The Student Room Group

I’m too scared to get vaccinated.

Please don’t attack me over this. I’m 18, I rarely leave the house (which is a problem in itself) and I go to University next month. The reason I’m reluctant to be vaccinated is because I’ve encountered articles about infertility, blood clots and other issues becoming side effects. And, as ridiculous as this sounds, my family have seemed strange ever since, demanding that I get it and marginalising me, while they care little for my other relatives, such as my uncle, who support my view. I’ll admit that I’m ignorant regarding this topic and I don’t trust the government, so I’d rather risk my life than be indoctrinated, which is so selfish.
Please submit honest advice and empathise with the fact that my awareness on this is limited. Thank you.

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honestly I was terrified to get it too, with all the health scares. but I had it because I just didn’t think it was worth the risk if possibly not being allowed on placement and on campus. it was honestly fine, it barely hurt and I’ve had no side affects.
I think a lot of the possible risks are very small and there’s been a lot of scaremongering going on.
I don’t really trust the government either, but I’d hardly call it indoctrination. why would the nhs give out millions of harmful vaccines for free? knowing it would cause health issues they’d have to resolve?
Reply 2
Original post by lucyyy12
honestly I was terrified to get it too, with all the health scares. but I had it because I just didn’t think it was worth the risk if possibly not being allowed on placement and on campus. it was honestly fine, it barely hurt and I’ve had no side affects.
I think a lot of the possible risks are very small and there’s been a lot of scaremongering going on.
I don’t really trust the government either, but I’d hardly call it indoctrination. why would the nhs give out millions of harmful vaccines for free? knowing it would cause health issues they’d have to resolve?


Yes, I’m sorry, that was a bad word choice. Thank you so much for the reassurance. I guess I need to ‘get over it’ and realise that, for a short-term panic, the long-term benefits will be worth it. I’m glad it all went safely for you!
Original post by Anonymous
Please don’t attack me over this. I’m 18, I rarely leave the house (which is a problem in itself) and I go to University next month. The reason I’m reluctant to be vaccinated is because I’ve encountered articles about infertility, blood clots and other issues becoming side effects. And, as ridiculous as this sounds, my family have seemed strange ever since, demanding that I get it and marginalising me, while they care little for my other relatives, such as my uncle, who support my view. I’ll admit that I’m ignorant regarding this topic and I don’t trust the government, so I’d rather risk my life than be indoctrinated, which is so selfish.
Please submit honest advice and empathise with the fact that my awareness on this is limited. Thank you.


Hey listen I totally understand your views I get it. I'm definitely not one to judge. Me personally I needed it as I suffer from asthma and need the flu jab every year but tbh everyone is different. I don't see any end to restrictions if people don't get vaccinated but I completely understand. You are young you have antibodies to this virus so you should be ok. I hope you have a good time at university and you will meet many people who are in the same boat as yourself. But just don't worry about it. Which university are you going to?
Original post by Anonymous
Please don’t attack me over this. I’m 18, I rarely leave the house (which is a problem in itself) and I go to University next month. The reason I’m reluctant to be vaccinated is because I’ve encountered articles about infertility, blood clots and other issues becoming side effects. And, as ridiculous as this sounds, my family have seemed strange ever since, demanding that I get it and marginalising me, while they care little for my other relatives, such as my uncle, who support my view. I’ll admit that I’m ignorant regarding this topic and I don’t trust the government, so I’d rather risk my life than be indoctrinated, which is so selfish.
Please submit honest advice and empathise with the fact that my awareness on this is limited. Thank you.

I have a lot of sympathy with you here, and I imagine a lot of others will too. Nowadays it is extremely difficult to separate fact and fiction from online sources, and to weigh up the relative weight of contrary points that you're being told or are reading about. The reaction of your family clearly isn't helpful. Unfortunately a lot of people who support vaccination and/or are willing to get vaccinated (which is the vast majority of people) are often unable to tell the difference between someone who is anti-vaccination, someone who has legitimate questions surrounding the vaccine, and someone who is caught in the middle, doesn't really know what to think and, as you've said yourself, is scared of what the vaccine is or what taking it may entail. You fall into the latter category but your family seem to be reacting as if you're in the first, which is a common issue.

First of all, we need to deal with the concerns that have no evidential basis at all. There are quite a lot of these and most amount to conspiracy theories. On your journey through some of the wilder corners of the internet you may have read about theories about vaccines being used to control a population by way of implanting tracking or similar devices, or even to cull parts of a population. All of that is nonsense that you can probably recognise, but there are other concerns that you also absolutely do not need to worry about. Fertility is one of those. There is absolutely no evidence that the vaccines affect fertility in any way. It is a myth. The NHS website confirms that (click here) and there are also articles explaining where the myth originated from (such as this one). So you do not need to be worried about fertility at all.

The blood clot issue is different, because that is an actual risk, but one that you need to put into context. There have been cases of blood clots associated with Covid-19 vaccines. However, there are two points to note. The first is that that risk is extremely small. To give context, the risk of a woman developing a blood clot from taking the contraceptive pill is about 100 times higher than someone developing a blood clot from the Covid-19 vaccine (as confirmed in the British Medical Journal here). Generally speaking women don't refuse to take the pill due to risk of blood clots, and broadly speaking the risk is therefore not high enough as a matter of logic to warrant not taking the vaccine.

The second point is that you actually have much more of a chance of developing a blood clot as a result of catching Covid-19 than you do from taking the vaccine (figures vary, but the risk seems to be around 8 to 10 times higher). Still a small chance in the grand scheme of things, but then the more overarching point is that there is a wide range of potential longer term symptoms as a result of catching Covid-19, even if the initial symptoms are not significant. Long Covid is certainly a thing but not fully understood. There is, however, clear anecdotal evidence of a lot of people suffering from longer term effects after catching Covid-19. Those risks, on any reading, seem to be much higher than the very, very small risk of adverse effects from the vaccine.

As a final point, I understand not trusting the government. But there is a difference between not trusting the government to make competent decisions, and not trusting them because you think there's some ulterior motive to them wanting everyone to be vaccinated. The former is a legitimate concern, but one that in this case can be allayed by the actions of other governments and the extensive independent research on Covid-19 vaccines. The latter is a conspiracy theory.

Ultimately it is entirely your decision as to whether or not you do decide to get the vaccine. My own view is that people should for two main reasons. The first is that, at this stage at least, the risks associated with catching Covid-19 (looking primarily at long Covid at this stage) seem to be much higher than those associated with the vaccine. The second is social responsibility, that is to say that irrespective of my own risk of adverse effects if I catch Covid-19, a large proportion of the population need to take the vaccine in order to reduce the risk to the smaller and more vulnerable proportion of the population, and ultimately to bring the country out of the pandemic. But that is just my view. Even if it is the majority view, it's still down to you to make your own choice.
Reply 5
The side effects have been blown out of proportion.

You're in more danger getting to the vaccination centre than you are from getting the vaccination.
Reply 6
Original post by Crazy Jamie
I have a lot of sympathy with you here, and I imagine a lot of others will too. Nowadays it is extremely difficult to separate fact and fiction from online sources, and to weigh up the relative weight of contrary points that you're being told or are reading about. The reaction of your family clearly isn't helpful. Unfortunately a lot of people who support vaccination and/or are willing to get vaccinated (which is the vast majority of people) are often unable to tell the difference between someone who is anti-vaccination, someone who has legitimate questions surrounding the vaccine, and someone who is caught in the middle, doesn't really know what to think and, as you've said yourself, is scared of what the vaccine is or what taking it may entail. You fall into the latter category but your family seem to be reacting as if you're in the first, which is a common issue.

First of all, we need to deal with the concerns that have no evidential basis at all. There are quite a lot of these and most amount to conspiracy theories. On your journey through some of the wilder corners of the internet you may have read about theories about vaccines being used to control a population by way of implanting tracking or similar devices, or even to cull parts of a population. All of that is nonsense that you can probably recognise, but there are other concerns that you also absolutely do not need to worry about. Fertility is one of those. There is absolutely no evidence that the vaccines affect fertility in any way. It is a myth. The NHS website confirms that (click here) and there are also articles explaining where the myth originated from (such as this one). So you do not need to be worried about fertility at all.

The blood clot issue is different, because that is an actual risk, but one that you need to put into context. There have been cases of blood clots associated with Covid-19 vaccines. However, there are two points to note. The first is that that risk is extremely small. To give context, the risk of a woman developing a blood clot from taking the contraceptive pill is about 100 times higher than someone developing a blood clot from the Covid-19 vaccine (as confirmed in the British Medical Journal here). Generally speaking women don't refuse to take the pill due to risk of blood clots, and broadly speaking the risk is therefore not high enough as a matter of logic to warrant not taking the vaccine.

The second point is that you actually have much more of a chance of developing a blood clot as a result of catching Covid-19 than you do from taking the vaccine (figures vary, but the risk seems to be around 8 to 10 times higher). Still a small chance in the grand scheme of things, but then the more overarching point is that there is a wide range of potential longer term symptoms as a result of catching Covid-19, even if the initial symptoms are not significant. Long Covid is certainly a thing but not fully understood. There is, however, clear anecdotal evidence of a lot of people suffering from longer term effects after catching Covid-19. Those risks, on any reading, seem to be much higher than the very, very small risk of adverse effects from the vaccine.

As a final point, I understand not trusting the government. But there is a difference between not trusting the government to make competent decisions, and not trusting them because you think there's some ulterior motive to them wanting everyone to be vaccinated. The former is a legitimate concern, but one that in this case can be allayed by the actions of other governments and the extensive independent research on Covid-19 vaccines. The latter is a conspiracy theory.

Ultimately it is entirely your decision as to whether or not you do decide to get the vaccine. My own view is that people should for two main reasons. The first is that, at this stage at least, the risks associated with catching Covid-19 (looking primarily at long Covid at this stage) seem to be much higher than those associated with the vaccine. The second is social responsibility, that is to say that irrespective of my own risk of adverse effects if I catch Covid-19, a large proportion of the population need to take the vaccine in order to reduce the risk to the smaller and more vulnerable proportion of the population, and ultimately to bring the country out of the pandemic. But that is just my view. Even if it is the majority view, it's still down to you to make your own choice.


Thank you enormously. This was hugely informative and the figures are actually quite shocking. I’ll take everything you’ve said into account and reconsider my choices.
Original post by Anonymous
Please don’t attack me over this. I’m 18, I rarely leave the house (which is a problem in itself) and I go to University next month. The reason I’m reluctant to be vaccinated is because I’ve encountered articles about infertility, blood clots and other issues becoming side effects. And, as ridiculous as this sounds, my family have seemed strange ever since, demanding that I get it and marginalising me, while they care little for my other relatives, such as my uncle, who support my view. I’ll admit that I’m ignorant regarding this topic and I don’t trust the government, so I’d rather risk my life than be indoctrinated, which is so selfish.
Please submit honest advice and empathise with the fact that my awareness on this is limited. Thank you.


I was nervous having the vaccine as well. It only aches for a day or two and i haven't noticed any side effects so far. I wouldn't worry about all of the articles about it. There's always going to be side effects to a vaccine. It's best to get it to protect yourself and others.
I too!!!
Original post by Crazy Jamie
I have a lot of sympathy with you here, and I imagine a lot of others will too. Nowadays it is extremely difficult to separate fact and fiction from online sources, and to weigh up the relative weight of contrary points that you're being told or are reading about. The reaction of your family clearly isn't helpful. Unfortunately a lot of people who support vaccination and/or are willing to get vaccinated (which is the vast majority of people) are often unable to tell the difference between someone who is anti-vaccination, someone who has legitimate questions surrounding the vaccine, and someone who is caught in the middle, doesn't really know what to think and, as you've said yourself, is scared of what the vaccine is or what taking it may entail. You fall into the latter category but your family seem to be reacting as if you're in the first, which is a common issue.

First of all, we need to deal with the concerns that have no evidential basis at all. There are quite a lot of these and most amount to conspiracy theories. On your journey through some of the wilder corners of the internet you may have read about theories about vaccines being used to control a population by way of implanting tracking or similar devices, or even to cull parts of a population. All of that is nonsense that you can probably recognise, but there are other concerns that you also absolutely do not need to worry about. Fertility is one of those. There is absolutely no evidence that the vaccines affect fertility in any way. It is a myth. The NHS website confirms that (click here) and there are also articles explaining where the myth originated from (such as this one). So you do not need to be worried about fertility at all.

The blood clot issue is different, because that is an actual risk, but one that you need to put into context. There have been cases of blood clots associated with Covid-19 vaccines. However, there are two points to note. The first is that that risk is extremely small. To give context, the risk of a woman developing a blood clot from taking the contraceptive pill is about 100 times higher than someone developing a blood clot from the Covid-19 vaccine (as confirmed in the British Medical Journal here). Generally speaking women don't refuse to take the pill due to risk of blood clots, and broadly speaking the risk is therefore not high enough as a matter of logic to warrant not taking the vaccine.

The second point is that you actually have much more of a chance of developing a blood clot as a result of catching Covid-19 than you do from taking the vaccine (figures vary, but the risk seems to be around 8 to 10 times higher). Still a small chance in the grand scheme of things, but then the more overarching point is that there is a wide range of potential longer term symptoms as a result of catching Covid-19, even if the initial symptoms are not significant. Long Covid is certainly a thing but not fully understood. There is, however, clear anecdotal evidence of a lot of people suffering from longer term effects after catching Covid-19. Those risks, on any reading, seem to be much higher than the very, very small risk of adverse effects from the vaccine.

As a final point, I understand not trusting the government. But there is a difference between not trusting the government to make competent decisions, and not trusting them because you think there's some ulterior motive to them wanting everyone to be vaccinated. The former is a legitimate concern, but one that in this case can be allayed by the actions of other governments and the extensive independent research on Covid-19 vaccines. The latter is a conspiracy theory.

Ultimately it is entirely your decision as to whether or not you do decide to get the vaccine. My own view is that people should for two main reasons. The first is that, at this stage at least, the risks associated with catching Covid-19 (looking primarily at long Covid at this stage) seem to be much higher than those associated with the vaccine. The second is social responsibility, that is to say that irrespective of my own risk of adverse effects if I catch Covid-19, a large proportion of the population need to take the vaccine in order to reduce the risk to the smaller and more vulnerable proportion of the population, and ultimately to bring the country out of the pandemic. But that is just my view. Even if it is the majority view, it's still down to you to make your own choice.

An extraordinarily good post.
Hello!
That's totally reasonable, I myself really dislike needles. But you really have to think about whether the consequences of not getting vaccinated are better than maybe getting a side effect of a vaccine. and although you may not leave the house you still go shopping or to get a bus and if you're not vaccinated every time you leave the house even (to get the pos)t you are endangering other people.

Also, you shouldn't look anywhere else but actually NHS articles about vaccines (as actual specialists have written them). Because all the other articles are probably written by anti-vax people. I'm 16 and took the covid vaccine last month and I am fine, no side effects. Also, it is practically impossible to be infertile after the vaccine. I've read articles about people saying that the covid vaccine alters your DNA which is total bs (all you need is to take 2 years studying GCSE biology to know that this is impossible). You have to remember that you can't believe everything you see on the internet. There's a reason why doctors tell you to not search your symptoms in google c:

I'm also not a fan of the government as well, but these vaccines are used in every country and they are all the same. Over 2 billion people have been vaccinated worldwide showing that it is safe. And no vaccine stays in your body forever anyway.

So, in my opinion, everyone should get vaccinated even if you don't believe in covid or other communal diseases, because it saves other people lives.
Original post by Crazy Jamie
Ultimately it is entirely your decision as to whether or not you do decide to get the vaccine. it's still down to you to make your own choice.

In a way, I wish I could say that about myself.
But in practice, it does not appear that way.
I am / was being 'pushed' to do it by my family, plus the circumstances of potentially having to travel to another country, to prepare to live there with family - and show the authorities proof of my full vaccination. Before my first vaccine, I sort of accepted to my family that I would do it for their sake.
Resulting from one or the other of those factors (or both), I have had my first vaccination. I have my second one scheduled for Wednesday.
If I was acting out of my own wishes ONLY, I wouldn't have either the first or the following injection.
A 38 years old white male here.
I was in the exact same position as you, contemplating wether or not to get the vaccine, but now I’ve got it I’m so glad I did. It’s strange, it’s like the decision felt way bigger than the actual action. Like I turned up at the centre, loads of other teenagers there, had a little poke in the arm, and that’s it. Like it felt really underwhelming after all my worrying! And there was this huge sense of relief that I didn’t expect to have, at feeling safer now. I too was worried about the side effects, but after reading up on them, most of them are actually far more likely to occur if you catch Covid than if you get the vaccine. Another thing that contributed towards making me decide to get it was seeing loads of stuff on the news about countries like Kenya running low on vaccines and other countries having to intervene. Like we’re so privileged to be offered something, for free, that has been proven to reduce hospitalisations and deaths, trust our developed country to complain or make criticism on it. Ultimately it’s your decision, so good luck with whatever you do!
Original post by Anonymous
In a way, I wish I could say that about myself.
But in practice, it does not appear that way.
I am / was being 'pushed' to do it by my family, plus the circumstances of potentially having to travel to another country, to prepare to live there with family - and show the authorities proof of my full vaccination. Before my first vaccine, I sort of accepted to my family that I would do it for their sake.
Resulting from one or the other of those factors (or both), I have had my first vaccination. I have my second one scheduled for Wednesday.
If I was acting out of my own wishes ONLY, I wouldn't have either the first or the following injection.
A 38 years old white male here.

Decisions are not made in a vacuum though. I don't know when you say you're being 'pushed' to do it whether that is your family simply encouraging you and making it clear that they would prefer you to be vaccinated, or whether it is something more overt and inappropriate, but there are a wide range of potential relevant considerations that can go into this decision. Views of family, particularly those that you live with or see regularly, may well be relevant. Getting it because you need it to travel to or live in another country is also a relevant consideration. I have heard anecdotally of people who have said that they wouldn't ordinarily be bothered about getting it either way, but will do if it means they have to in order to get into nightclubs come September. In that way 'your choice' does and should take into account your personal circumstances and external factors, whatever they may be. It's entirely normal for people to do things that they wouldn't do if it was solely down to them, but they do them because of the view of another person, the impact it would have on another person, or for another reason altogether. Compromise is very much a part of day to day life.
you are more likely to get blood clots and side effects from going on the pill
Original post by Crazy Jamie
Decisions are not made in a vacuum though. I don't know when you say you're being 'pushed' to do it whether that is your family simply encouraging you and making it clear that they would prefer you to be vaccinated, or whether it is something more overt and inappropriate, but there are a wide range of potential relevant considerations that can go into this decision. Views of family, particularly those that you live with or see regularly, may well be relevant. Getting it because you need it to travel to or live in another country is also a relevant consideration. I have heard anecdotally of people who have said that they wouldn't ordinarily be bothered about getting it either way, but will do if it means they have to in order to get into nightclubs come September. In that way 'your choice' does and should take into account your personal circumstances and external factors, whatever they may be. It's entirely normal for people to do things that they wouldn't do if it was solely down to them, but they do them because of the view of another person, the impact it would have on another person, or for another reason altogether. Compromise is very much a part of day to day life.

Thank you for this.
I understand what you're saying, but this is, arguably NOT an ideal situation, is it ? Doing something - especially to your own body - based not (or not entirely) on your own wishes, but rather because other people, or circumstances, are influencing you. That is a bit like ... you're bending your own free will. Flipping the situation around ... if I told someone who wanted to get vaccinated, NOT to get vaccinated, they would not be really pleased with that situation, surely ?
I do not even want to go to live to the country in question (no offence to the people of that country). And, in order to enter that country, I potentially should go through the procedure that is quite intolerable for me, physically. And causes me quite a stress ... before or afterwards.
If I was required by a nightclub (for example) - as this is what you mention - to have been fully vaccinated in order to attend it .... then, even IF I was already FULLY vaccinated, I almost certainly would NOT go in there anyway - despite legitimately meeting the requirement. That is because I would be acting from principle. You will not admit me without my vaccinations - I will not enter your premises WITH or without having been fully vaccinated, regardless. So you won't be bothered by my presence.
My family are both vaccinated anyway.
In that case, maybe I am not an individual ideally suited to COMPROMISE. That is how it is.
No, my family were not really simply encouraging me. They were, you could say ... but not just to that extent. On one occasion, before I booked my first vaccine in May, my stepdad actually told me, jokingly, or half jokingly, or entirely seriously, something like ... ' we (him and my mum) have decided that you (must, should, or have to) do your vaccination ' .
And that was said to a male who had recently turned 38 ! And therefore, quite capable of taking decisions on his own.
It is like me saying to my family, mum and her husband, before THEIR vaccinations : ' You know, I have decided that you should NOT get vaccinated' . ' I have decided for you. '. I DID suggest to them, on an occasion, that maybe they, or we, should not do it - however that was not in the form of ' I have taken the decision on your behalf ' . Even as a half joke.
We then (in May) had, sort of, a heated argument at supper - over my OWN vaccination, after which I accepted that I would do it for them.
And despite my earlier suggestion that my family does not get vaccinated at all (possibly, I had in mind potential health implications or side effects) - my mother and stepdad eventually DID have their vaccines. They took a decision, and followed through with it.
So why do I have to, at my age, accept THEIR suggestions and get vaccinated (as I already partly did), over my own wishes ?
Original post by Anonymous
So why do I have to, at my age, accept THEIR suggestions and get vaccinated (as I already partly did), over my own wishes ?

You don't. You have free will and can do as you please.

However, if you do so on the balance of information available to you, you must accept that there might be some consequences with regards to restrictions on travel or employment. but you seem quite principled so that doesn't seem like much of a factor to you.
I think the most important thing above all is to take the step to do the educating that you admit you haven't done. Whenever you put anything in your body, it's vital that you are conscious of what it is and what it could do. :smile:

Of course you're slightly afraid - afraid of the unknown! Try to push yourself and really do your research. It's your body your choice, but you must be able to make your own judgement on why you think you shouldn't get the vaccine. Relying on other people's opinions does very little for your case :yep:
Original post by Anonymous
Please don’t attack me over this. I’m 18, I rarely leave the house (which is a problem in itself) and I go to University next month. The reason I’m reluctant to be vaccinated is because I’ve encountered articles about infertility, blood clots and other issues becoming side effects. And, as ridiculous as this sounds, my family have seemed strange ever since, demanding that I get it and marginalising me, while they care little for my other relatives, such as my uncle, who support my view. I’ll admit that I’m ignorant regarding this topic and I don’t trust the government, so I’d rather risk my life than be indoctrinated, which is so selfish.
Please submit honest advice and empathise with the fact that my awareness on this is limited. Thank you.

I completely get where you're coming from - there has been a lot of scaremonging from the media and individuals online who have very little knowledge of the topic, but honestly a lot of the issues like blood clots have been proven to have a very very small risk. Please note that you're not just risking your life, but the lives of so many people around you - not saying that to try and guilt-trip you into getting vaccinated, but it is true. I understand that government have ****ed up so much lately - I certainly don't have much trust in them either, but this is coming less from the government themselves and more from experienced healthcare and medicine individuals. I know hundreds of people who have had the vaccine by now and don't know of a single one of them who has experienced any complications from in.

I hope you're okay and good luck with uni! I would strongly urge you to get vaccinated, the benefits definitely outweigh the costs.
Original post by Admit-One
You don't. You have free will and can do as you please.

However, if you do so on the balance of information available to you, you must accept that there might be some consequences with regards to restrictions on travel or employment. but you seem quite principled so that doesn't seem like much of a factor to you.

Nice comment indeed.
Thank you very much for that.
'You don't. You have free will and can do as you please.'.
Not in my family though ! Joking ! Not without a 'fight' anyway. As follows from the description I have given.
I should probably act in a more 'principled' way within my family.

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