Vaccines and Fear

Even after shielding for almost a year from a potentially deadly virus that is threatening mankind, I was unsure whether I wanted to be injected with, what is hopefully, a vaccine.

The world is in the grip of a viral pandemic, covid-19, and I am considered clinically extremely vulnerable because catching it would likely make me more ill than most people.

Life threateningly so.

Fear is my new normal.

I have a few disabilities that affect my immune system and physical functions. I also have stage two heart failure.

My reluctance to have the vaccine was due to my own reluctance to have foreign things injected into my body and of the alternative media coverage coupled with my own distrust of the Government.

When I received the text from my local surgery asking me to book in for the vaccination I was literally in two minds about whether to do so. After much thought I decided to trust my primary instinct and have the vaccine, with the idea that maybe in the future, at some point, I might be able to go outside normally again and see the family and friends that I really miss. 

My experience was a lot better than I thought it would be and even showed me that many of the myths surrounding the vaccine are not true.

I used the link provided on the text to book in for my vaccine and it was a very easy process. I just had to provide my date of birth and then pick a convenient day and time.

When I turned up at the surgery, there was a queue but because I am a wheelchair user I got to use an alternative door that was easier for me to get in. Otherwise people are taken on a first-come first-served basis.

There are 5 people in the room and each vial of vaccine is enough for five or six people.

The nurse administering the vaccine was my diabetic nurse and the doctor supervising was my old GP who had come out of retirement, voluntarily, to help. This really made me feel better.

I had the Pfizer AstraZeneca vaccine and after I was injected I was given a sticker with a time on it and I had to stay until the time was up (15 minutes), just in case I had a reaction. I did not and nobody I saw that day either.

Here are the fears I had and from my experience do not appear to be true:

·       The vaccine contains a microchip. 

The only time in which I identified myself was just before I received the vaccine, so that they can take note of who was being vaccinated.

·       The vaccine will change your DNA.

It is not possible for a protein vaccine to alter DNA. It will provide further instructions to your RNA in order for your immune system memory to remember the protein to fight covid-19 should you ever get it.

·       The vaccine has content tailored just for you.

I received the same vaccine as 5 other totally different individuals. Different ages, ethnicities and genders on a first-come first-served basis.

·       The vaccine will make you infertile.

Firstly, I don't really mind if it did because I never plan on having children but secondly it is highly unlikely that a protein-based vaccine would have this capability and there is no evidence so far for this to be true.

·       Having the vaccine will give you covid-19.

It is protein-based and this is impossible because you are not being injected with covid-19.

The side effects of having the vaccine will make you really ill.

I only had two side effects and they were that my arm, where I had the injection was a little tender for the evening post injection and I felt a little bit achy.

I do know some people that have had a little bit of nausea, headache or a little bit of a fever but that only lasts for the evening and like me, they were fine the next day.

 

I hope that by sharing my experience people will be a little bit less afraid if they decide to have the vaccination.