<This article has been translated using DeepL so there may be inconsistencies with the translation due to this.>
The first thing I fell into was that I was a citizen of Yokohama.
I have been living in Yokohama ever since I started working.I’m still in my thirties, barely.
Unlike the Tokyo metropolitan government, Yokohama is not a special ward, so we are aware that each ward rarely implements its own measures.Therefore, this scale of Yokohama City was a major bottleneck.
The most populous city in Japan. Even before it started, it was somewhat predictable that the vaccination program would not be implemented in a flexible manner, since it would involve informing and guiding more than 3 million people.
So it would be a lie to say that I was not impatient as I learned more and more, mainly through social networking sites, that people in Tokyo were getting vaccinated first.
To begin with, I have always been skeptical about the effectiveness of vaccinations, especially flu shots.I rarely get the flu, so that’s what I was thinking about.But now that I think about it, I realize that it was more like the feeling that you can’t get COVID-19, that it’s just like a cold even if you have it.
So I feel that not knowing is not good. In the words of Bismarck, the iron-blooded vizier who unified a chaotic Germany in the 19th century.
Fools learn from experience, wise men learn from history
It can be too late to “get it” after experiencing this COVID-19. You may be left with an impaired sense of smell, taste, or even more after-effects. The bottom line is that it may be too late to do anything about it. So, for the time being, I was trying to figure out the quickest way for Yokohama citizens to get vaccinated.
The SDF’s large-scale inoculation center was the only option.
When most of the people in Tokyo started getting vaccinated at the SDF’s large-scale vaccination center, I had not yet received my vaccination coupon.
And as a freelancer, I couldn’t get vaccinated at work unless I was asked to do so by some company. So I felt the only option was to get it at the SDF’s large inoculation center as soon as possible.Of course, I considered the opportunity to get vaccinated at the local clinic, but I felt it was quite probable and tough to get an appointment, so I decided to get vaccinated at the SDF’s large-scale vaccination center first as a priority.
1st vaccination
Vaccination coupons are sent to Yokohama citizens in chronological order, and those in their thirties were quite late in receiving them.
I agree that vaccination should be recommended from the age when people are more likely to get seriously ill, but I realized that in a city with more than 3 million people, this method would not really go smoothly, and as a result, vaccination would be delayed.
After the vaccination coupons arrived safely, I was able to book my first vaccination at the SDF’s large vaccination center at a time when I could really make a recent appointment.
Since it was not yet the difficult time of the year with a huge increase in access, I was able to make a reservation for my desired schedule right away.
The vaccine used at the large scale vaccination center was made by Moderna, so I had many concerns, such as whether the adverse reactions would be stronger than those of Pfizer, but I didn’t know what would happen if I didn’t try it first.
So there was no point in thinking about it before I got it, so I finished the first round of vaccinations smoothly, even though I was a little nervous.The SDF’s large-scale inoculation center was very well operated and we made it to the inoculation with almost no stopping.
The muscle injection was almost painless. The side effects I was concerned about were within the expected range. The left arm that had received the vaccine only showed symptoms similar to muscle pain, but there was no particular fever, and the muscle pain was not at all bothersome after a couple of days.
I feel that one of the best things about the operation at the SDF’s large vaccination center was that I was able to make an appointment for a second vaccination on the spot, which is actually a big deal.
This was not my experience, so it is up to each individual to judge for themselves, but considering the fact that some clinics have to make a second appointment or cancel an existing appointment, I think that the SDF’s large-scale vaccination center was a good choice, as it provided a solid lead-in to the next appointment.
Vaccination for the second time
Four weeks after the first dose, I received the second dose. I had seen on social networking sites that the Moderna vaccine in particular could cause very high fevers, and as I could hardly remember ever having a high fever, I was prepared to see what would happen.
The vaccination itself went smoothly with the same excellent operation as usual, and the second vaccination was completed without any hiccups.
Here’s the problem. How much of a side effect will I get? With a sense of dread.
As for the day I finished the vaccine, I felt a muscle pain-like symptom in my left arm sooner than the first time. It was a bit faster than before.
I had often seen that the full-blown adverse reactions would only appear after about 24 hours, so I was very optimistic that the next day would be the real day.
The next day. I was feeling lightheaded all the time. My fever was in the 37°C range, the first time in a long time for me, and I was afraid it would rise higher than that, so I took Caronal after lunch and dinner.
Thanks in part to this, my fever stayed in the 37°C range the entire next day after the inoculation and did not rise any higher, and I finished the day without any chills, except for a foggy head situation.
Just after 8 p.m., there was a moment when the foggy-headed symptoms suddenly disappeared.
After that, my physical condition suddenly became much better. Since then, I haven’t had any major adverse reactions except for a little bit of muscle pain in my left arm, and my own adverse reactions to the Moderna vaccine ended after just one day.
Thoughts on Vaccines
The final decision is up to the individual, and while I am neither more nor less than that, I feel that it would be unwise to unnecessarily encourage people to believe that vaccines are dangerous.
I’ve already had two vaccines myself. This is a fact. Most of the medical professionals have also been vaccinated.
So, paradoxically, if the vaccine is a bad one, everyone will be in trouble in the future. Because if most of the vaccinated medical personnel will be gone, there will be even more medical collapse than now. So, it should be easy to figure out what to do without saying anything.
I’ve been thinking about it. While many people are sending out various things, there are some things that I find helpful.
What do you think people should do if they have concerns about vaccines?
It’s a bit long, but I think it’s told in very clear language. The person answering is Mr. Ejima.
What is the most important thing now? The most important thing now is not to be misled by false rumors and make wrong decisions.
I think the root of people who send out hoaxes are amusing criminals.It is often the innocent who fall prey to such falsehoods. They target the innocent people and believe them. I feel this chain of events is the saddest thing of all.They are not aware of it. It all comes back to the point of various literacies.
There is a lot of information floating around the internet. It seemed to me that Moderna was said to have strong adverse reactions. But for me personally, the side effects were not as bad as I thought they would be.
“So what!” It may be, but it is very important to be prepared at the very least, and even if your fears turn out to be unfounded, you will be glad you did. It is important to keep in mind that not everything is covered in the book. It is important to keep in mind that not everything is covered.
I really got a lot of perspectives just from this vaccination process.
Writing：Mochizuki Daisaku