Covid19 Vaccination: Experiential Journal

The Philippines vaccination efforts to reach a goal of imploring herd immunity in the entire country started on the 1st week of March, 2021, The first to get inoculated were the medical frontliners, and that week staffs from government hospitals particularly the doctors of  Philippine General Hospital inially got the first dose from Sinovac, the first to arrive vaccines from China.

The distribution of vaccines went fast to the provinces, even to Mindanao on the 2nd week, and I was one of the medical frontliners to get the fist dose that week, exactly in the afternoon of the 11th of March. With how the government, particularly the Department of Health distributed the vaccines fairly among healtcare workers especially in the provinces, I commend them for that.

How was the vaccine?

Firsthand, the effects ranges from zero (no existing side effect at all) - to fever with chills that last a day after the shot. Initially, some people experienced an increase in blood presssure. My colleague who has no history of hypertension had an increase of up to 150/90 mmHg, but fairly goes down after 30 minutes (withim the time frame of monitoring). That can be due to anxiety, so its inconclusive that the vaccine causes the increase. Some people had muscle soreness in the puncture area pretty normal after any vaccination procedure. I would say the classic side effect of the Sinovac vaccine that we had in common with other people in the department are headaches, body malaise, feeling of tiredness or fatigue that last in the 1st 24-48 hours. Luckily, we had the whole weekend to rest so come Monday, we're back on our daily grind.

Iligan City got around a thousand of vials from the 1st Sinovac to arrive in the country, and that all gone in a week of vaccination among medical frontliners. In the succeeding weeks,  Our city again received via COVAX Facility donations of the AstraZeneca, now able to inoculate health workers who are senior citizens.   The board of directors in our hospital were among the recipients, together with the staffs in the Central Supply Unit, billing and a ward nurse. They are all in their 60's retiring soon from centuries of hard work, and above all apprehensive in receiving their first dose.

How was the vaccine to the senior citizens or the elderly?

Maam K, from the senior citizen staff, was one of the negative people before the vaccination started, she would roam around the departments  that the whole thing is just a ploy for the end of times, lol! I must say that she's one of the inspiration from my previous article "End of Times." During the pre-screening, she would discourage staffs in the waiting area to say NO about it. However, at the last minute that they would be vaccinated with AstraZeneca, it seems that she changed direction, I don't know who did the #ExplainExplainExplain thingy, but I would say she was a victor on that. Maam K got vaccinated Friday. The following Monday, i saw her back to work in the Central Supply Room when I did the requisition routine that morning. I asked her how was she after the shot, her literal description was this "Asta turned her world upside down," i laughed and she got caught on with work so I got no better opportunity to dig in, I would assume that she didn't mean it negatively because she's so much normal in my sight. Anyway, another senior citizen who received the shot Saturday was reported to have fever and chills, but only lasted for a day. I think that was the most intense side effect I encountered so far.

Each hospital have teams formed and assigned for the vaccination program, and they too are monitoring department heads who are communicating with their respective staffs in order to establish a supportive environment when a crisis arrives. And, by God's grace in our hospital, even in other health facilities in the city, there has been no negative reports about the vaccines, Sinovac and Astrazeneca.

These are just my observations 
based on my experience and of my 
colleagues. 

An announcement just arrived today in our emails, the 2nd dose of Sinovac will be administered after the Holy Week, that would be around April 6-10, 2021.

Good news! Another email came and it is to inform health workers in private practice, not affiliated with any health facility, like homehealth nurses, caregivers and traveling Physical Therapist to contact the City Local Government for the vaccination. Another great effort from the national government to initially protect all health workers as we continue to serve.

Lastly, this article is to encourage people to be proactive on this vaccination effort from the government to protect our country and people from the havoc of Covid19. This would be my simple way of imparting #ExplainExplainExplain to some people who had been neglecting the opportunity to become one of the solution. Let us be part of the 70%, brave hearts and heroes, on our way in acquiring herd immunity.

Read my vaccination story here and know what to to expect during the vaccination process.

#Resbakuna #Covid19Vaccination #explainexplainexplain #BeProactive #Braveheart

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Lead image and photo below are all MINE

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