I got my first vaccine shot!

Today, I made another impulsive decision: I got vaccinated.

I’ve been planning and wanting to have one since it started rolling out. I’m actually waiting for our company to provide it, but it was said to us that it might take up until December before we have one and they’re encouraging us to utilize the ones that the Local Government Unit (LGU) is rolling out. 

My sister was supposed to be the only one who was about to have it but she needed company because apparently, she’s scared of needles. My mom told me to accompany her and I decided to have one for myself too. 

There are actually a lot of vaccination sites that allow walk-ins, just like what we did. And if you want one, they are currently rolling out in A4, which provides vaccines to employees. You just need a company ID or any proof of employment. Proof of employment can be a letter for those housekeepers or personal drivers, just proof that you are working if you don't have company ID.

Though, I’m not forcing anyone to get vaccinated, I’m just sharing my experience and sharing what I know to those who want it. 

We were told that we were supposed to have Astrazeneca ones but it ran out in our turn and they had to switch to Sinovac, which was also WHO approved. Plus, I trust my sister because she is a chemist and if she’d have something on her body, I think I’ll be fine. 

WHY?

Many would ask why I took the vaccine or why I even planned on getting one?

• Work - as most of you know fieldwork is an integral part of my work and I would need to travel to different places, getting vaccinated can lessen the admin work we have to go through when we travel, like swab test and quarantine. Just present a vaccination pass and poof! You can enter any part of the country and most of the time, quarantine is not required anymore.

• Travel - related to work or personal ones, it is most likely that travelling all over the world will require vaccinations, it’s a foreseeable event. It's slowly happening but it wouldn't really surprise me if embassies requires vaccinations proof.

• Safety - As my sister said this had gone through clinical trials so I don’t think it would put anyone else in danger. The main reason of getting it is to protect my loved ones, especially that fieldwork might resume more this year and I don’t want to expose myself, then expose my family to the virus. 

SYMPTOMS?

Did I turn into a titan/zombie yet?

As you can see, I got my vaccine around 3pm and I’m here writing this one out. 

• Injection site pain - I think this would be the most evident one, even with flu virus vaccine, I experience this. So it’s not much concerning.

• Chest pain - this is the part where I get a bit concerned but I’m in constant communication with my Doctor and she says that it’s fine. It’s still on a very tolerable level, I don’t even feel the urge of taking medications for it but it’s there. 

• Shortness of breath - this is also a bit concerning but again I was reassured that as long as it’s at a tolerable level, it’s fine. It’s not severe. I was actually singing earlier. That's why I noticed a bit of shortness in my breath because I was supposed to make a cover today. I ended up not uploading because I was breathing a bit weird in that cover.

I was told that each body is unique and we have a unique immune system that’s why different side effects can be noticed. I think that should be put out there, because for me I didn’t have a fever, yet (?) and no headaches which were the usual ones. 

Again, I’m not pushing anyone to take a vaccine, it’s your own personal choice. I just wanted to share mine to help those who wants to have them. The best thing to do is be aware of the announcements of your LGUs for possible vaccine roll-outs. 

Most importantly, stay safe. If you have questions, I would gladly go through them.

See you around!

Photo by Hakan Nural on Unsplash