My Vaccination Journey, Not Pleasant but Necessary

Written by Nasuha Aiedn

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On the 18th of June, I got my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination at vaccination centres (PPV) at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur. My appointment was at 5:30p.m. So, I decided to go 30 minutes earlier than my appointment. I went to PPV by Grab because it is way easier than driving by myself. Upon arriving at the PPV, there were many people, but everything went pretty smoothly. The volunteers and police there are kind and helpful and the wait was not long for my turn.

A few hours after I got the vaccine, I got my first side effect, which was fatigue and a slight fever. On the second day, I still felt fatigued and had a fever with a headache. On the third day, the spot on my left arm that was vaccinated turned swollen red. The next day, the fever and fatigue lessened but the swollen spot worsened as it got bigger and itchier.

As the swelling got worse, I decided to go to Klinik Kesihatan (KK) for a check-up. The doctor did a blood test on me to check if there’s an infection but there was none. Then they referred me to a specialist dermatologist in HKL since they were unsure of my condition. So, I went to the dermatologist the next day and got consulted by two doctors. They asked me if I had an allergic reaction for any vaccination done before. They told me that this may be the allergic reaction of the Covid-19 vaccine to me. They also told me that some people also got the same allergic reactions but on other parts of their bodies. 

They said it’s their first time getting a case where the allergic reaction is at the injection spot. They told me that the reaction may last for 2 weeks and advised me to avoid scratching the spot to prevent further swelling. By my second appointment, the swelling was getting better, the doctor confirmed that it was just an allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccination, and he gave me a letter to show to the staff at the PPV  to do my second dose on the other arm.

For the second dose, I didn’t get any side effects like the first dose, except for tiredness and a slight headache. So, I just spent the rest of the day resting. On the second day, I felt better. The tiredness and headache from the first day of the second dose is gone. I was happy the second dose did not cause me to have any allergic reaction on the injection spot for the second dose.

This first part of my vaccine journey was not pleasant and some of you may be like me and have side effects however the vaccine is necessary as it may save your life. If you are hesitant consult your doctor or head over to https://covid-19.moh.gov.my/ to do your research. Get the vaccine now as its the norm of life in Malaysia and the world.