So, this is more a personal account of an anti-vaxxer. I have a 60 year old friend who is a registered nurse, although she is not currently working as a nurse. She has always seemed to be an intelligent, caring person. However, she is outright anti-vax, not hesitant, but instead totally refusing to have the shot, citing "bodily sovereignty". She's not a COVID denier, though. She believes that COVID exists and that it is bad for some people, and maybe even for her.
When we were discussing the vax situation a few days back, and I was trying to change her mind a la
@Flying mermaid, she said "well if you are vaxxed and can't catch it or don't get very sick, what do you care if I catch it." I started with "because you're my friend and I don't want you to get sick". Not effective. So then I moved to "because I don't want the hospitals to be over run with a pandemic of the unvaccinated - for health reasons". Not effective. Next argument was the same, but for economic reasons. Not effective. Also tried lockdowns do damage to mental health and businesses. Not effective. So finally I tried "because the governments are insisting on protecting people like you from the consequences of your choices, and that impacts on me because they won't open up for me to see Seat Son (who she knows well) because of the risks to unvaxxed people." Her response - "I did not ask them to protect me from the consequences of my choice, so don't blame me that you can't see your son."
I am not sure that will will remain friends after this conversation, which is such pity as we have been good friends for more than 25 years and have done so many fun things together including overseas travel, working together, studying together and extensive skiing together in Australia. We were looking forward to skiing together in Japan in the future, but I cannot see that happening.
I feel sad.