I hate hypodermic needles. A Lot. I'm a news junkie, but lately I have to set my browser to NOT open images while reading the news online, lest I get an unwelcome eyeful of an injection photograph, or worse, VIDEO.
I can handle blood draws if the person is skilled, but with me you only get one chance: I'm a Karen about it and call ahead to make an appointment with the most experienced phlebotomist on staff. Intramuscular injections are much worse, and I have mostly chosen to go without when possible, even occasionally forgoing my very favorite thing in the world (travel) in order to avoid them. (My kids are fully vaccinated, but I was never with them at the time; those appointments were Dad's job.)
I very much wish I could dodge the COVID vaccine, but I know my employer will insist, so I'm stuck (if you'll pardon the pun.) That got me thinking about how many people might be clinging to "vaccine caution" not so much because they are worried about the vaccine having side effects, but because they REALLY don't want to deal with injection itself, let alone two of them. Naturally, very few adults are going to openly admit that that is their real reason.
So, what do you think? What percentage of this widespread "vaccine caution" that we are seeing is really caused by fear of needles? I'm guessing that with the possible exception of the healthcare professions, it is probably at least half.