Another Question Not to Ask

“How did you manage to get your second shot already? Did you jump the queue?”

A client was upset at being asked this question. Over the years he had kept his health issues to himself. He has been under the care of a physician for years now with a condition that he has to live with for the rest of his life. Now, he feels pressured to share the details with those outside his family.

As some companies are now requiring their staff to get back to the office, there are those who think they need to know the vaccine status of their colleagues. Once upon a time, when a person had a visit with their doctor, people just asked if the person was okay. We didn’t need to know the details of their visit out of respect for their privacy. If appropriate, this is the responsibility of the human resources department.

So, what is the etiquette with respect to the vaccine status of others?

The same health privacy needs to be applied to vaccine status; listen to those who want to share, and be respectful to those who would rather not.