Doses of any of the four COVID-19 vaccines currently in circulation are coveted worldwide. Receiving a shot in the arm is cause for celebration: it is the most effective means humanity has to prevent the pandemic that killed 525,000 Americans over the course of a year.
It is understandable that people make their shots known with cheerful selfies, passing on their triumphs to friends, family and the general public. But with vaccinated selfies comes the question: How did you qualify to receive your shot?
Even with the envy of vaccines, this is not a question to be asked. The requirements to receive a vaccine in the United States they are well known at this time: To receive a shot in your state, you must meet a certain age requirement or live with at least one of the different comorbidities. Not everyone wants to reveal whether or not they have a disease that allows them to get a vaccine. And they shouldn’t.
Not everyone wants their illness to be public
Someone you know may not have demonstrable signs of illness, even though they may have been treating an illness for life. Spread a harsh diagnosis like cancer it’s hard enough when limited to friends and family. When someone has to tell an acquaintance who has been ill for some time, it can be an undue emotional burden on the person receiving the vaccine.
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Prior to COVID-19, people with chronic illnesses already foresaw stigma and ostracism in a wider society. A 2011 study by Yale researchers and published by the National Institutes of Health, investigated the relationship between social stigma and chronic disease.
The researchers noted how chronic diseases can permeate the lives of those affected, often in a way beyond their control.
People diagnosed with chronic illnesses report that they have rejected social rejection, interruption of work, and poor medical care due to their chronic illness. It is important to note that people living with chronic diseases may come to anticipate stigma. The anticipated stigma is the belief that prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes are directed toward the self of others in the future.
The person who received a vaccine may not be enthusiastic about disclosing how he or she was qualified, for fear that he or she may not be thought of differently or perceived as weak.
There is also the issue of body mass index and stigma of obesity. People with a BMI over the age of 30 meet the requirements for the vaccine. It’s a rating that doesn’t everyone who qualifies through BMI it is enthusiastic and certainly within the rights of anyone to keep this information private.
You are indiscreet if you ask
If someone is not from your family or close friend, your health is not really your business. In addition, you run the risk of making them feel guilty. While all doses are undeniably essential, it remains true that people who receive doses may feel qualified for luck and that there is someone else who needs more.
It is possible to alienate someone who is already facing the complicated sensations of taking a vaccine. There are only a finite number of doses, though the United States is expected to have enough to vaccinate anyone who wants to get a shot before May. Given the slow and heavy process of vaccine distribution, it is possible that someone who gets a shot may suffer a case of vaccine fault, even if they have a comorbidity that legitimately qualifies them for a puncture while supplies they are limited.
The point is, don’t ask unless you’re already in condition with the person, where they can both express sincerity and vulnerability. If you are not in these conditions, congratulate the person for receiving the vaccine. Not all diseases are visible. Someone you know may have diabetes or an autoimmune disorder that allows you to qualify. And if they don’t want you to know their health, they have a right not to tell you.