An influx of testimonies like the tidal wave that hit Doctolib. Since the announcement on Monday by Emmanuel Macron of the extension of the health pass and the vaccination obligation for certain professions, more than 2 million French people have already made an appointment on the platform to be vaccinated. And you are more than 300 to have answered our call for contributions to explain to us why you had finally decided to take the plunge.
First observation: it is more “constrained and forced” than by conviction that the vast majority of readers who have agreed to testify have decided to get started. “I get vaccinated, out of obligation to be able to be” free “,” sums up not without irony Jean-Philippe, 32 years old. “Disguised obligation”, “hostage-taking”, “blackmail”, even “health dictatorship”, anger is expressed in many messages, especially among those who openly affirm their rejection of the anti-covid vaccine or claim to be ” antivax ”.
“If you want to keep your job, you have to get vaccinated”
Among the most virulent testimonies, appear those of professionals opposed to vaccination but whose sector of activity is concerned by the health pass or the vaccination obligation: “I have a home loan to finance, I cannot afford to lose my job as a lab nurse, so I am forced and forced to get vaccinated! », Summarizes Emily, 40 years old. “I will do it out of obligation because I have loans on my back and two children to feed and if I do not get vaccinated I lose my salary. But I will think about a professional retraining. I do not know yet in what but I will not stay in the hospital ”, recounts Emilie, 36 years old.
Others, who wanted to take the time to reflect, decided to speed up their plans, often without enthusiasm and with a touch of bitterness. Like Christophe, 40 years old: “I am not anti-vaccine but suspicious of a vaccine put on the market quickly and pushed by a whole pharmaceutical industry, I had planned (if no alert) to be vaccinated in August after my vacation and my appointment was already scheduled with my cardiologist (against the risk of myocarditis linked to the vaccine). I take the announcement as an obligation to be vaccinated to have access to the most basic establishments (supermarket, store, restaurant…). I took my first dose the next day with the idea that the government would no longer impose limits on itself and could at its will tighten and reduce even more (and in a very short time) the freedom of the unvaccinated ”. “I thought to do it in June but having had several testimonies on the pain felt with the second dose, I postponed the deadline. I was not for it at all. But I work with children and find myself forced to do so anyway. If you want to keep your job, you have to get vaccinated, they know by saying that that people are going to do it out of fear. Governing by imposing these fears is not worthy ”, annoys 37-year-old Magali.
Same frustration among those who were waiting for a vaccine made in France to get started: “We changed our minds because of the delays. Indeed my companion and I wanted to wait for a French vaccine from the Sanofi laboratory which is normally expected at the end of the year. We didn’t think the measures would be so tough and put in place so quickly. On the other hand, we don’t want our life to come to a complete stop either, ”explains Gaëtane, 28. “I have to be vaccinated before September because my job (mobile salesperson) requires me to do regular PCR tests. And clearly, I do not intend to pay these. I am not opposed to the vaccine but wanted to wait for the one from Sanofi. It would also have allowed us to have a few more months of hindsight, ”also testifies Cédric, 31 years old.
“He no longer leaves us a choice, it’s the vaccine or so social life is over”
For many other Internet users, the extension of the health pass has precipitated the vaccination for themselves as well as their teenagers, in order to avoid the daily headache and the repeated tests: “We are both vaccinated because we We are at risk, and we especially wanted to avoid vaccination for our children since in any case even vaccinated they can transmit. In the end, we are forced and forced to do it, because they will not be able to go to the cinema, nor to the restaurant and even less in shopping malls to get dressed! », Denounces, very reassembled, Aurélie, 38 years old.
“I decided to get vaccinated after the president’s speech on Monday evening because he no longer leaves us a choice, it’s the vaccine or so social life is over. He knows very well that it will be very difficult to get tested 2 to 3 times a week. Me it is not for the professional side but personal that I was vaccinated Tuesday. The same is true for my 16-and-a-half-year-old daughter because she does not want to be tested every week to have access to her leisure activities, ”explains 48-year-old Hélène.
Others take this early vaccination with a little more philosophy: “I decided to get vaccinated so that I could go to leisure, cultural, café, restaurant etc. centers. I was reluctant because I did not see the usefulness for people not at risk. I have been fortunate not to be approached by the virus until now, and if I had caught it I would have stayed home. I didn’t see what the vaccine was going to change and I didn’t want to inject myself with something I didn’t see the need for. If the vaccine allows the virus to evolve less (mutate less) then I may see this as a reason, ”explains 29-year-old Margot. “I wanted to wait as late as possible, because the vaccine has an effectiveness of 6 months and that, anyway, I do not like injections too much. I finally decided to do it so that I could live, go out, move and meet people. In August, I move to a big city to study, so I think that in order to be able to discover the city, meet new people and make marks, it will be essential, ”explains Clara, 18 years old.
“I don’t want to spoil my stay at the campsite”
In many of the testimonials received, the prospect of a degraded summer vacation was also decisive: “We totally refuse to be vaccinated, but we have to go on vacation at the end of July and we will have to do three PCR tests for a week. It is really not practical. So as not to be deprived of everything, we are going to be vaccinated, ”says Océane, 29 years old. “I made an appointment when I announced Mr. Macron’s televised intervention because I’m going on vacation in September to a campsite and I don’t want to spoil my stay, but I don’t hide from you that I fear them. side effects of the vaccine it is for this reason that I waited, then with the grace of God ”, also confides Isabelle, 63 years.
Gaëlle and her husband, who had to give up going on vacation last year, intend to take advantage of their savings this summer to have “family fun” even if until then they “were part of the anti-vaccine category. “:” I decided to get vaccinated with my husband and my 2 children, to be able to go on holiday to the campsite this summer and to enjoy, as every year during the Christmas period, the amusement parks of our wonderful region (Asterix, Disney…) (…) whatever it costs us, especially vaccination, ”she explains.
“I prefer to be protected and protect my family against variants”
Faced with this concert of anger and resentment, some Internet users however display a more nuanced position: “I think I will be vaccinated, not because of the president’s speech, but rather because of the dangerousness of the delta variant, which seems to affect all populations. (elderly, young, fragile people or not) without distinction ”, estimates Cris, 28, who nevertheless believes that vaccination“ must remain a personal decision ”.
Others see the measures taken by Emmanuel Macron in a more positive light and were even convinced by the health emergency mentioned by the President of the Republic, for themselves or for others. “I changed my mind because I prefer to be protected and protect my family against variants but also so as not to be restricted in my daily life”, summarizes Didier, 41 years old.. “ I decided to get vaccinated on the one hand to be protected myself but also to protect those around me and my family. I was reluctant at the start, then listening to the president, I understood that with vaccination we would take a step towards the future. A future that is taking shape little by little. Whether it is an economic, social or technological future. Vaccination is a citizen act for the nation, a collective effort. I was reluctant at first, but I understood the president’s message, ”says 20-year-old Lara.
Mélanie, 25, even decided to overcome her phobia of needles after hearing Emmanuel Macron’s speech: “I had not been vaccinated until then, not for fear of the vaccine, but of needles. But following this announcement, which I completely approve of, I decided to seek treatment for my phobia and thus have this vaccine, ”says Mélanie, 25 years old.
Patricia, goes even further: “I had planned to register after my return from vacation, if the health situation did not develop in the positive and it is the case, Monday’s speech precipitated things. . But I think it would have been easier to make this vaccination compulsory for everyone from the start. As everyone was housed in the same boat, no difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated, it was in the general interest to get out of this infernal circle which deprives us of some of our freedoms and I can understand that the government has come to this ”.
The last word to Franck, 55, who does not tell us if he has been vaccinated or not, but brings a little salutary step back: “We are still complaining. Always a problem of the rich: we are choosy to be vaccinated by shouting for dictatorship (LOL we do not have the same notion of certain words) while in the rest of the world others would just like to have vaccines ”. To meditate.