Weekend Booster Shot Blockbuster!
What happens when it's the weekend and there's a vaccination schedule available at your local area? Well it becomes a blockbuster! ๐ Just like Spiderman: No Way Home ticket lines in Cebu three days ago, the line to get vaccinated was super loooong. Wow I never experienced that in the first and second dose until today. ๐
I don't know why the line was super long that it reached one of the nearby buildings and up the second floor and around the long corridor. ๐ If my phone camera was working I would have taken lots of pics and videos. Sadly it mostly doesn't work anymore. ๐
Journey to the Jab
The venue for getting vaccinated in our district is an elementary school. I went there around 2 pm yesterday. Once inside the school grounds we were told to fill up a form first. We then were told to go to the open area where there's a big stage or something. When I got there I saw a line so I followed it. I didn't ask where the end was. I just walked towards hopefully the end of the long line but then it went inside a building and up the stairs!!! What?!? ๐
When I got up the stairs I thought that was it. Oh but no... At the second floor, the line goes all the way to the end of the corridor (which is like the distance if you stick two buildings together). I dunno, it was lengthy and I had to walk for a few minutes to get to the end. ๐ Took me almost two hours before I was able to go home.
The first time I was vaccinated against the Corona virus, yes the line was long but just enough. On the second dose there was just a short one, like almost no one around if you compare it to the first time I went there.
Suddenly I experienced such a line like I was watching a blockbuster movie in a mall cinema. ๐ Feels like I also watched Spiderman except I have a way home and surely won't be bringing the COVID-19 virus. ๐
The Problem With Long Lines...
Despite the number of people in line we were able to practice social distancing. The sad part is, people cut lines whenever they had an opportunity to do so. Tsk tsk. There was even an old man who thought he "duped" me with his modus operandi. I just let him get in front of me because what the heck we'd all get vaccinated anyway.
Of course I grilled him. He was saying excuses he could not prove. He was obviously older than me, maybe in his 50's and yet he was acting that way. Just this once I let someone cut in front of me, giving him the benefit of the doubt.
I could have gone in front of him and let the person behind me deal with him but nah. I am done with arguing over little things. I am too tired of such petty and energy sapping things. Ugh.
I will fight over something bigger and worth it rather than something trivial like that. The old guy was shameless enough to stay put so eventually I let him. The people behind me didn't object so he stayed in front of me until we all got to the screening area. (Ah this is why good people can become doormats and/or accomplices to evil deeds.)
Next time I will just step in front of the person who cut in and not ask them any questions why they're doing it. No arguments or whatsoever if I do that right?
Anyway before that, when we were at the second floor I informed an old woman who looked like a senior citizen to fall in line and pointed her to the right direction. She wasn't aware there was a longer line once she got on top of the stairs where we were in line. The woman in front of me repeated what I said to her and so senior woman turned to go there. As she walked away I kinda felt guilty because if she was that old she shouldn't have gone up the stairs like us. She should have gone to the senior/priority lane where they were giving the shots.
Why did they let her come up to fall in line? We only made loud comments but didn't ask her as she was already walking away. Since I was tired of life I just let it be. I watched as she went past the end of the line and ended up talking to some random person further at the front of the line. Perhaps they told her she should go down or something. Don't know what happened. I lost track of her since I also looked to see how the line at the ground floor was going.
Before my part of the line even got to the ground floor it started drizzling and then the rain poured. Okay... it's good at least we didn't get wet at all. Once we were at the ground floor it was still raining hard. There was a tent with seats in it so it was kinda fine except for the parts where the water was dripping.
Eventually we got to the screening area. Once done I went inside the vaccination lines. There were 5 rows so this time anybody could go wherever they chose. So I sat and waited in the first line.
I heard one guy at the front was told to go to the other section because they said he should get either the 1st or 2nd dose instead. Later on I found out the man who cut in front of me didn't go where we were. It looked like he went to the other area or got lost. Poor guy. ๐ Don't know if he was really clueless or whatever. He was saying to the roaming lady-in-charge that it should be his second dose, and yet he was in line for the booster shots.
Eventually he was still told to fall in line in a nearby row. Don't know what happened next if he got his jab or not. I saw him talking to the nurse when it was his turn to get jabbed but then the line in front of me moved again so I didn't bother with him anymore.
How's the Jab?
After I felt the ant-like bite, er I mean injection, that was it. The nurse put a band aid and gave me back my stamped/stickered vaccination card. I didn't feel the usual heavy arms/shoulders thing afterwards. This is so unlike the first two. I don't feel sore at all. Huh, I'm wondering if I was really vaccinated because I do not feel anything. No side effect, no pain or whatever. It's like nothing happened. ๐
I got the Astra Zeneca booster shot and as of this writing it's been almost 6 hours since. And nothing! I don't feel like I got vaccinated at all! Whut the... ๐ฎ
The first and second jabs made my arm feel sore. I had Sinovac. This time I do not feel a thing at all. No flu symptoms, no pain, nothing. Was I really jabbed at all? I have no idea. Haha. Anyway I am thankful it seems there is no adverse effect on my body.
What Did I Eat or Do Before I Got Vaccinated?
I ate brunch. Before I went out of the house I decided to drink Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate). And then I also thought of drinking a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil just for the heck of it. You never know, it might prevent me from experiencing any side effects right?
No I didn't want to drink any paracetamol even if have one that's about to expire. Despite the panic buying of many people the other day because of the widespread seasonal flu, I don't drink medicine until I absolutely have to.
Did that have anything to do with me not feeling any symptoms or pain or whatever? I have no idea. I actually felt hungry while I was still at the school because of course I only had breakfast and didn't bring any food or water with me. Didn't think I would be in such a "blockbuster event" you know.
Ah Life in the New Normal...
Well life goes on after getting jabbed. Before going home I went to buy some toasted siopao because I was starving. Oh and I also got a haircut! Finally! No more long hair or pony tails! Oh I feel amazing. Hahaha. I'm back to short hair again.
And then I went and bought some buy 1 take 1 Burger Machine burgers. Yes I still eat them from time to time whenever I pass by their food stands. And remember, I was hungry enough to eat anything I see.
Of course I didn't forget to buy the ointment for that skin infection/allergy. My gosh this is a stubborn skin disease huh. But it looks like it is almost gone now. Just one more week and I hope it will be gone forever!
A quick trip to the grocery and then I rode a tricycle home. Oh yeah. That's it.
2 hours since I started writing this last night and I stretched my body (which of course includes my arms). Guess what, I felt a bit of the soreness where they put the needle in. Haha!
How about you, what's your booster shot story?
XOXO,
P. S. Last night I got the chills and couldn't sleep until I drank some medicine. Good thing I had one paracetamol left otherwise I wouldn't have been able to sleep because it seemed like I was feeling super cold from a slight fever. ๐ Astra Zeneca side effects are real. ๐
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Lead image and old people photos via Unsplash.
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