What to do if your partner doesn't want the jab
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Why is the COVID‑19 vaccine a relationship deal‑breaker compared to other disagreements?
This is an ABC podcast.
What do you and your partner disagree on? Every relationship has a thing. Whether it's pineapple on pizza or which way to hang the toilet roll, or whether coriander is any good, it is team coriander in the house. Even if you disagree about some bigger stuff like being vegan or about religion. For most things, you could probably agree to disagree, right? But that's not really an option when it comes to getting the COVID vaccine. I'm Nat Tancic, and if your partner is hesitant about the vaccine or staunchly anti-vax, it might be the toughest conflict your relationship has faced. On this app, you'll meet some people going through that right now. Learn what you can do to turn your partner around and when it might have to mean the end of your relationship.
I mean, usually when it comes to conflicts like this, it's a clash of values. But even people with different politics can still love each other and have a working relationship. So why is this vaccine such a more intense, sensitive issue? Well, it's because it's bigger than values. It's about safety and it's about the lives we're going to be able to lead after lockdown. As Australia and other countries around the world head towards a new normal of higher vaccination rates, opening up and quote unquote living with the virus, life's gonna look pretty different for the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. As certain freedoms like going to cafes and bars, interstate and overseas travel. Lonely be afforded to those who can prove that they've had the vax.
So if your lover is hesitant or refuses to get vaccinated, it's gonna create practical problems, as well as safety issues and heated arguments. Some hookup listeners are really struggling with helping their partners understand the misinformation around the vaccine.
So we started dating just over a year ago now and at the beginning uh we had very similar views on COVID and, you know, how it was being managed by like state and national governments. Um, but sort of as it's gone on and on and on, my partners have become um a lot more hesitant to a lot of the interventions of the government's doing, including the vaccine. So I'm fully back because part of my doll, I'm a nurse, whereas my partner
How do couples navigate practical problems when one partner refuses vaccination?
it's staunchly refusing and it's yeah, caused a bit of tension between us. But, you know, we've got we've gotten to a point where we can openly discuss our views with each other, which I think has been really, really important. And we're not just shutting each other down either. We're talking about it. And if it does get too much, we do just, you know, call a timeout and say, all right, that's that's enough talking about this for today. Let's move on to something else. Um and we're both like really big travellers as well. So if there were to bring in like a v uh you know, like a vaccination passport or however you'd like to call it. Um, I think that would just make it a lot more difficult as well. So in the back of my mind I'm wondering uh whether he might
cave in in a little bit, you know, depending on what happens. locally or nationally. But, you know, for the time being just, you know, keep giving him the information, keep refuting the conspiracy bits and pieces that he sees online and hope that some of it's getting true. I got my first dose a couple of weeks ago and she's very anti vaxx so she hasn't been talking to me much anymore. She saw online that you can somehow remove the vaccination. Now I know that's not true, obviously. Hell Ben on Me removing it and she won't talk to me, I don't know what to do. Yeah, she's studying nursing, which is the worst part about it. I feel like she'd understand, you know
What personal stories illustrate the tension between vaccine‑hesitant partners?
It it's hurting me, you know. We we had such a strong relationship. And now just because of this one simple little issue it's just feeding it. See like if we we continue to talk about it and if she can learn to understand it IOG doesn't work that way. I think we can work through it, but at this rate, I don't know. So I work in intensive care. Obviously myself and all of my colleagues were vaccinated right at the start of the year and for a lot of us it wasn't a hard decision whether we wanted to get it or not.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why is the COVID‑19 vaccine a relationship deal‑breaker compared to other disagreements?
0:02–2:29
2
How do couples navigate practical problems when one partner refuses vaccination?
2:29–3:47
3
What personal stories illustrate the tension between vaccine‑hesitant partners?
3:47–5:45
4
Which communication tactics help de‑escalate heated vaccine debates?
5:45–8:02
5
What expert advice explains why misinformation creates a reality clash?
8:02–10:25
6
How can curiosity and fact‑checking shift a partner’s vaccine fears?
10:25–12:44
7
When should you involve a GP or therapist to break the vaccine impasse?
12:44–14:43
8
Is ending a relationship the only option if the vaccine disagreement won’t resolve?
14:43–17:31