My Covid-19 Vaccine Experience

Reservation process

I registered my profile on the Makati LGU website https://www.covid19vaccine.safemakati.com.
The reservation form is simple to answer. It has fields to capture personal and health details.

After completing the pre-registration process and submitting the form. I took a screenshot of the confirmation for reference.

In 2 days I received an SMS with a direction to go to Palanan ES for the 1st dose. I was confused when I saw the location.

First, I don't know where is Palanan Elementary school and second is that the nearest vaccination site I know is on the first floor of the same building where I live.
I planned for a course of action about this location issue. I decided I will talk first to the medical officers on the 1st floor to inquire if it is possible for me to be vaccinated there. If not, I will just go to Palanan Elementary school.

So I need to be ready just in case, they will be strict about the location. I researched the location of Palanan Elementary school. Based on Google Maps, it is near Cash and Carry mall which I am familiar with.

First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine

The next morning, I inquired about my aim to request the change of location. Luckily, the medical officers were very kind and approved my requests, and told me to go back to them the next day around 10:30 am – 11:00 am to proceed with my vaccination.

I woke up earlier not to missed my vaccination schedule because I knew it will be more difficult to get another schedule.

I went to the same medical officer who approved my request at the registration area around 10 am. She asked me to fill out the mandatory forms and present a government-issued ID to get my QR code then proceed to Step 2.

In Step 2, the medical officer assigned at that station asked me to show my filled-out form and the government-issued ID I presented in Step 1 for validation.

They asked for some medical history like if I have known allergies, recent surgeries, or any medical issues which could serve as red flags.

Since I don't have any medical issues, they just asked me to write my name, address, signature in their record book and then proceed to Step 3a.

In step 3a, I was asked again to write my basic information in the log sheet of Station 3. Then the medical officer interviewed me again about my medical history.

She also checked my oxygen level and blood pressure. Since I passed again this step, I was asked to proceed to step 3b.

In step 3b, the medical officer is a doctor so the questions are more specific to investigate and look for red flags relating to comorbidities. The doctor advised me of the common side effects of the vaccine and told me that the vaccine is AstraZeneca. Then he told me to proceed to Step 4a.

Step 4a is the vaccination area. In this step, I was asked to fill out their log sheet three times because they don't have any carbon paper. The information they asked to write is the same information I have written in Step 1-3.

After writing my details, I was asked to move to Step 4b. In step 4b, the medical officer is a doctor. She explained very well the AstraZeneca vaccine the possible side effects.

Since my dominant arm is the left side, the doctor injected the vaccine into my right arm. After the injection, the doctor filled out and signed my covid-19 immunization record card and told me that my 2nd dose will be on December 2.

The doctor reminded me to rest and stay at home because the effect of the vaccine may kick in few hours and I may feel dizzy, unwell, or anything in the list she gave. Before going home, she asked me to go to step 5 to conclude the last step.

In Step 5, the medical officer checked my oxygen level and blood pressure and recorded them in their log sheet.

She explained thoroughly the list of the common and minor side effects of the vaccine and then warned me if I experience any major adverse reactions I have to call the Makati Health Department hotline since the Makati Rescue is continuously monitoring and ready to support patients who experience any adverse reactions.
Lastly, I was given paracetamol tablets to be taken (1 tab every four hours) in the onset of any minor side effects like fever, chills, body pain, headache, etc.

After completing the 5 steps, I know that the time is running before I feel the side effects. My assumption based on the flu vaccination I took last year is that I may be unwell for 2 days so I have to prioritize some of my tasks like bank transactions or meetings.

Good thing that I was able to schedule my first dose during my vacation at work so it is easier since my calendar is lighter.

Dealing With the Side Effects

Around 1:30 pm, two hours after the vaccination, I noticed that my right arm felt numb. Then I felt a weird feeling in my tummy like I wanted to vomit. I started to record what I felt and explained to my husband the guides/notes given to me by the medical officer so that he knew everything and could decide well in case of an emergency.

I ignored the feeling of nausea by watching my favorite TV series. At 4 pm, I noticed that the numbness on my right was changed into pain radiating from the injection site, and my body temperature started to increase. But the pain is tolerable, so I didn't take any paracetamol, and I slept to recover.

Around 7 pm, the pain in my right arm was the same, but I felt I had flu. I felt cold, and my muscles started to ache. I still didn't take any paracetamol. I made sure I drank enough water and ate my meals to recover.

Around midnight, I started to have headaches, and my body temperature was rising along with body aches, so I decided to take one paracetamol tablet, and then I slept. My sleep was not continuous because my mind was reacting that I was not feeling well.

I woke up almost mid-day but was still unwell. No more chills, the temperature was high, muscles were aching, and the right arm was still painful and heavy. I took my second paracetamol tablet.

After a few hours, my body temperature was coming back to normal. I continued to drink enough water to hydrate and got some naps.

In the evening, I noticed that my temperature got normalized, no more muscle ache, and the pain in my right arm subsided. I just noticed that I am sweating excessively, but maybe that was the reaction from taking the second paracetamol.