On the Way to a Covid-Free Establishment
I was one of those who didn't want to get vaccinated. For months, I have been very 'anti' about it.
My current job right now entails meeting a lot of people, from branch personnel in 8 branches, customers, suppliers, and representatives from main office.
Being this exposed, my fear of contracting the Covid19 virus has tripled. Fortunately, one of the supervisors I am working with is a former medical health worker. She answered the questions and fears that I have.
August 7 last week, I was asked by my boss to give her a list of employees to be vaccinated by August 9. I was very hesitant but I have seen the advantages of being protected too. I will not be only protecting myself, my loved ones as well.
The crucial part was convincing everyone to be vaccinated as well because of the news and articles spreading about the vaccines causing deaths of hundreds of people.
With a colleague who worked in a hospital before (the ER), we have convinced all 92 employees to be vaccinated; not all at once though and not everyone. For those who are in branches in different municipalities, we contacted the Health Center for the schedules to include our employees. Out of the 65 employees who were scheduled to be vaccinated on August 9, 17 people were not vaccinated due to having allergies, currently having infected lumps, having high blood pressure, are sick with fever and flu at that time, and those with heart diseases.
The following are the questions they threw our way during the branch meetings:
Do vaccine kill people like what some of the news are saying?
Answer: NO. The government won't allow and approved of the vaccines if they will kill us. On the scheduled day to be vaccinated, one will be asked by doctors if one has allergies, taking maintenance-medicine, health diseases, or has fever and flu. One must be truthful to these questions. Blood pressure will also be measured. The doctors are very specific on allergies and health problems because the vaccine might react to these.
Why do we need to be vaccinated when we are not sick?
Answer: Because we want everyone to be protected, as well as the family one goes home to everyday. The vaccine will make one's body fight the virus if one ever contracts it and stop the spread. Of course this doesn't mean that one should be careless after being vaccinated. We still have to be careful when we are interacting with other people (wear mask and use alcohol) because there are still many people who are not vaccinated and if we have immunocompromised family members or friends.
If we get vaccinated, can we still contract the Covid19 virus?
Answer: Yes, we can still be infected with the virus. The good thing is since we are vaccinated, our body can create antibodies to fight the virus. That colleague of mine who worked in a hospital before got infected with the Covid19 virus. Since she is vaccinated, she just felt lethargic and seemed like coming down with a flu. She still had a check up and did the swab test that resulted to being positive with the virus. Fortunately, she was living alone then; just got quarantined while recovering and her swab test after resulted negative.
Are there dos and don'ts when we get vaccinated?
Answer: Live a healthy lifestyle. We reiterated to the employees that after being vaccinated, no drinking of alcoholic drinks for 2 weeks. Also, to avoid foods that may trigger allergies like eggs, chicken, dried fish, seafoods. If they feel down after then they can rest, and no lifting of heavy objects. Take paracetamol 30 minutes after being vaccinated, and not before.
Is it true that the vaccines also carry virus and what if these virus kill us instead?
Answer: Yes, vaccines have inactive virus which is the one responsible for creating the antibody if we contract the Covid19 virus. No, it will not kill us because these are inactive or dead virus.
These were the major questions during the branch meetings, and all revolved majority on if the vaccines will kill a person. Thankfully, no complications were observed from the people who got vaccinated, including myself. The numbness and pain in our arms and back after the injection, the lousy feeling, the unexplained hunger on some, all went away a day to 4 days after.
We are on our way to our second dose on October 7, then we will be fully protected.
(CTTO to Philippines Department of Health, Local Government Unit, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan)
