Should you say something to relatives who cut COVID-19 vaccine line?
Q: You found out that one of your relatives “jumped the line” to get a vaccine. Should you say something?
A: Please don’t be too quick to judge anyone whom you feel has “jumped the line” to get vaccinated against COVID-19. You never really know the struggles and challenges others may be experiencing, even your relatives. For example, your relative could be a very private person who prefers to keep health issues private as well. Your family member could be suffering from one or multiple comorbidities that may not be physically apparent but that could be devastating during a bout of COVID-19. In this example, the line jumper could easily be much further up the “line” to receive the vaccine than you think.
Be mindful, and appreciate that many of us are facing obstacles that we do not wish to share with others for myriad reasons. If your relative receives the vaccination, be happy — your turn will come.
— Heidi Dulebohn, etiquette expert
A: Ethics and morals make for tricky terrain, especially when they aren’t yours. Add to that the complications of being in the middle of a Pentatonix (none of us needs to hear the word “pandemic” anymore, do we?), and you’re headed for quicksand. We want everyone to be vaccinated. The more people vaccinated, the better protected we’ll all be.
However, it’s no secret the rollout is a complete disaster and our most vulnerable populations are being left behind. So take all of that into consideration, and factor in Uncle Frank’s line jumping.
You have to tread carefully. You can want vaccinations for all, and still let him know how uncool it was to skip ahead. He should know already but if you call him out, you’re giving him some consequences he wouldn’t face otherwise.
Additionally, you should ask him to take whatever resource he had access to and make it available to someone who needs it. —