Risk profile of both actions is different. Who compensates for this additional risk? Vaccines also a permanent change to our body, so more hesitancy is expected.
Trust. In washing hands, I have to trust no one. I have verified it is safe to use soap/gloves myself. Soap making is hard to get wrong. In vaccination, there is a long chain from manufacturer to injector, none verified by me. Vaccines are easy to get wrong.
Injecting is unpleasant while washing hands or wearing gloves is far less so.
Vaccines protect me. So it must be my choice (no different than the decision to smoke, do adventure sports, get fat etc.). If someone else wants protection, they should get it too. If they can't, they must take precautions (i.e. they pay for their own security, rather than requiring society to pay for theirs. We do this for other diseases than COVID).
Meanwhile, washing hands protects others I have consciously taken responsibility for (and they have no other way to protect themselves from my dirty hands).
Easy answer:
Risk profile of both actions is different. Who compensates for this additional risk? Vaccines also a permanent change to our body, so more hesitancy is expected.
Trust. In washing hands, I have to trust no one. I have verified it is safe to use soap/gloves myself. Soap making is hard to get wrong. In vaccination, there is a long chain from manufacturer to injector, none verified by me. Vaccines are easy to get wrong.
Injecting is unpleasant while washing hands or wearing gloves is far less so.
Vaccines protect me. So it must be my choice (no different than the decision to smoke, do adventure sports, get fat etc.). If someone else wants protection, they should get it too. If they can't, they must take precautions (i.e. they pay for their own security, rather than requiring society to pay for theirs. We do this for other diseases than COVID).
Meanwhile, washing hands protects others I have consciously taken responsibility for (and they have no other way to protect themselves from my dirty hands).