46 Stories about People Who Regret Not Getting the Vaccine

Sen. Jeff Jackson
7 min readAug 10, 2021

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The evidence is clear: You’re far more likely to regret *not* getting the vaccine than getting it.

If you honestly doubt that, the best way I know to address it is to show you the growing number of stories about people who deeply regret their decision not to be vaccinated.

So here are 46 articles about some of those people.

They talk about falling for misinformation, about waiting until it was too late, about how their decision has impacted their family.

In my view, if you genuinely believe that you simply don’t need to get the vaccine because you’re typically healthy, you owe it to yourself to at least check your beliefs against what you see below.

“But Jeff, why should I believe anything you say?”

Don’t. Read the stories.

“But Jeff, those people are all lying!”

Ok, but just know that when people accuse you of believing a conspiracy theory, this is why.

It’s because — in the face of an immense number of medical professionals and Covid patients all saying the same thing — you’re not willing to consider the possibility that you may have been misled by other sources.

For everyone else, please share this and let’s see if we can reach a few people. It might not work, but we should at least try.

Sen. Jeff Jackson

  1. “Severely ill COVID-19 patients regret not getting vaccine, Polk County doctor says” — WFLA
    https://www.wfla.com/news/polk-county/severely-ill-covid-19-patients-regret-not-getting-vaccine-polk-county-doctor-says/
  2. “Take It From Them: Americans Hospitalized With Covid Regret Not Getting the Vaccine” — Rolling Stone
    https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/covid-hospitalizations-unvaccinated-regret-1206032/
  3. “They spurned the vaccine. Now they want you to know they regret it.” — NYTimes
    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/us/covid-vaccine-hesitancy-regret.html
  4. “Pastor Who Nearly Died From COVID Regrets Not Getting Vaccinated: ‘I Was Wrong’” — Newsweek
    https://www.newsweek.com/pastor-danny-reeves-nearly-died-covid-regrets-not-getting-vaccinated-wrong-texas-phil-valentine-1613353
  5. “It’s like a hammer in my head all the time: ‘Why didn’t you have the vaccine? You had all the chances, the opportunities, the appointments, the letters — everything.’” — Business Insider
    https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccine-regret-hospitalization-encouraging-americans-to-get-vaccinated-2021-7
  6. “Unvaccinated hospitalized patients say they regret not getting shot” — NBC
    https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/unvaccinated-hospitalized-patients-say-they-regret-not-getting-shot-n1273342
  7. “It took watching my son die and me suffering the effects of COVID for us to realize we need the vaccine.” — Business Insider
    https://www.businessinsider.com/mother-man-28-died-covid-19-regrets-not-getting-vaccine-2021-7
  8. “Over and over, the same refrain from people sick with covid: I wish I’d gotten the vaccine” — Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/02/over-over-same-refrain-people-sick-with-covid-i-wish-id-gotten-vaccine/
  9. “A British ICU doctor described seeing her patients regret not getting vaccinated: ‘You can see it dawn on them’” — Business Insider
    https://www.businessinsider.com/icu-doctor-covid-19-patients-regret-not-being-vaccinated-2021-7
  10. “High Point woman hospitalized with COVID-19 regrets not getting vaccinated” — WXII12
    https://www.wxii12.com/article/high-point-covid19-patient-vaccine-regret/37146769#
  11. “Coronavirus doctor’s diary: Unvaccinated patients with many regrets” — BBC
    https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-57866661
  12. “‘I could have prevented this,’ Virginia man says in videos showing his COVID decline” — Durham Herald Sun
    https://www.heraldsun.com/news/coronavirus/article253247308.html
  13. “After contracting COVID-19, these two Arkansans regret not getting vaccinated” — THV11
    https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/two-arkansans-regret-not-getting-vaccine-contracting-covid-19/91-b3d2291a-f0ce-49d5-8a02-b53b632f6c10
  14. “Unvaccinated Nebraskan says she regrets not getting her COVID vaccine after trip to ICU” — ABC8
    https://www.klkntv.com/unvaccinated-nebraskan-says-she-regrets-not-getting-her-covid-vaccine-after-trip-to-icu/
  15. “Missouri man, 26, regrets not getting vaccinated after COVID-19 battle” — ABC7
    https://www.mysuncoast.com/2021/07/26/missouri-man-26-regrets-not-getting-vaccinated-after-covid-19-battle/
  16. “Former anti-vaxxer in Northern California urges vaccinations after entire family struck with COVID-19” — East Bay Times
    https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2021/08/03/former-anti-vaxxer-in-humboldt-county-urges-vaccinations-after-severe-case-of-covid-19/
  17. “‘I regret that I didn’t get vaccinated’: Ohio woman urges people to get COVID vaccine after spending 11 days in coma” — WBNS10
    https://www.10tv.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/i-regret-that-i-didnt-get-vaccinated-ohio-woman-who-spent-11-days-in-coma-battling-covid-19-urges-people-to-get-their-shot/530-792b87c6-06ee-422f-b518-8a9cbbf05301
  18. Staff at a Florida hospital say they are hearing panic, fear and regret from unvaccinated Covid-19 patients — CNN
    https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/26/us/florida-coronavirus-hospital-surge/index.html
  19. “‘No one should have to go through this’: Unvaccinated family regrets not getting a shot” — First Coast News (FCN
    https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/unvaccinated-family-regrets-not-getting-shot/77-fc26c361-8d7b-417c-92e1-3475dda5777f
  20. “‘I am furious with myself’: Unvaccinated Covid patient describes the exhausting illness” — CNN
    https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/29/health/louisiana-covid-19-hotspot/index.html
  21. “‘It will certainly be with me forever,’ Fayetteville doctor shares grim insight into COVID-19 ward” — 5 News Online
    https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/arkansas-covid-19-surge-doctor-shares-grim-message/527-819e2b08-ab26-45b0-9c14-d3279d84eacc
  22. “I will always regret that I listened to the misinformation being put out there,” Greene said. “They’re creating fear.” — Baltimore Sun
    https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-aud-nw-nyt-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-regret-20210731-yto53ol4trgopfrszz24hclkre-story.html
  23. “After teen daughter hospitalized with Covid, mom regrets saying no to vaccine” — NBC
    https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/after-teen-daughter-hospitalized-covid-mom-regrets-saying-no-vaccine-n1274227
  24. “I’ve seen regret, it’s very disheartening to see someone you know could prevent this from happening. They are going through this and they’re scared,” — MyNBC15
    https://mynbc15.com/news/coronavirus/springhill-doctor-ive-seen-regret-from-hospitalized-unvaccinated-covid-patients
  25. ‘COVID is nasty’: Missouri couple regrets skipping vaccine after COVID-19 hospitalization — FOX59
    https://fox59.com/news/coronavirus/covid-is-nasty-missouri-couple-regrets-skipping-vaccine-after-covid-19-hospitalization/
  26. “Florida doctor says many hospitalized COVID-19 patients regret not getting vaccine” — WKMG
    https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/07/27/florida-doctor-says-many-hospitalized-covid-19-patients-regret-not-getting-vaccine/
  27. “Talk radio host hospitalized with COVID regrets vaccine hesitancy, brother says” — PBS
    https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/talk-radio-host-hospitalized-with-covid-regrets-vaccine-hesitancy-brother-says
  28. “The nurses said they’ve also heard a lot of regret from patients who didn’t think the virus was real.” — Sun Herald
    https://www.sunherald.com/news/coronavirus/article253127003.html
  29. “North Dakota man regretted not getting the vaccine before dying from COVID-19” — WSVN
    https://wsvn.com/news/north-dakota-man-regretted-not-getting-the-vaccine-before-dying-from-covid-19/
  30. ““I do regret waiting, and I had several conversations with several people, and I was like, ‘I just need to see how this is going to turn out,’” she said. “Just being in that situation was very scary, so would just suggest that everyone just go out and get vaccinated.”” — Local10
    https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/07/27/waiting-game-is-over-as-south-floridians-finally-decide-to-get-covid-vaccines/
  31. “Arkansas doctor: Patients have told me they wish they got COVID-19 vaccine” — The Hill
    https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/563249-arkansas-doctor-says-covid-19-patients-tell-him-they-wish-theyd-gotten
  32. “Some of our chaplains have discussed with people the reasons why they didn’t take the vaccine and express remorse, or regret, saying that if they knew then what they knew now that they would’ve taken the vaccine,” Ajoko said. “Seeing the impact that it has on them and their families, it made a lot of them change their minds and they decided to take it.” — CruxNow
    https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2021/08/catholic-hospital-in-louisiana-copes-with-covid-surge/
  33. “Unvaccinated doctor sends warning to others after catching delta variant” — KKTV
    https://www.kktv.com/2021/07/21/unvaccinated-doctor-sends-warning-others-after-catching-delta-variant/
  34. “A 24-year-old man who had a double lung transplant after getting COVID-19 said he regretted not getting the vaccine” — Business Insider
    https://www.businessinsider.com/men-who-had-covid-19-lung-transplants-urge-vaccinations-2021-7
  35. “COVID-19 patients at Lakeland Regional regret not getting vaccinated” — ABCactionnews
    https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/covid-19-patients-at-lakeland-regional-regret-not-getting-vaccinated
  36. ‘I feel foolish:’ Florida mom shares regret about not getting COVID-19 vaccine sooner -WKMG
    https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2021/07/23/i-feel-foolish-florida-mom-shares-regret-about-not-getting-covid-19-vaccine-sooner/
  37. “Severely sick COVID-19 patients express regret for not getting vaccine, rural Oklahoma doctor says” — KOCO5
    https://www.koco.com/article/severely-sick-covid-19-patients-express-regret-for-not-getting-vaccine-rural-oklahoma-doctor-says/37147819
  38. “ICU Patient, Former ‘Anti-Vaxxer’ Regrets Turning Down Vaccine: ‘I Believed in the Hoopla’” — Newsweek
    https://www.newsweek.com/icu-patient-former-anti-vaxxer-regrets-turning-down-vaccine-i-believed-hoopla-1614281
  39. “North Texas Father Urges Others to Get Vaccinated After His Fight with COVID” — NBCDFW
    https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/north-texas-father-urges-others-to-get-vaccinated-after-his-fight-with-covid/2697296/
  40. “Why this former triathlete, family practitioner regrets his decision to not get vaccinated” — KSL
    https://www.ksl.com/article/50203501/why-this-former-triathlete-family-practitioner-regrets-his-decision-to-not-get-vaccinated
  41. “Hospitalized COVID-19 patient shares dangers of not getting vaccinated” — WPTV
    https://www.wptv.com/coronavirus/hospitalized-covid-19-patient-shares-dangers-of-not-getting-vaccinated
  42. “COVID patients show regret about masks, vaccines as hospitals fill up” — Local10
    https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/07/22/patients-show-regret-about-masks-vaccines-as-covid-hospital-wings-fill-up/
  43. “Unvaccinated dad records days of regret in hospital — and makes heartbreaking request for daughter’s wedding in case he dies” — CNN
    https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/health/coronavirus-virginia-travis-campbell-vaccine-regret/index.html
  44. “COVID-19 patients regret not getting the vaccine after being hospitalized” — NewsWest9
    https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/patients-regret-not-getting-vaccine/513-722d30df-77d2-42d6-8f2c-0fa179486729
  45. “San Antonio woman lives to regret not being vaccinated with COVID-19 shot, warns others” — KSAT
    https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/08/05/san-antonio-woman-lives-to-regret-not-being-vaccinated-with-covid-19-shot-warns-others/
  46. ‘It’s too late’: Alabama doctor shares final moments of Covid patients, urges vaccination — NBC
    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/it-s-too-late-alabama-doctor-shares-final-moments-covid-n1274659

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