Yesterday I went with my wife to get the first dose of the new corona vaccine.
The vaccination site in Ryugasaki City is the general gymnasium, which is about a 20-minute bus ride from Ryugasaki Station and quite far from my house.
When I arrived at the venue, I had to submit a medical questionnaire and my ID card to the receptionist.
After the temperature check, there was no waiting time and the vaccination was over in a flash.
Although there was a 15-minute observation period afterwards, it took only 20 minutes from the time I entered the hall to the time I left.
Since the vaccine is made by Pfizer, the second dose is supposed to be given within 3 to 6 weeks of the first one.
Due to my wife's work schedule, we decided to have the second dose on November 3.
Apparently, the vaccine doesn't actually take effect until 7 days after the second dose, so even if you get infected after November 10, the risk of getting seriously ill is quite low. So I guess I can live with a little peace of mind.
According to a recently distributed city newsletter, as of September 5, 56% of those eligible for vaccination in Ryugasaki City had completed the second round, and 88.9% of those over 65 had.
The national average for the same day was 43.5%, so the vaccination rate in Ryugasaki City was 12.5 percentage points higher than the average, although it was slow to start.
After the vaccination, my wife took a medicine called Tylenol, which we bought last week as a precaution.
My wife told me that antipyretic analgesics containing acetaminophen are effective in treating fever after vaccination.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's website also says it is effective.
Fortunately, neither my wife nor I have had any adverse reactions to the vaccine other than a sore shoulder from the injection.
I plan to apply for a vaccine passport after the second round of vaccinations.
