While some people are scrambling for a dose of the COVID vaccine, others are refusing to participate in the vaccination program.
Are you worried that a high-risk family member doesn’t want to get vaccinated? There are ways to help them come to terms with protecting themselves from COVID-19.
Hear Their Concerns about the COVID vaccine
Everybody has the right to decide what happens to their body, so nobody can force anyone to take the vaccine. Your best bet is to convince them to take it willingly.
You can’t reason with someone unless you know where they’re coming from. Don’t imply that their fears are foolish or unfounded in truth. Expressing the willingness to listen is the first step in overcoming their resistance.
Consider Your Approach Carefully
When you understand their concerns, you should take a pros and cons approach to the situation. All medical measures have risks associated with them but in most cases, the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
Explain to your loved ones how getting the vaccine will open doors for them, alleviate their anxieties about contracting COVID and help the nation get back to normality.
Ask For a Favour
You could also plead with your loved one to get the vaccination for your sake. Explain to elders how much their grandchildren would like to spend time with them again. Help the younger generation to understand that they need to have the vaccine for the sake of the elders in the family. Describe how guilty you (and they) would feel if they were to spread COVID to other members of the family who might suffer terribly from it and perhaps even not survive.
Ask Them to Do it For Others
Some people are postponing getting vaccinated in favour of others who need it more. Explain that the vaccination campaign is designed to build up the nation’s defences in stages. So, by getting vaccinated when it’s their turn, they are helping others.
Don’t let them tell you they’ve ‘had their life’. Younger people have a much greater chance of building up their immunity by contracting the disease and surviving. They don’t need it as much as at-risk populations, like the elderly.
Everyone Must Play Their Part
Fear is a powerful motivator, so you’ll need to stick to your guns if you want to convince someone to take the vaccine. Don’t give up, and the moment they come around to your way of thinking, take them for their shot without delay.
The only way we can beat this thing is by surviving and to do that we need to reach population immunity as soon as we can. By getting your vaccination when your turn comes, you’re doing your bit in global efforts to get rid of the coronavirus once and for all.