I’ve been fairly confused by the popularity in the US of remaining unvaccinated, in the face of seemingly a non-negligible, relatively immediate personal chance of death or intense illness. And due to the bubbliness of society, I don’t actually seem to know unvaccinated people to ask about it. So in the recent covid survey I ran, I asked people who hadn’t had covid (and thus for whom I didn’t have more pressing questions) whether they were vaccinated, and if not why not. (Note though that these people are 20-40 years old, so not at huge risk of death.)

Their responses:

  1. I don’t think I need it, I don’t think covid is a big deal, I don’t think the vaccine works and the more the government/media pushes it the more I don’t want to ever get it. It should be a private decision between someone and their doctor, not Joe Biden and CNN saying comply or be kicked out of society.

  2. I still dont trust the information and safety claims made by the crooked FDA and CDC. Needs more research and study.

  3. I had a scary vaccine reaction previously.

  4. I am only 32 years old and in decent health so I think I would be fine if I caught COVID. It has almost been two years since the pandemic started and I haven’t gotten sick besides some minor colds. I would rather rely on natural immunity instead of the vaccine.

  5. dont want one

  6. Other health issues where my Doctor wants me to wait to get vaccinated.

  7. I think it is poison at worst and ineffective at best. Also the way the pushed it came off like a homeless man trying to lure me into an ally. The vaccine issue has made me lose 100% trust and faith in media and government i do not believe or trust anything from them anymore

  8. I have anxiety problems and other health issues.

  9. I’m actually scheduled to get a vaccination, I’m simply waiting for my appointment date.

  10. The places where the vaccination is available are always crowded and I am somewhat afraid of being outdoors or indoors in large crowds for too long these days.

  11. I am extremely skeptical of this “vaccine”, which has been proven ineffective (vaccinated people keep getting it, and what’s with all of the boosters?!) and has caused too many deaths and/or serious health issues/emergencies. I’ll take my chances on Covid any day over a “vaccine” that magically appeared from 8+ pharmaceutical companies in such an astonishingly short time. That is unheard of, and there is no way to know what is really in it, and what kind of problems those who are ignorant and fearful enough to get it will face later on down the road (that is, if they don’t die from the “vaccinations” themselves. The fact that the government has bribed, coerced, and is trying to FORCE everyone to get this “vaccine” is unprecedented, and quite frankly terrifying and sinister to me. I will NEVER allow a forced injection of god knows what into my own body, as that is wrong in every way there is. Vaccines allegedly keep those who get them safe from contracting whatever it is the vaccine is made for, so why would it be anyone’s business whether or not someone else is vaccinated? The Let’s Go Brandon administration and the dumbocrats that were fearmongering before the administration was even in place have done this by design. Spread fear, mistrust, and divisiveness, and lock people down to isolate them and make them suspicious and fearful of one another. Divide and conquer, because the fascist wannabe communists know that it is the only way to indulge their scummy self-serving agendas. United we stand.

  12. For health reasons.

  13. I’m not at high risk, so I don’t need it immediately. Waiting to see how effective it is.

  14. I don’t think it’s efficient…the prospect of being jabbed by endless boosters doesn’t appeal to me

  15. I’ve never had covid.

  16. I don’t trust the vaccine and have not have gotten covid since the pandemic started. Plus all of the misinformation surrounding covid, from the news media to social media sites. I just don’t know what to believe anymore but I feel that not getting vaccinated is the best option for me.

  17. I am still skeptical of the vaccine since people are still catching covid and its variants

  18. It doesn’t stop the transmission, or stop you from getting covid. I am at low risk anyways.

  19. I am at very low risk of infection as I do not work and wouldn’t accept any non-remote work. I also do not have any friends or family in the state where I moved to last year and I do not drink so I don’t go out to bars or events, or even restaurants.

  20. I simply have no trust in the big pharmacy and little more in the government. Throw in the fact that the vaccine was created too quickly and while it claims to have lowered infection rates and the severity of COVID-19, I’ve known several people who have been infected and they were fully vaccinated. In addition, I’ve seen many news articles reporting the same. Why should I receive a vaccine that provides such weak protection?

  21. Transportation and access. If a pill form or some self-administering option were available, I would.

  22. I don’t trust it.

  23. I have chosen not to take the vaccine

  24. Because I think its the Governments agenda to start killing people. I don’t trust Big Pharma or the Government. Also, people still get covid with the vaccine, seems like a waste of time.

  25. I live in Ohio, kinda wanna die. Also, it doesnt even dent the new variants; you still ge tit.

  26. do not trust them

  27. Because I believe that the vaccine is part of a either depopulation plan, or a tracking device. Either way there is no logical reason to get it.

  28. I am hesitant because of the possible side effects long-term because not much is known about it.

  29. I don’t see the benefit since I am not really at risk from covid.

  30. It’s against my religion.

  31. I don’t need a covid vaccination.

  32. I’m concerned about possible serious side effects from the vaccine that may show up some time down the road.

  33. Normally, I would consider it, but the talk of forced mandates has really soured me to it. I dont believe in taking away people’s health freedoms like that. I think it’s an insane intursion on civil liberties, and I fear if we all just accept it, we will become like Australia

  34. I only leave the house once or twice a week so it never really felt necessary to me.

The biggest themes mentioned here seem to be distrust or hostility regarding the government and media and their various pro-vaccination pressurings, and the impression that the vaccine doesn’t work. (I wonder how much that one is relative to an expectation of ‘very occasional breakthrough cases’ that one might also trace to someone’s questionable communication choices.) An unspoken theme is arguably being in possession of relatively little information (like, what’s going on with the person who is still waiting to find out if the vaccines are effective? And do people just not know that the vaccine reduces the downside of covid, even if it is still possible to get it? Or do all of these people know things I don’t?).

I wonder if much good could be done in this kind of situation with some kind of clearly independent and apolitical personal policy research institution, who prioritized being trustworthy and accurate. Like, I don’t trust the government or media especially either on this, but I and people I do trust have a decent amount of research capacity and familiarity with things like academic papers, so we arguably have an unusually good shot at figuring out the situation without having to make reference to the government or media much (assuming there aren’t more intense conspiracies afoot, in which case we will end up dead or tracking-deviced, I suppose). If I wasn’t in such a position, I feel like I’d pay a decent amount for someone to think about such things for me. I guess this is related to the service that doctors are meant to provide, though the thing I imagine would look very different to real doctors in practice.