Doses for any of the four COVID-19 vaccines currently in circulation are coveted worldwide. Receiving a blow to the arm is a reason to celebrate – it is the most effective way humanity has to avoid the pandemic that killed 525,000 Americans in one year.
Of course, people publish their vaccinations with happy selfies, passing on their triumphs to friends, family and the general public. But with vaccine selfies, the question arises: How did you qualify for the shot?
Even with the envy in the case of a vaccine that is largely unfolding, this is not a question you should ask. Requirements for receiving a vaccine in the United States are well known at this time: To receive a stroke in your state, you must either meet a certain age requirement or live with at least one of a number of comorbidities. Not everyone wants to reveal whether or not they have a disease that qualifies them for a vaccine. And he shouldn’t do that.
Not everyone wants to make their illness public
Someone you know may not have demonstrable signs of illness, yet they may have faced an illness their entire life. Revealing a harsh diagnosis, such as cancer it is difficult enough when it is limited to friends and family. When someone has to explain to an acquaintance that they have been ill for a long time, it can put an unwarranted emotional burden on the person receiving a vaccination.
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Prior to COVID-19, people with chronic diseases already anticipated stigma and were ostracized in a wider society. A A 2011 study by Yale researchers and published by the National Institutes of Health investigated the relationship between societal stigma and chronic disease.
Researchers have noted how chronic diseases can enter the lives of those affected, often in ways beyond their control.
People diagnosed with chronic diseases report experiencing social rejection, termination of employment and poor health care due to their chronic illness. Importantly, people living with chronic diseases may come to anticipate stigma. The anticipated stigma is the belief that prejudice, discrimination and stereotypes will be directed at oneself from others in the future.
The person who received a vaccine may not be enthusiastic about revealing how they qualified, for fear of being thought differently or perceived as poor.
There is also the issue of body mass index and stigma of obesity. People with a BMI over the age of 30 qualify for vaccines. It is a qualification that does not everyone who qualifies by BMI he is enthusiastic and is certainly in the right of anyone to keep this information private.
You’re interested if you ask
If someone is not in your close family or is not a close friend, their health is not really your business. Moreover, you risk making them feel guilty. Although each dose is undeniably essential, it remains true that people who receive doses may feel that they have qualified by luck and that there is someone else out there who needs it most.
It is possible to alienate someone who is already experiencing the complicated feelings that come with administering a vaccine. There are only a finite number of doses, although the United States is expected to have enough to vaccinate anyone who wants to be shot by May. Given the slow and difficult process of distributing vaccines, it is possible for someone who receives a shot to suffer a case of vaccine guilt, even if they have a comorbidity that legitimately qualifies them for a shot while reserves are limited. .
The idea is: Only ask if you are already in a relationship with the person in which you can both express sincerity and vulnerability with each other. If you are not in these conditions, congratulate her only for receiving the vaccination. Not all diseases are visible. Someone you know may have diabetes or an autoimmune disorder that will allow them to qualify. And if they don’t want you to know about their health, it’s their right not to tell you.