Vaccinated, recovered, excluded?: The importance of vaccination for everyday family life in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic

This article highlights the significance of vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus for parents and their families over time in Austria, which was the first European country to introduce mandatory vaccination and a so-called lockdown for the unvaccinated. We examine how parents dealt with the consequences of their vaccination decisions for their social and family lives, and how they experienced their everyday family lives during the lockdown for the unvaccinated. Theoretically located in the Doing Family concept, this article is based on data from the qualitative longitudinal study Corona und Familienleben. It includes 72 qualitative interviews with 24 parents (14 vaccinated and 10 unvaccinated) conducted over three survey waves (spring 2021, fall 2021, spring 2022), covering the period from COVID vaccine availability to the end of the lockdown for the unvaccinated. Data were analysed using the Grounded Theory coding scheme. The results point towards the central importance of vaccination as well as the vaccination or recovery certificates for everyday family life, illustrating how the respondents faced the resulting challenges. In dealing with their vaccination status, they developed two sets of strategies: maintaining privacy and fostering a sense of belonging. Both sets of strategies were located on the social, spatial, and media level respectively. The need for social inclusion proved to be central to the strategies employed. The study emphasizes the importance of the COVID vaccination for family life and relationship dynamics in families, highlighting the relevance of the family as a forum for discussing vaccinations.