There's a lot of vaccine anxiety in Hong Kong. For a multitude of factors: the apparent well control over the spread here (due to good social distancing / hygiene / mask-wearing / compulsory quarantine orders); extensive reporting in all apparently vaccine-related adverse effects and deaths; mistrust in the government and so on. As a result, a lot of people aren't vaccinated. To combat that, the government is pushing on companies and government workers for mandatory vaccination.

There's also this weird trend in the community where people are encouraged (by whom, I have no idea) to get blood work done before getting the COVID vaccine "in case they are not suitable to get it".

There is no contraindication (as in, people who absolutely cannot get it) to the COVID vaccine that can be identified by blood-testing. The most common contraindications are severe allergic response to the vaccine ingredients and previous documentation of vaccine-related severe adverse effects, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome and transverse myelitis. They cannot be diagnosed via blood tests. So there is no point in getting any blood tests just to prepare for the COVID vaccine.

Similarly, almost anyone with medical conditions can get it. Yet, in OPD, I get a lot of patients arguing (not asking... arguing) with me that they should not get the vaccine, even though that is a medical decision for exemption. I would get the same question asked over three times and the patient would leave dissatisfied that I would not give them the answer they wanted -- that they shouldn't get the vaccine. And somehow it's my fault I cannot issue them an exemption or that the government is punishing people for not being vaccinated.

A lot of the times, it goes like this:

Me: Hi, so we're here to review your diabetes today. Your control is pretty good. Keep up the good work!

Patient: I want to ask if I should get the COVID vaccine.

Me: there's no absolute contraindication, so you should get it if you wish to reduce your risks of getting COVID.

Patient: But I have diabetes.

Me: I know. That's why I'm seeing you today. You can still get the vaccine.

Patient: but I hear so many people with awful side effects. My friend got facial palsy. My other friend now can't walk.

Me: You can still get the vaccine.

I'm a bit sceptical about that. Bell's Palsy is an occasional side effect of the vaccine but it still doesn't exempt you from getting (another type of) the COVID vaccine. And losing one's ability to walk as a result of a vaccine is exceedingly, incredibly rare -- if that's even true and directly related. I'm sceptical one single person conveniently knows enough people with these rare side effects and also has vaccine anxiety at the same time.

Patient: So you're saying I'll 100% be safe if I got the vaccine? But I'm so worried.

Nothing is 100%, but you'd think I was telling her to drink poison when I repeated, for a third time, that she could still get the vaccine.

Occasionally patients get angry when I keep repeating the same answer. That's fine. If you don't trust me, I can't force you to get the vaccine. But my answer won't change just because you ask me three times. And I sure as hell am not going to compromise the society's well-being nor my own license by falsely exempting every Joe and their dog from the vaccine just because their friend's neighbour's cat allegedly got some tingling legs after their vaccine.

See another later scenario, with a different patient.

Patient: But I don't want to get the vaccine.

Me: I can't force you.

Patient: So you'll issue me an exemption?

Me: No.