Move over “vaxinista,” here comes the “vaxhole.” This nasty insult was written about in an article published for the New York Daily News on March 4, 2021. “OK, New Yorkers, get vaccinated, but don’t be a “vaxhole” about it,” says columnist Brian Niemietz. The word “vaxhole” has two meanings – the first refers to an entry in the Urban Dictionary describing vaxhole as a person “who has been fully vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus and brags about it.” Niemitetz says: “the newly defined word was added to the crowdsourced site just before March got underway, but aggregate site Fark.com introduced it to a wider audience Tuesday – the same day New York State lowered the age of those qualified for inoculations to 30.” The second definition of vaxhole is a person who cheats “the system to get vaccinated before their demographic is legally eligible.”
In April 2021 Stephanie Sengwe published an article for Purewow.com entitled “You Got Your Vaccine (Yay!)—Just Don’t Be a *Vaxhole* About It.” Sengwe describes different types of “vaxholes” from people who post selfies with their Covid-19 vaccine cards to those who “might brag about getting the Pfizer shot and put down a friend who got Johnson & Johnson.” A major vaxhole is someone who goes to crowded public spaces without wearing a mask because they think they’re immune from getting Covid-19 but they make those around them who are following the rules very uncomfortable. How does one avoid being a vaxhole? Senge advises “always refer to the pros (medical professionals and the CDC) and if you don’t want to be a vaxhole, respect the safety rules wherever you are (whether it’s a grocery store or an airplane).”
On December 8, 2021, the actress Jennifer Anniston said in an interview that she was called a “liberal Vax-hole” because of her pro-vaccine stance. An article published for the political magazine The Hill reports Anniston saying “‘You know, someone literally called me a ‘liberal Vax-hole’ the other day,’ the ‘Morning Show’ and former ‘Friends’ star told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Wednesday. ‘I don’t understand the disconnect right now,’ Aniston said, ‘being bullied for wanting people not to be sick? I mean, that’s what we’re talking about‘” (Kurtz).
Social Media Trends as of June 17, 2022
Facebook #vaxhole: people are posting about this
Instagram #vaxhole: 1,208 posts
TikTok #vaxhole: 550,200 views
YouTube #vaxhole: less than 100 videos and channels
Google Trends: vaxhole first appeared as a tiny blip during the week of February 7, 2021 probably around the time when vaccines became widely available. The term peaked in popularity during March 14, 2021 before tailing off.
Sources:
Kurtz, Judy. “Jennifer Aniston says she’s been called a ‘liberal Vax-hole’ over pro-vaccine stance.” The Hill. December 8, 2021. URL: https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/584878-jennifer-aniston-says-shes-been-called-a-liberal-vax-hole-over/.
“Vaxholes, vaxholes everywhere” Buzz Lightyear meme. MemeCreator.org. URL: https://www.memecreator.org/meme/vaxholes-vaxholes-everywhere/.
Niemietz, Brian. “Urban Dictionary has a word for people who boast about being vaccinated: ‘vaxholes’.” New York Daily News. March 30, 2021. URL: https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-covid-vaxhole-urban-dictionary-vaccinated-20210330-kehubu27ajhudps5pawwoleu5e-story.html.
P F Cool. “Vaxhole.” Urban Dictionary. March 1, 2021. URL: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=vaxhole.
Sengwe, Stephanie. “You Got Your Vaccine (Yay!)—Just Don’t Be a *Vaxhole* About It.” PureWow.com. April 29, 2021. URL: https://www.purewow.com/wellness/vaxhole.
The Word Is channel. “Vaxhole.” You Tube. URL: https://www.youtube.com/
shorts/k3JDni-Yhgs.