Rude to ask how someone qualified for vaccine?
Q: On social media, a number of friends have posted about receiving the coronavirus vaccine. Is it rude to ask how they qualified to get appointments?
A: You would make the assumption that people you care about, your friends and family members, have been ethical about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Depending on your relationship, you can certainly ask where they are in the process or what the process is for getting an appointment, so you know what to expect. Directly asking how they got an appointment puts them on the spot.
You can also frame it as wanting to know what to expect when it’s your turn to get vaccinated — something like, “I’m not sure what to expect. Can you please enlighten me? How did it go?”
— Julie Blais Comeau, chief etiquette officer at Etiquette Julie
A: Let’s take a step back and figure out what you’re really asking your friends. The real questions are: “Who’s your vaccine connect?” or “How did you get around the system to get an appointment?” Even though more people qualify for appointments, it’s still challenging to obtain one.
If they are close friends, nine times out of 10, you perhaps already know why they qualify for an appointment. If not, then you’re inquiring about any preexisting conditions they may not want to share.
Since they are posting about receiving the vaccine, it is OK to ask how they went about booking an appointment, any appointment openings they may be privy to, and what their experience was at a vaccine site.