Disclaimer: I am not in any way a medical advisor, associate, or doctor. In this article, I am purely writing only about my personal experiences and opinions. For medical information about the COVID-19 vaccination, please visit WHO’s Coronavirus Disease Vaccination information page.
I currently work part-time as a health care worker, which meant that I could get a vaccination in Japan earlier than most people.
I contemplated really hard when deciding to get the vaccine or not especially because the COVID-19 virus was fairly new to me. However, I knew many people, such as families and friends in the United States and my mother (in Japan), who has already gotten the vaccination, so I decided to get it. I knew that it would be not only best for me but the people around me.
I want to share my experiences getting the vaccination, such as the process and the side effects. However, I have only gotten my first dose (on May 8th), so I will explain my experiences on that only.
The Process of the Vaccination
I arrived 15 to 20 minutes earlier, just in case anything happens, to my vaccination appointment, scheduled around 10 am. During registration, I was to show my documents and picture ID. They told me that I was getting the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Before I went to get my vaccination, they had asked me if I have felt ill or had a fever in the past month. They also asked me if I had any allergies as well. They gave me a few explanations about the vaccines and gave me pamphlets with contact information if I had any problems or questions about the vaccines after my procedure.
Later on, took all my essential document with me and got the vaccination. The vaccination did not hurt, and it finished quite swiftly. I was monitored for 15 minutes in case of an allergic reaction.
The waiting period after the first dosage
I got my vaccination in the morning, and then I went to work that very same day. I was fine, probably because I took some painkillers right before I got vaccinated. However, I started getting side effects the next day.
I knew that it was common to have side effects, so I wasn’t surprised to get it. Some of my side effects were migraines, muscle aches, chest pains, and drowsiness. For me, these side effects lasted for a week. It did bother me a little bit, especially when doing my school work, but I would say it was very doable.
My Thoughts Overall
Although I got my first dosage already, because this Covid-19 situation is very new, I’m still hesitant and contemplating getting my second dosage, especially since I know that the side effects of the second dosage are much worse. However, I was glad that all the nurses and staff at the hospital were very kind, and the process, from registration to the end of the waiting period, was very quick, all done in under 30 minutes on a Saturday. I am also relieved to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that there is hope for the COVID-19 situation.