As the United States is still fighting the spread of COVID-19, more measures are being produced in order to ensure the safety of our citizens. With the evolution of several COVID vaccines, we are seeing a higher influx in the availability and quality of vaccines. With that, comes booster shots and even more steps to ensure safety. However, the vaccine is one of the most highly debated topics in this country. Some believe it is the best way to stop the spread of COVID, but others believe it is an infringement of freedom, or that the long-term effects are not widely researched enough. Some workplaces, especially hospitals, are requiring all employees to be vaccinated. In a recent article by the Michigan Health blog, it answers misconceptions about the vaccine and privacy issues. Some believe that showing proof of vaccine should not be a requirement, however, in order to enroll in school or certain jobs, you must present a series of vaccinations, this article points out. This makes privacy one of the most debated issues within the vaccine.
In a majority of the time in communication, we have the ability to present want information we want to be known. This is a part of the concepts within the Communication Privacy Management Theory. The Communication Privacy Management Theory (CPM) describes the three parts of a privacy management system, and how to handle what you want to be disclosed in certain relationships. Everyone posses their own thoughts that they may not want to be shared, which is focused in the first part of CPM, privacy ownership. Petronio defines privacy ownership as, “Our privacy boundaries that encompass information we have but others don’t know” (145). The human mind is so complex, there is no way to ever know everything that a person knows or thinks. However, we are capable to share personal information with whom we choose. Privacy control is the next part in the CPM system. Petronio states that privacy control, “involves our decision to share private information with another person” (145). When sharing a private thought, you must build boundaries and trust with the person you are sharing information with. When things do not go as planned when sharing information it can lead to privacy turbulence, the last part that can occur in the CPM system. In order to not create turbulence, you must be careful to all the points leading up to interaction. Petronio says, “The decisions you make in the aftermath of the breach are directed at reducing turbulence” (146). Being aware of sharing information is important, however, sometimes you may be required to share information you may not be comfortable with.
We are blessed to live in a country where we are able to have the freedom to express our own thoughts. This comes along with certain political beliefs or medical decisions. However, some are facing privacy turbulence as they choose to get vaccinated or not. With the misconceptions presented in social media, a lot of people are unsure what the right thing to do is regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The technology of the vaccine is constantly developing, as more variants are being found. So with the virus constantly evolving, so are the protocols. In interpersonal communication with others, oftentimes we are able to choose what information we want to share within ties. When it comes to medical records, often time we do not have the decision to chose what we want to share. A lot of things require vaccine records, like enrolling in school or going on an exotic vacation, vaccinations for several things are often required. With misinformation on the internet, the vaccine debate is very divided, and unfortunately political. I think people are hesitant to tell people whether their vaccinated or not is because it is something private they have to share that may lead to assumptions about beliefs to others. I think this can be compared to the CPM model because oftentimes we are hesitant to share information with others like medical records to common people. However, I think people are stuck in the turbulence phase because they have no control of private information shared, like the vaccine.