What is it like to have the Covid-19 Vaccination?

February 2021 | Reading time: 2 minutes

A VIVO Clinic staff member’s vaccination experience

This morning I received the AstraZeneca vaccine. It all happened very quickly. On Friday afternoon I got a text message with a booking link and three days later I was getting my first injection.

The invitation was somewhat unexpected as I didn’t really consider myself to be in a high-risk category. With that in mind, I contacted my GP to check whether it was a mistake. While part of me didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, a bigger part of me wanted to ensure that by receiving the vaccine, someone more at risk wouldn’t be missing out.

I needn’t have worried. The vaccination rollout is progressing very quickly, and eligible categories now include the over 65s- and 16–64-year-olds with underlying conditions.

The set up for vaccinations varies at every location. For some people, the experience is similar to any other visit to their GPs office, albeit with masks and social distancing. For me, it felt a bit more surreal; a bit like a dystopian movie with biohazard tents set up within a large public services site. I don’t want to put anyone off with that description; the staff were very friendly and, while unusual, the experience felt safe.

I gave my information to the volunteers on the desk when I entered the building. Within minutes I was sitting with the nurse, right arm exposed while she gave me a little bit of information about what to expect.

Once I had been given the injection, I had to go to the waiting area for 15 minutes so that they could ensure I didn’t have a bad reaction. Allergic reactions are very uncommon, but it was reassuring to know that if I did react, I was with staff who know exactly what to do.

While I was sitting there, I looked around at the faces of my fellow patients. I would describe the overall feeling of the room as quietly relieved.

We’ve spent nearly a year with Covid-19 in our lives. I don’t think I fully realised the weight of the underlying worry of contracting the virus. It feels liberating to finally have some of that worry removed.

We’ve still got a long road ahead, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel.