So how do you prove you've had them??

I don’t know about certificate, but I downloaded the NHS app today and my vaccine status was on it

We are going to be able to get an app on our phone from tomorrow showing we have had both vaccines.

Yes, OH and I had our 2nd. vaccines today and NHS app proved our status.
Why not just contact your /his GP where records will be stored and go from there.

The hospitals barely cope without it.
nanna8 Not quite true! I've had my share lately and they coped with me!
Have you had your vaccination or have you opted out?

I've neither opted in nor out because nobody has offered me one yet!
QoRoo.

We have now had both vaccines with no side affects at all. Our youngest daughter who is 29 had her first one yesterday, but several of her friends are opting out, because apparently there have been some fertility concerns.

No.

Opted out? I'd have fought to have the vaccine! But of course I didn't have to. Had my second Pfizer on April 1st so should be well protected by now. Both DSs and their partners have had their first ones and are to have the second in a few weeks. Also one grandson (16) whose GP sent for him on the grounds that he has a record of asthma.

Sara1954

We have now had both vaccines with no side affects at all. Our youngest daughter who is 29 had her first one yesterday, but several of her friends are opting out, because apparently there have been some fertility concerns.

Maybe your daughter could send this to her friends. The myth abut fertility is doing the rounds on SM and it is very damaging.

There is absolutely no evidence, and no theoretical reason, that any of the vaccines can affect the fertility of women or men,

www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n509