As soon as I heard about the registration for the AstraZeneca vaccine is open, I immediately registered on the 1st of May and chose Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) Shah Alam, citing close proximity from home and I chose today's date so as to clear Ramadhan - just in case because I have been reading about how you should drink plenty of water post-vaccination.
And that brings me to my next point. As stated earlier, I have a habit of jumping into something blindly. The truth is, I didn't know a single thing about vaccination, nor was I aware that there were many different types. It wasn't until I kept receiving conspiracy theories about this particular vaccine from none other than WhatsApp groups - because we ALL know that WhatsApp groups are the number one source for "legitimate news" (read: absolute bullshit).
To be completely honest, I did get nervous. My mom's concern over the possibility of me suffering from blood clot did get to me for a bit, but doing more reading taught me that the likelihood is very, very slim and as I don't have any sketchy medical history, I felt confident - also aided by my brother's persuasion to just go for it. Still, I was generally nervous about having things injected into my body. But this is far from the first time I've had a form of vaccination and I have decided that I'd rather have anything happen to me alone because of the vaccine rather than me not taking the vaccine, catching the virus and then infecting my parents and grandmother, who are all high risk individuals.
Just to be clear, taking the vaccine doesn't mean I can never get infected - I can still get infected by the virus. What the vaccine does is ensure that I don't require intensive care if I ever get the virus AND that I won't infect those in close contact with me. Still, that doesn't mean I should run around mask-free and go about doing my daily things and then eat or drink without washing my hands.
Days gone by after the registration. Witnessed the most boring Aidilfitri ever followed by my first day at my new job. Before I know it, I find myself going up the escalator leading from the parking basement to the hall about five minutes to 4 PM.
Having checked in via MySejahtera (the normal check in), I was ushered to a briefing just outside the hall and given a registration form as well as a queue number. I didn't have to fill it in yet - although I can if I wanted to but I didn't bring my pen - and we were briefed on what to fill in the form. We were told to fill our names, identification number and the type of vaccine we're in for - in this case, AZ - but NOT to sign at the bottom of the paper, at least not yet.
Going into the hallway after the briefing, I immediately asked for a pen from one of the volunteers there. It was at this time when I overheard a conversation between two of them - didn't see who were they as they were behind me but all I heard was one of them is 19 years old and the other was 21 or 22 and I thought to myself: "these people are younger than I thought." Not sure why, but I find it impressive. Maybe I haven't been interacting or even seen people my age in a long time, I don't know.
Anyway, moving on. Having filled the form, I walked to
the first counter as my number is called, where I'm required to scan for the vaccine through
the MySejahtera app (this time it's under the vaccination profile) and show my IC to the person in charge of that counter. Having done that, I moved on to the next stage. There, I only waited for no more than a minute before I walked up to the second counter where I'll meet one of the doctors in charge for some questioning. Using this opportunity, I also presented a question on behalf of a colleague, and she was cheery and more than happy to answer my questions. Having also explained what I'll be getting myself into, I moved on to the next stage.
Here, it was the moment I've been anticipating for - my first dose. I walked to my assigned room where there was another person receiving his first dose - or maybe second, I don't know. What I didn't realise was that there were TWO vaccinators in there, so one room can jab two people at once, which is really handy when you're dealing with THOUSANDS of people in the span of few hours. Also, did I mention that there were LOTS of counters and all of them are actually open, unlike some supermarkets with lots of counters but only less than half of them are open? All of that really made for a smooth flow for both the staff and dependents like me.
The whole process was very quick. Only 15 minutes separate between the
moment I walked into the hallway right until my first jab. It would have
been faster, had I not have questions on behalf of a colleague for the
doctor on duty there. But it's not an issue at all, and the whole thing
happened too quickly, I didn't have the time to update my friends and
family about it. I did managed to snap a few pictures you see here,
though.
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| I was advised to look in front, so I did the next best thing |
I briefly scared my vaccinator when I was pulling my sleeve up - which was a bit difficult for some reason - and there was that dreaded "CRAAAACK" sound. Thinking that I've torn my shirt, he expressed how glad he was that he wasn't the one pulling my shirt, and I simply said that it can be replaced easily, and then joked that life will be more difficult if "member koyak". Having laughed a bit, he then summarised to me what the vaccine is about and how much dose is jabbed into me. After all that's said, it was time for the jab. He told me to look forward, so I did the next best thing and took my phone out for an injection selfie, because why not right? The whole process was over before I could even lock my phone after this shot. The sensation is best described as "being pinched for not completing your school homework" and I guess not looking at the needle helps. Again, I am told to scan the vaccination QR code via MySejahtera vaccination profile just to inform the system that I've successfully completed my first dose.
Finally, it was the 15-minutes observation period just to ensure no serious or strange things happen to me after the vaccination. It was at this time when I finally have the time to update my family and friends that I have already vaccinated and once again, I forgot to snap a few pictures. I was eventually called to the final counter of the day just to collect my vaccination card and with that, I can already make my way back home.
Now, this vaccination card is VERY important as not only it serves as your proof of vaccination, but also tells you the date of your next appointment for your second dose of vaccination. You are advised to check into MySejahtera within 12 weeks for your next dose. So DON'T LOSE THIS CARD! Or else, you can kiss your second dose Bye Bye Bye...
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| And just like that, I'm vaccinated! |
As of the moment of this writing, the only side effects of the vaccination I'm currently going through right now is feeling generally tired and my left hand - the one that received the injection - being noticeably sluggish compared to my right and a slight hint of running nose. Of course, I'll do my best to update as the days go on. Until then, I'm going to crash now as I may go to work tomorrow. Good night, stay safe and go get vaccinated when you can!
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