The virus has created fear, if not to all, but to a lot of people, especially to the vulnerable ones- the older people, those who already have a different disease, and even to children.
I myself am scared of this unseen enemy because no matter how healthy you seem you are, you can still be a carrier of it, be asymptomatic, and transfer the virus to the more vulnerable, which can cause them to get sick or worst, lose their lives.
We've been dealing with this pandemic for almost 2 years now and it has affected almost all people's lives. Lockdowns have closed down business establishments, restaurants, schools, and universities, and a lot of people already lost their jobs.
It is so unhappy to be stuck at home, having nothing to do but to stare at the ceiling inside the four corners of your room, but I can't imagine how miserable it is for those who don't get to go out of their houses to go to their work for them to have something to buy their necessities and even those who are laying down in hospital beds because they caught the virus.
A lot of people have been demanding the government to provide a concrete solution to end this pandemic so that our lives will be back to normal as soon as possible. Many are shouting for Mass Testing and Mass vaccination to end the growing number of Covid cases in the country.
When I heard that the vaccine for Covid-19 is already available, I was one of those who are hesitant to get vaccinated. It's because of some of the cases where there are negative effects when someone gets the vaccine, just like how some people died because of it. I don't want to be a part of an experiment if it works or not as I don't want to die yet. Lol
In our family, my mother being a Barangay Health Worker who is considered as a front-liner was the first one to take the vaccine. She took 2 doses of Sinovac before and she said that she only experienced muscle pain in her shoulder and arms. My brother who is a Police officer also took the vaccine about a month ago and he said he got sick because of it. My father also took the 1st dose of the vaccine already and he only experienced muscle pain too.
I was the only person in our family who wasn't vaccinated yet.
Then about a month ago, our University had a pre-registration for the 3rd and 4th year students who want to be vaccinated. I didn't register before because I still had doubts about it. But more than a week ago, our University conducted another pre-registration for 4th-year students who want to take the vaccine. This time, I signed up and registered on the form because I thought we were required to get it in preparation for our limited face-to-face class in the future. And I was also ready to get the vaccine as I saw no deadly effects of it to my parents.
After a couple of days, we received an update from our adviser about the names of those who will be receiving the vaccine that is scheduled for September 14. And my name was on the list.
Then September 14 came. I had to wake up early to catch the bus going to the city. I woke up around 6:30, ate breakfast, took a bath, and prepared the things I need before going to the bus station. I went there at around 7:30 and I arrived in Laoag City at 9:30 in the morning. Living away from the city is very time-consuming when you are only commuting to get there.
When I arrived in Laoag, the first thing I did was to buy some snacks at Shawarma Shack and bought bottled water at SM Hypermarket. I arrived at the city too early so I roamed around the place first. I wanted to deposit some cash on my bank account too but seeing the long lines in front of BPI exhausted my energy so I decided not to deposit anymore.
At around 11, I went to the jeep station going to our University and waited for my friend/classmate because we'll be going there at the same time. And after 30 minutes, she arrived and the jeepney took off. After almost an hour, we arrived at the University Admin. As planned, I requested my Certificate of Grades and authentication of my enrollment form for my Academic Scholarship requirements. After that, we went to the vaccination area and lined up.
It took us 2 hours of waiting, from 1 pm to 3 pm, for us to get inside the vaccination hall. Then another 1 hour of undergoing the 3 steps before vaccination, from registration, counseling, and final checking. After that, we finally got vaccinated!
After we got vaccinated, we waited again for another 30 minutes for observation before we were allowed to go home.
As of now, the only effect of the vaccine to me is being too sleepy (perhaps because I was sleepless), and muscle pain. I hope I won't feel other effects too.
Just like what the staff said, getting the vaccine doesn't mean you are protected from the virus, but it gives you another layer of protection from it. So even if you are already vaccinated, it is still advisable to wear face masks and face shields.
Nowadays, it's difficult to be sick because getting sick is expensive. So health should be our number 1 priority.
Always take good care of yourself, eat nutritious food, get enough sleep and rest, and exercise regularly.
Cheers to being Healthy! 🤸♂️
The vaccinated are also infected, carry and spread the virus. At least this is what they tell us. So, why have all the population vaccinated then and not just the vulnerable?