“I think in New York people are trying to figure out those dynamic, whether you’re getting the dose because it’s leftover or a condition that qualified you or lied about something,” said Mr. Das. “The honest reality is I know people who have crossed the line and lied about things – 29 year old people who have been given vaccines who have no pre-existing conditions. But I think most people don’t lie. The goal is to vaccinate everyone. “
Rhonda Wolfson, who lives in Toronto, said that another privacy issue has arisen in places where the vaccination process is still age-restricted, highlighting the fact that a person is over a certain age. Ms. Wolfson qualified for a pilot vaccination program in Ontario for people ages 60 to 64, and she realized that talking about her vaccination would reveal her as a sexagenarian to people who thought she was younger.
“I have a girlfriend in her forties and she knows I’m older, but she doesn’t know my exact age,” said Ms. Wolfson. “She never asked and I never offered. I spoke to her last week and in my excitement I said, “Oh my god, I’ve been vaccinated.” I could almost hear her pause, ‘Oh, you’re so old.’ “
In some circles, the stigma of early vaccination is even more worrying as it could deter those at risk from getting the shot. For example, in the gay community, a young person who is vaccinated in the early group may be considered immunocompromised.
“There is an assumption in the gay community that if you get the vaccine now, you must be secretly HIV positive,” said gay Mr Das. “It has become an assumption in the community that if you are gay and you post a picture of the vaccination card, then you are positive and you didn’t tell us. I always talk to my friends and tell them, ‘Don’t take things. ‘“
Mr Das said he hoped any stigmatization or privacy issues related to early vaccination would go away once vaccination dates are open to everyone. President Biden has urged all states to extend medical eligibility to the general population by May 1, and many states, including Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, and Mississippi, have already made the change.
“The sooner we can all vaccinate, the more I think about this question: ‘Oh, what qualified you? ‘will stop, ”said Mr Das. “Once that is gone, hopefully these barriers will collapse and people will stop asking these very personal questions.”
