Don’t Be A Vaccine Bully by Aliya Malik

Wherever you look today, you will see an advert about the vaccine campaign in the UK. You will see it on TV, social media and hear it on the radio too. There is no escaping from it and it seems to be the number one topic for every gathering. 

While out recently I bumped into a friend while shopping. As we spoke, I mentioned that I had taken the covid jab. For me there was no hesitation whatsoever about taking it. My anxiety levels had really hit an all time high being at home and I just needed my life back. The jab for me was my get out card. 

The thing is, my friend didn’t feel that way at all. She told me that I should have done more research, that this was all a hoax and the jabs could have serious side effects in the future. Plus, that her husband was taking public transport every day during the pandemic and didn’t catch anything. The conversation went on but I think you get the jist of it. The conversation left me thinking, wondering and uncomfortable. Had I done the right thing? What if she was right? Maybe I rushed without thinking about the long-term effects of the jab? That conversation wasn’t the only place I was getting negative messages from about the vaccine. My social media was flooded with anti vaccine messages and it really felt like I was being bullied for the choice I had made. 

I have to say it really got me thinking about my decision and why I had made the right one. Firstly, why was I taking medical advice from someone who had no medical qualifications at all? When I got ill, I would call the GP, not my friend for medical advice so why was this situation any different. Even when I got medicine, the paper inside with all the small print, about possible side effects was something I had never read in my life. 

Also a few years back when I had a serious brain infection, I was given life saving medication that wasn’t even licenced in the UK. But my consultant recommended it and it saved my life. I never questioned him or doubted his recommendation at all. After all, he was the expert. Even when there was all the controversy with the MMR jab, I still had my kids vaccinated. 

Other questions that crossed my mind, were if it was all a hoax, then why did all these people die? Also, what did all the people who were suffering with long covid have? These were all questions that none of the anti-vaccine camp could answer for me. 

I took the covid vaccine with this mindset, that I was putting my trust in these medical experts. Not listening to rumours and hearsay with no medical information to back it up. Anyone can pretend to be a doctor and make a clip online. For me it was about the risk I was prepared to take. I wasn’t prepared to risk catching covid and seeing how my body would react. I guess I wanted the easy option, which in my mind was the vaccine. 

Having said all that, taking the vaccine is a very personal decision. Everyone has the choice and will base their decision on whatever life experience and facts they have. I am happy with my decision to take the vaccine but I wouldn’t feel comfortable telling someone else to take it. I might tell them about my experience of having it but that’s it, no more than that. I am not a medical expert and refuse to pretend to be one. During this pandemic so many people have suffered with anxiety, like me, and something like this could really affect their mental health so everyone needs to be careful with their words.

I have chosen to put my faith in Allah, let him guide me on the right decision to make and I hope you do too.    

Have you taken the vaccine? How do you feel about it?