You can still take steps to protect others. This isn’t a black and white dichotomy where the only options are to 1) get vaccinated or 2) Don’t get vaccinated and expose a bunch of vulnerable people to the virus. If you’re not vaccinated, what you need to think about are harm reduction measures.

Quick disclaimer - I am not anti-vax and totally support you if you do decide to get vaccinated. But I totally empathize and understand those who don’t want to take the risk of adverse vaccine effects, especially young people that aren’t at much risk for the disease.

So, harm reduciton measures include things like: avoiding seeing very elderly, sick, or obese friends/family until you are immune. Take a covid test before going to gatherings. Take a covid test after attending a gathering, and try to isolate afterwards. Be careful to isolate in the days leading up to seeing anyone who might be high-risk (aka don’t go a party the night before seeing Grandma). Be honest about your vaccination status with those who are at risk and vulnerable. For young people that are not at risk for severe disease, who decide to not get vaccinated, your goal is to get immunity from exposure within your friend group. But you can take steps to protect others so you aren’t spreading covid in stores or in the homes of elderly/vulnerable people. Make a plan, write a list of behaviors you deem to be ethical, and stick to that plan. Once you have immunity, get a test to prove it.

I don’t have a good solution for dealing with how you are perceived at work in the meantime. This is a sensitive time, people are very reactionary, and none of us know what kind of work environment you are in. So only you can make the best call on how to deal with that.