Or to be quite clear, I got my COVID vaccine!
I was quite excited to hear from my doctor a couple of days ago. She was scheduling me for my first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and told me to come the following morning.
I was at the clinic a bit earlier that my schedule, a couple of people were already there, waiting in line outside. After about 15 minutes, the nurse opens the door to let us in to the waiting room. She told us to sit away from each other, and came to us in turns with hand sanitizer and she took our temperature after.
She gave me an English form (very efficient). I know others already came with pre-filled forms to save time (but I don’t have a printer at home, so I didn’t bring my own form). The questionnaire contains Yes-No questions about your general and recent health conditions.
Download the Hungarian form HERE.
I only needed to wait some 10 minutes before the doctor called my name. She asked me if I read anything in particular about the AstraZeneca vaccine, and explained the risks to me. She told me which symptoms to look out for, like blood clots that look like bruises on the skin, extremely painful headaches, and that I should call her right away if I do develop symptoms.
Then came the jab! Then it was over, just like that. My HPV vaccine was so much worse than this. This felt normal, actually.
After that, I was told to stay in the waiting room. This is to check if I develop any symptoms immediately following the shot. Thankfully, nothing happened to me. After 20 minutes, the nurse hands me a sheet of paper containing my vaccination details, including the schedule of the next dose.
Overall, it was a very organized process. In fact, I would say that from registration, to communication, to the actual vaccination, it was hassle-free and seamless. I thank the Budapest district 9 administration and most especially Dr. Palko Judit for this problem-free experience!
The process is really simple!
- Register for the vaccine – Everyone needs to register with their TAJ number.
- Confirm registration – After step 1, you may also want to double-check if your details have been successfully recorded.
- Wait for your schedule – Wait for your doctor’s call or email for schedule. This process varies depending on the city, or district. Some people received their schedules by email, some by phone call.
- Vaccination day – Arrive promptly for your appointment to the designated place.
Any side effects?
I was fortunate to not get a lot of the negative side effects. About an hour after the shot, my arm was numb and I felt dizzy, but it wasn’t serious. In the afternoon, I started to feel cold. In the evening, I got a slight fever, which thankfully didn’t develop into a full-blown one. The morning after, I felt a bit weak, but again, nothing serious. I was up and about in the afternoon! It varies from person to person. You can read about the general side effects of the vaccine, but it will really depend on how your body will respond to it.
Get vaccinated!
I cannot stress this enough: vaccines work! We need this in order for us to finally regain some normality in our lives. Get yourselves vaccinated: you are not only doing it for yourselves – you are doing it for your family, for your friends, and for your country.
