‘We live in a democracy, we should be free to do what we want’

Sharni-Leigh Morley, 20, lives in Derby and works as a part-time sales assistant and hairdresser. She says, “I am a young, healthy 20-year-old woman, and I don’t understand why I should get the jab when it’s still so new.

“I haven’t contracted coronavirus, and I am always safe whenever I go out –

I wear a mask, maintain social distance and wash my hands regularly. I have family and friends who have had the virus, but thankfully they have all recovered. I don’t see why I should be forced to have a vaccination if

I’m being cautious and following the government guidelines. “It really feels like the government is trying to force us all to have the vaccine, and it makes me feel uneasy. We live in a democracy, and I have the right to say if I don’t want something.

“The vaccine isn’t mandatory, and I shouldn’t be made to feel like I can’t live my life because I haven’t had it. I think it’s completely unfair that only double-jabbed individuals will be allowed to enter nightclubs in September. What is the government going to take away from us next? Non-vaccinated individuals are going to be ousted from society.

“Plus, there are statistics that show the vaccination has affected people’s health after they’ve had it. We don’t know enough about the jab yet and what the long-term effects are. I’ve seen various studies where women have experienced terrible periods after having it, and that doesn’t give me any confidence.

“I’m happy for people that want to have it, and I would never try to persuade them not to. I have a three-monthold daughter, Isla-Mae, and if she wanted to get it when she was older, I wouldn’t stop her. But, personally, I will not be signing up any time soon. Infection rates are rising, but the death toll is not.

“If I do catch Covid, I’ll rely on my immune system to fight it and help get me better.”