Confessions of an Unvaccinated

Okay, so I came out pretty late at the age of 31, one year after having Covid. But I’ve always known that I’ve intuitively had natural immunity since I tested positive for the antibodies.

Written by: Hügo Krüger

Okay, so I came out pretty late at the age of 31, one year after having Covid. But I’ve always known that I’ve intuitively had natural immunity since I tested positive for the antibodies. I felt like I was fighting with myself, holding back in certain situations, hiding my true self because I was afraid of who I really was. Being white, growing up in the 1990s, I thought I had to act a certain way and hide myself. I got to a point where I didn’t even want to talk in public places because I was so conscious of my unvaccinated status. You tell yourself things like:

• “I don’t know who I am,”

• “nobody will get me,” and

• “I just don’t fit in.”

Then I joined a group of unvaccinated company. Cool, like-minded young people working deeply to understand the dynamics of COVID-19 while feeling stigmatised by the label “antivax.” When I joined them, as cheesy as it sounds, it felt like family.

This is the place where I found my voice and wasn’t ashamed of it.

Being around people who love you, makes you love yourself. My family and friends have been my rock, I have a great support system behind me.

I tried for so long being someone I thought people would want me be to be like, instead of being the person I was born to be. If I could turn back the clock and talk to my 30-year-old self, I would say, love your voice, because you have something to say. And this is for my fellow unvaxxed, wherever you are, what you identify as... love your voice, things will get better. You’ll meet like-minded people who will love you, for you. Tell your truth and live the person you were born to be. I love you and I don’t even know you. You matter.

Hügo Krüger is a civil and nuclear engineer.