My First COVID vaccination

to see what you old codgers are moaning about

The vaccination process was superb – marshalls (volunteers) to direct drivers to free car parking, queue marshalls to control a queue of one or two people, all persoanl details printed out ready to give you to take to one of the vaccination tables, then a row of socially distanced chairs after the jab to wait on for 15 minutes to see whether you survive the jab. Wear a shirt that you can peel back to reveal the whole shoulder or you will have to take it off.

There is then about a day and a half of mild pain from the relevant upper deltoid muscle which is due to it being stuffed with 5ml of fluid. It feels as if you have been lightly punched on the arm. Over the next week you will encounter a mild feeling of something not being quite right and you will feel disinclined to do anything and perhaps take to your bed for a few hours during the day. Don’t even think about going to work. It affected my hearing a bit as well, sounds were experienced with a bit of tinnyness as if from a cheap speaker. You only realise how much it affected you when it passes off and you feel fine again!

I am told that the young and those with a strong immune system apparently feel worse. Don’t believe any sentence containing the word ‘apparently’.

I got the punched-in-the-arm effect, but only for 24 hours or so. No other effects at all. Nearly a month ago now so I’m pretty sure there weren’t any effects that went away before I noticed them!

Flu jab last November was worse – but not much.

I have just today seen an announcement from a Doctor Hopkins that says we must prepare for a hard winter. Where do they dig these people up from? There are only 14 days of winter left so all she will be able to do is to say ‘I told you so!’. Winter ends on 1 March if you listen to the meteorologists but 20 March is the vernal equinox.

I have just today seen an announcement from a Doctor Hopkins that says we must prepare for a hard winter. Where do they dig these people up from? There are only 14 days of winter left so all she will be able to do is to say ‘I told you so!’.

Given the actual quote, I’m going to suggest — diplomatically — that you’re quoting her out of context for some reason. The comparison she made was with with “last autumn” (obviously 2020, if you read the text), so I presume her concern is for winter 2021/2. That’s not far away in medical planning terms, so highlighting the issue now whilst there’s still time to do something seems pretty sensible.

I am told that the young and those with a strong immune system apparently feel worse.

I keep hearing that, and the matching one about people have had the genuine thing experience a bigger reaction to the jab than those who haven’t.

All I know is that I don’t normally get sick with anything and I major effects with the real thing, then the couple of days following the jab were like mild flu symptoms but with swollen joints. As noted earlier though, my right hand is now working better than it has for about 10-11 months.

Other seasonal diseases?
Hmmm, where did all the flu cases go?
Lockdown has limited more than the spread of Sars-Cov-2

Something that puzzles me. The seasons are all 3 months long, right. Spring is taken as starting on March 21st (Spring Equinox), so summer starts June 21st(summer solstice). But that’s Midsummer’s Day. So summer starts in the middle? Or should March 21st be mid-spring day?

Lockdown has limited more than the spread of Sars-Cov-2

Don’t say that too loudly, otherwise some bright spark will decide we need a lockdown every winter to control flu.

I’ve got a jab booking for Wednesday lunchtime.

OK, guys, how long before he hacks the chip :)

Do you know how much trouble I had getting one that still supports AArch32?

Don’t say that too loudly, otherwise some bright spark will decide we need a lockdown every winter to control flu.

As an introvert who is quite pleased to have had neither the winter flu nor half a dozen colds…

…I have no problem with that. None whatsoever. 😎

I think Midsummer is relating to the growing/harvest season rather than the meteorological one.

I think Midsummer is relating to the growing/harvest season rather than the meteorological one.

It’s easier to note shifts in the sun in the sky than winter – summer weather

I’m going to suggest — diplomatically — that you’re quoting her out of context for some reason.

It was the BBC that quoted her in the form of a headline. It would be a much less interesting story if it was clear that she was referring to next year.

Chris Hill wrote:

It feels as if you have been lightly punched on the arm.

Lightly? Feels like someone has taken an axe to it. I’ve had quite a few jabs for going to the more unpleasant parts of the world, but they’ve never still hurt 24 hours later.

Over the next week you will encounter a mild feeling of something not being quite right and you will feel disinclined to do anything and perhaps take to your bed for a few hours during the day.

Nothing new there.

Don’t even think about going to work.

While working from home, the going isn’t the issue, it’s the doing! I’m about as unproductive as normal today.

Lightly? Feels like someone has taken an axe to it. I’ve had quite a few jabs for going to the more unpleasant parts of the world, but they’ve never still hurt 24 hours later.

Options:

1. You’re a wuss
2. If you’ve got noticeable bruising, then the person with the needle needs more training.¹ It’s like the stab when they take blood samples – always have a phlebotomist do it, and it’s like a housefly landing. Let a doctor do it, and you feel like a horse kicked you.

Over the next week you will encounter a mild feeling of something not being quite right and you will feel disinclined to do anything and perhaps take to your bed for a few hours during the day.

Speaking from experience, that’s just a 10th generation photocopy of a tester for the real thing.

If you read the sheet they usually hand out then you will note the mention of “joint or muscle pain” – real thing: imagine the worst cramp you ever had, bundle it with the worst bruising you had, and spread it around the body. “Joint of the day” and “muscles of the day” were my talking points for a couple of months.

The jab, just and echo.

¹ Any healthcare professional can volunteer, be given training and do the job. That’s ANY healthcare professional, so the office staff count.

Turns out it’s not the jab, the injection site is fine, but an old wound about an inch away has taken the opportunity to get reinfected (so an axe isn’t far wrong). I got about a gallon of puss out of it, and doused it with TCP, and it’s much better.

As for tiredness, I can’t tell, I found the youngest duvet stealer in bed with us this morning, and having your kidneys pummelled by bony knees never makes for a good nights sleep.

Not got the young ones doing nightly Programming stints yet then :-)

Roblox is their thing.

Turns out it’s not the jab, the injection site is fine, but an old wound about an inch away has taken the opportunity to get reinfected (so an axe isn’t far wrong). I got about a gallon on puss out of it, and doused it with TCP, and it’s much better.

Doused an open wound with TCP?

So, after the trip through the ceiling, how is your headache? :)

I got about a gallon of puss out of it, and doused it with TCP

I have a spray with surgical spirit for “doing” trolley handles; also very effective on things like that!

Roblox – had to look that up.

‘Virtual Universe’ Mmm

All this spirit – not going to do our skin much good. :-(

TCP and duct tape – improvised field dressing.

Had my first jab (A-Z) on Tuesday in Durham – all went very smoothly and efficiently. Next day I felt groggy when I woke up, with a headache, achy arm with mild pins and needles all along it and generally feeling below par. Some paracetamol during the day eased the head, but the achy arm took three days to ease off – it’s still a bit tender around the jab site during certain arm movements, but not to the touch.

Had a Pfizer a few weeks ago. Next day my upper arm felt as though I had brushed against something, nothing more, and no other effects. I had almost exactly the same reaction to the flu jab a month or so earlier.