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Pfizer Dose #1: Here's What Happened

Yay Vaccines!

By TJ SagePublished 3 years ago 6 min read
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Vaccination card selfies are a thing, right?

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, guys! And the way we get closer to that light is by GETTING VACCINATED!

As a healthy young adult who does not work as a healthcare worker, first responder, or essential worker, I didn’t expect to be vaccinated until June-ish. Even when the State of California announced that any adult aged 16+ would be eligible for vaccination on April 15th, I thought, “that is such a huge demographic, there's no way I'll get an appointment any time soon.”

But then they held a giant vaccination event in my county, and I found myself with an appointment for the 21st! Since I had an appointment for much sooner than I thought, it occurred to me that I hadn’t really put much thought into preparation, or knowing what to expect.

If there are any others like me who would like some hints, here is my experience!

The Vaccination Event Was Like a Convention

Now, I’m sure not everyone will get their vaccine at a big event like I did, but I feel like it’s still worth mentioning what this thing was like. It began with people in vibrant vests guiding vehicles into the correct parking lot at the resort(?!) the event was held at, only reminding me of huge entertainment events like concerts or university movie nights. I felt a sense of wistfulness wash over me and allowed myself to imagine that's what I was there for, momentarily.

From there, I followed the herd of people going in a certain direction, because why else would all these people be arriving at the same time? Like cattle, we were herded to the entrance to the event, where people were handing out clipboards to fill out a questionnaire about your health. I had gotten an email with the option to print and fill out the questionnaire in advance, so I got to skip that part.

I followed the funnel-like line into a small room which housed a long table with 10 check-in people sitting behind it. One brightly colored vest told the next person in line which number to go to, and I was herded to #10, where the lady took my questionnaire, ID, and a check-in paper with a barcode I’d also printed off from the email. Check-in took a grand total of 45 seconds (by design, I'm sure).

I was then herded again into a different line, this one being the actual line to be vaccinated.

The Vaccination Room Was Bonkers

The room where the vaccinations took place was originally some sort of lobby that they’d transformed to fit their needs (“they” being the widely known Californian medical corporation holding the event). There were about 5 tables, with four chairs around each table facing out. Once I got to the front of the line, there was a vest to guide me through the room.

Good thing the guide was there, too, because this room was a total zoo. The guide took me around so many people - more people than I’ve seen in a very long time in such close quarters! Again, it made me wistful - to a table at the end of the lobby with an open chair. I handed my questionnaire to another person before sitting in the chair, and then someone else came and gave me my vaccine. I was in the chair for maybe 2 minutes, tops. I mean seriously, these people were popping out vaccines like coffees in Starbucks on a busy Saturday morning.

I don’t know about the Moderna shot, but the Pfizer was a breeze! The needle barely felt like anything. I even have an issue with needles, so I was doing my best to not look at it (that's my trick) and breathe deeply, but it really only felt like a tiny little poke. Be sure to keep your arm nice and limp and do not clench up, or it could be much more painful.

The Observation Period

The next part, I was not expecting. The guy who had taken my questionnaire came just after my arm was jabbed, wrote 9:14 on a sticker, and put the sticker on my shirt.

“This is the time that you can leave,” he said just before directing me to a large ballroom with individual chairs spaced out all throughout. The time was exactly 15 minutes after I was jabbed - they needed to observe everyone in case of allergic reactions or other complications. There were probably about 20-30 attendants in that room, all in vibrant vests, and there was a large digital clock at the front so everyone knew when their times were up.

By 9:14, I was good to go, along with another herd of people who got their shots right around 9 o’clock.

The Side Effects

Since this was only dose #1, I wasn’t expecting many side effects other than a sore arm, and that’s exactly what I got (I have heard that the Moderna can be slightly different). What I didn’t expect was the severity of the soreness.

I got my shot at 9am, and my upper arm began to hurt around 1pm, but only a little. I’d also heard that the more you use your arm, the better it recovers from the soreness, so I’d elected to get it in my right (dominant) arm, hoping that would help. It did not.

I used my arm the average amount all day, but by about 7pm, I could not even move the thing, it was so damn painful! It was especially painful to move it out away from my body, as opposed to forward and backward. Luckily, the woman who’d given me my vaccine had told me I could take some Tylenol, and that fixed that problem enough that I was able to move my arm without awful pain.

My upper arm continued to be just a tad sore for the next day and a half(ish), but it was nowhere near the pain of the first evening. I only noticed it every once in a while, before it finally faded entirely.

The Weight Lifted

I didn’t realize how vulnerable I felt until I got vaccinated, even though it takes about 2 weeks for the immunity to take effect (which I actually didn’t know until a couple days ago), but I do feel better about having at least gotten the first dose. Even after one dose of the vaccine, it is 80% effective at protecting against the virus.

I have some friends that have reservations against getting it, and while I think their concerns are valid, I believe that the benefits of herd immunity and returning to some semblance of normal life outweigh the risks of the vaccine. It is especially important to get the vaccine if you are able so that those who are unable can safely return to normal life as well.

Until that dream of returning to normal arrives, be sure to continue to mask up, stay away from people, and get vaccinated to kick this pandemic out the door. We can do this!

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About the Creator

TJ Sage

Not-your-average wannabe writer and author who's a sucker for a good story.

[email protected]

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