The day had finally arrived for my second covid-19 vaccination. Originally scheduled for three weeks after the initial shot, a two-week delay pushed my vaccination to September 11th. Once again, I received the Pfizer version.
I had plans to meet my Korean co-teacher and we would walk together to the clinic. The meeting time was 9:50am. At around that time, I get a text saying she'll be there at 9:55am. She had slept through her alarm. Our appointment is at 10am. Again, shortly after that, she sent another text saying that she forgot her identification card and that she was running home to get it. I was to meet her at the clinic instead, even though I wasn't exactly sure where it was located. I ended up walking past the building but found it after some backtracking.
At 10:15am, we were signed in, temperature checked, and seated in the waiting room, which was much more crowded than during our previous visit. My worries of having missed my chance at a vaccine because of my Korean coworker's tardiness were unwarranted.
I was helped to fill out the required forms, and our identifications cards were not requested. Eventually, we were called into the doctor's office for a brief interview before the vaccination. The doctor remembered me from last time. Although I didn't understand much of the interview, I believe the doctor asked about allergies, reactions to the previous injection, and other such questions.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the injection room. A nurse was shouting, calling for the doctor. Nurses and the doctor rushed into the room. I saw a woman go down and then laid flat on a bed. They applied an oxygen mask and raised her legs. The nosy people in the waiting room gathered around until the nurses pushed them back. A young woman in her 20s had apparently fainted.
The mood instantly changed in the waiting room. People were concerned, and quiet. My Korean co-worker, who was already nervous about the vaccine, had a look of extreme consternation. If she could've bolted, I'm sure she would have dashed for the door and not looked back.
When calm had been restored, we were called into the injection room. The woman who had fainted was still there, lying on the bed, her eyes closed. I received my injection without incident. We were required to wait in the room for 10 minutes before leaving. It was awkward sitting so close to this semi-conscious woman laying on the bed. There were several others in the room waiting for their 10 minutes to expire.
I was observing another woman who had received her injection just before me. Her back was turned, but she started to sway back and forth on her stool. Just as I expected her to faint, the nurse came by and spoke with the woman. She said she was having trouble breathing and then she went down. After reviving her, the nurse and doctors helped her to the bed. All this happened right in front of me. There were now two women, who were injected within moments of my shot, laying on beds recovering from their fainting spells. This certainly doesn't help with vaccine confidence, but I had seen plenty of people become faint after donating blood in Canada, so this was nothing new for me.
We left the clinic and my Korean co-teacher insisted that I buy some Tylenol in case I experienced any symptoms after the injection, even though I initially refused. The Tylenol cost 2500 won but I didn't use it. I was completely fine. I even felt better than after the first vaccine.
My Korean co-teacher on the other hand told me that she was feverish for three days after receiving the vaccine and her arm was in great pain and she struggled to move it. I had heard that other people had difficult symptoms, especially after the second vaccine, but I was lucky, I guess.
After about 2 more weeks, the vaccine should take full effect and I will be as protected as possible from COVID-19. It's a great relief because I have waited a very long time for these vaccinations. COVID-19 cases in Korea are up, but the city of Busan remains relatively unaffected with only 49 confirmed cases today.
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