- If you’re in a relationship with a partner who is hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, experts say the way you talk with them about it can make a big difference.
- They also say it’s best to avoid arguing or shaming them.
- Instead, experts suggest listening to their concerns, sharing data and medical advice from trusted sources, and assuring them of your love and concern for them.
Elizabeth Jones didn’t tell her husband she was getting the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.
“My husband does not believe the vaccine is safe since it’s not FDA-approved. He doesn’t like injections of any kind. He doesn’t do the flu shot either,” Jones told Healthline.
She is worried about him because his line of work requires him to be in people’s houses all day.
“He smokes as well, so he’s at higher risk. Overall, my husband is not healthy,” Jones said. “He doesn’t eat well or work out. He won’t get a vaccination, but he will drink Mountain Dew daily, and smoke, and eat greasy food and crap with dyes.”
Her husband now knows that Jones received both doses of the vaccination, and he supports her decision. The couple agrees not to vaccinate their three teenage children.
While Jones hesitated to get vaccinated because she believes she is healthy and would recover from COVID-19, she ultimately felt a responsibility to her family.
“I know COVID can scar your brain and lungs, so I took that into play for me, and honestly, I feel one parent has to stay healthy in a relationship and it won’t be my husband,” she said.
For Maria Osman, her husband, Dan, is the one worrying.
“My husband is vaccinated and for quite some time, if not still, he has been worried about me and the highly contagious delta variant,” Osman told Healthline.
Because her husband has a heart condition, Osman said she worried about him getting the vaccine due to her concern about potential effects on his heart.
“We have open conversations about it, agree to disagree on some things, and really support and respect each other in our decision,” said Osman.
Like Jones and Osman, many people have found they do not share the same views about the COVID-19 vaccine as their partner, which can put additional stress on a relationship.
While it can be particularly frustrating for people with a partner who is hesitant about getting vaccinated, medical experts say there are ways you can approach the topic that are more helpful than others and may give them a reason to reconsider.
Source: healthline