First of all instead of needing a booster jab, I needed a 3rd jab because I was on immunosuppressants when I had my first two. It’s the same injection but it’s how it’s recorded on the system that matters as I will need to have a booster jab in 3-6 months time and if it’s not recorded as a third jab then I won’t be able to book a follow up booster. We all know that when the time comes to book my booster I’m going to have loads of problems because that’s just how things go.
The issue I have had is that when I had my first two jabs I was told that I couldn’t have the Phizer one due to all of my drug allergies and phizer is pretty much the only one being offered in Nottingham as a booster. So when it came to booking this one I tried to find out where I could go to get Astra Zeneca or Moderna. Now you’d think that if you rang 119, the Covid ‘hotline’, they’ve be able to tell you what vaccination centres have which vaccine. But no, that’s way too sensible and apparently they have no idea what each vaccination centre is administering. So I went to my GP surgery to see if they had any AZ vaccines but they weren’t even doing the vaccinations at the practice and the clinic they referred their patients into were only offering phizer.
So I was told to go to the big vaccination centre, at Forest Recreational Ground in the city centre. They were supposed to have AZ there but I wasn’t holding my breath. I turned up yesterday for my appointment half expecting to be out again in minutes when they told me they only had Phizer but to my surprise they were offering both Phizer and Moderna. Moderna was being given for boosters and Phizer for the first, second and third jabs. So there was initially some confusion as to what queue I should go into. Although I was getting my third I was put into the booster queue so I could get given Moderna but when I sat down and started explaining everything to the vaccinator she immediately called the doctor and nurse over.
We went through my multiple drug allergies and what happens which includes anaphylaxis and fitting with some of them. We went through all my medications and what immunosuppressive medications I was on earlier in the year. Then they went online and went through the allergy procedure flowchart to ascertain which vaccine was best for me. Apparently the allergy advice has changed quite a bit since I was given the first two injections and it turns out that the ingredient in Phizer they were initially concerned about I’ve had in other medications with no problems so that suggested that I would be ok with the Phizer vaccine. The doctor did offer to fill out an allergy referral meaning I would then get a phonecall from another doctor to confirm which vaccine was safe but she also said that she wouldn’t risk giving it me if she thought I would go into anaphylactic shock and end up needing to be resuscitated so I was happy with that. I mean, nobody needs that kind of hassle on a Wednesday morning do they?
So I was taken from the Moderna section to the part of the centre that was doing Phizer. After going through a few more questions it was time for the needle. Now we are in the middle of storm Barra and I live in the Midlands so I had a lot of layers on. I had to wrestle with my body warmer, jumper, long sleeved top and a shirt sleeved top just to get down to my vest. It was a bit like some undignified human version of pass the parcel, only there’s no sweets at the end just a pasty, middle aged woman’s arm!
Needles don’t bother me in the slightest and this one was so tiny I didn’t even feel it go into my arm. Seconds later and it’s all done and I begin the process of putting back on all the layers.
And just to make it a really, really fun day in the afternoon I went for my smear test. Smear tests are no laughing matter as they save the lives of up to 4500 women in England each year (source here) but when the nurse came round the curtain wearing a miners headlamp I pissed myself laughing.
I kid you not. This is what she actually had on her head😂 I thought she was going to be mining for gold, not looking for my cervix! In all seriousness though, if you get an invite to go for a smear test then go. Yes, it’s a bit embarrassing. Yes, it’s a bit uncomfortable. But it could save your life. And I would rather a 3 minute fumble in my foo-foo than the weeks and months of invasive treatment for cervical cancer.
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