Vaccine Diary (Day 1)

Dear Diary,

Beginning April 15th, 2021, today basically, I will be receiving the covid-19 virus vaccination. The shot is provided free of cost, mainly due to me being an essential workerin the disease-ridden field of health care, but also because my place of employment gave me a priority letter. The clinic is set up for Walmart Pharmacy to administer it. And I will have to receive the second shot within 3 weeks of this one. Fingers, toes, and heart crossed on this bad boy.

First off, I have a lot of anxiety about this whole situation. I didn't want to be rushed into the vaccine without thinking it through. I initially didn't want to take it for a while, but due to availability, I have to take it now or forever hold my peace. I know the risks and the potential benefits to humankind, but I'm afraid! I don't know how my body will react to it or if maybe I'm allergic to one of the components or anything. I've concluded that I'm not prepared for this, but I'm going to do it anyway.

The shot of choice, or rather the only one the pharmacy had in stock was Moderna. One of the two vaccines available right now to the public. There was three, but J&J stopped theirs for an unknown reason. It's a highly regarded shot, with little to no side effects in the clinical trials, and an approximate effective rate of 94.1%. The effects kick in two weeks after the second injection and are supposed to last for six months. We'll see if that is the case in due time.

I decided to document my observations about the shot first hand. People need as much information as possible, right? I'm not entirely being stupid, right? We'll see, I guess. So, right off the bat, here are my findings:

1. Soreness at the injection site.

This is common for shots, especially ones for the flu, so I'm not too worried about that one. Tenderness usually lasts for a few days, but we'll see. Moving on:

2. Slight nausea after injection.

Common symptoms of any shot are usually a queasy stomach, and this is no different. I felt like I was going to vomit most of today-and almost did twice- but still nothing super severe at this point. I'll take some Tums and pray for the best! Finally, my last thing to note:

3. Intense headaches after injection.

Within an hour of my shot, I came down with horrible headaches! They came in waves and kept putting severe pressure on my temples. The lady recommended some Ibuprofen or Tylenol for any that might occur, so I did, but they have yet to work. I guess it's not too bad? It could be worse.

That's all I have for now in regards to the side effects of the shot, but I will be closely monitoring my symptoms as the days go by in this journal! Look forward to more information about the vaccine and the effect on people in my next entry tomorrow. Provided it makes it past the Vocal review process quickly.

Until next time, be safe. Even if you don't believe in the concept of social distancing or wearing masks personally, do it for those of us on the front lines fighting this virus! We work hard and receive very little recognition for our efforts, so don't make things harder. We want this whole ordeal over with too! I want to go to a freaking movie without having to drive out of state to find one that has been closed down for six months. Anyways, you guys out there have to look out for each other, as well as yourselves.

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