Journey to the Vaxx – My Vaccination Experience

“Journey to the Vaxx” had been a fun experience for me. As a pharmacist, I am pleasantly surprised by how advanced medical technology can be nowadays. It does feel like a miracle to have multiple types of vaccines available about a year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic.

I remember vividly the thrill I felt when the news broke that Pfizer has secured the emergency authorization for their vaccine in the US. While the general public was skeptical of the vaccine back then, I always have trust that the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) will make the right decision.

While community pharmacists were not included in the Phase 1 of PICK (Program Imunisasi COVID-19 Kebangsaan) initially, we secured early vaccination after great efforts from Malaysian Pharmacist Society (MPS) and the Malaysian Government.

7th April was the day where most community pharmacists based in Kuala Lumpur received our appointment for vaccination. Most, if not all of us, were assigned between April 12th (Monday) to April 16th (Friday). MySejahtera updated a week later. I was grasped by a paroxysm of thrill and joy when I spotted the blue MySejahtera icon on my phone’s notification bar. I quickly confirmed my appointment on the app. Make sure you do the same as well.

Credits to my mom for taking these screenshots (Yes, I registered both my parents for the Astrazeneca Vaccine). I was too excited for my vaccine appointment and I forgot to screenshot for educational purposes. 😂

Fast forward to the day of my first dose vaccination, I reached one hour early (my appointment was 12pm but I reached around 11am). They let me in nonetheless. My heart was beating fast. Not out of fear but really out of pure excitement.

First Station: Triage Station

I was asked to scan the usual MySejahtera Check-In after scanning my temperature. I was then led to the first station where my IC was checked against a list of names. The first station is where that ‘Click here to scan vaccination location QR when you arrive’ link is for. After scanning, I was given a tag and the consent form to fill in. At the waiting zone, the vaccination center had an announcement repeated every 3-5 minutes. The announcement was mainly on the type of vaccine we were getting (Comirnaty a.k.a Pfizer Vaccine).

Note: You may fill up the form. Do not sign until you get to the next station. You are required to sign the consent form under the witness of a doctor.

Second Station: Consent / Counselling Station 

The consent / counselling station was quite straightforward. The doctor asked me regarding my allergy status (whether I have a history of severe medication allergy). After confirming my consent, I was asked to move to the station opposite of the counselling station where the staff checked my IC and MySejahtera app again. After these stations, MySejahtera App will show ‘Click here to scan vaccine code’ instead of ‘Click here to scan vaccination location QR when you arrive’.

It will be similar to this screenshot that I took during my second jab. Apologies for not taking a screenshot during my first shot. My mind was not in the mood back then 😁

Third Station: Vaccination Station

Let’s be honest here. I was a little afraid of the needle. While waiting for my turn outside of the vaccination tent, my mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of needle and injection. I was so panicked to the extent that I slipped entering the vaccination tent. The nurse had a good laugh. I was then asked to scan the code on the desk. She was very nice and we had a very pleasant conversation. She promised me to go ‘as slow as possible’. I guess she could see the panic look on my face. She was a real ‘pro’. I could not feel a thing, not even the needle going in. The only thing I felt was the needle on my skin. Zero pain.

Fourth Station: Post-Vaccination Station

This is where your MySejahtera status is updated. If you are among those who have a high risk of developing side effects, you may be kept up to 30 minutes here.

Last Station: Vaccination Card Station

Be rewarded with a Vaccination Card after going through all the stations!! I will definitely laminate my card as a token of remembrance.

Bonus Station: Photo Booth

That is me on the left. I am glad to share the same vaccination session with three other CARiNG Pharmacists.

Second Dose

There really is not much to talk about the second dose. Everything was very much the same except the counselling part. The doctor spent a long time asking about the side effects I had after my first dose. You will not get another consent form during your second appointment. Of course, one of the main satisfactions (other than the immunity) was watching your Vaccination Certificate turn GOLD. Yes, GOLD.

Side Effects?

After the first dose, I experienced lethargy and malaise. Surprisingly, I did not feel much after my second dose. Maybe that is because I was resting at home the day after my second dose.

My mom is fine as well after receiving the Astrazeneca vaccine on May 10th.

But I would like to emphasize something important here. Do not buy into anecdotal evidence.

Just because I felt fine after vaccination does not mean you will feel the same way. The same applies the other way round. You should not be spooked if one of your friends experienced some side effects. It is good to know how your friends feel after vaccination but it should not affect your decision on getting vaccinated.

The vaccines are approved by PBKD (Pihak Berkuasa Kawalan Dadah) after weighing the risks and benefits. Trust the professionals. There is zero medication in the world that has zero side effects. But the benefits of getting vaccinated far outweighs the risks.

Why Get Vaccinated?

We are in this all together. We can never return to normalcy without getting a significant portion of Malaysians vaccinated. I strongly encourage every eligible adult to do our part as that we should consider those who cannot get vaccinated such as the kids. They are only safe when the virus is eradicated by herd immunity.

Shared by Nick Yap, a CARiNG Pharmacist.