General Chat

Same as Caroline, we all had to go to a waiting area and sit for 15 minutes, a volunteer checked me twice while we sat there. No ands, ifs or buts.

OH and I booked separate appointments ....... he had his jab on a Friday and I had mine on the following Monday.

We had originally thought we would do it together, as it turned out our "booking" times were different ............. OH is one year older than I am, and at that time (early March) booking times were moving one year at a time.

But I had also heard that some people were having feverish symptoms with Pfizer and I decided that it would be better if we had the jab done at different times, just in case we both got those. We've both been sick at the same time before now, and it ain't easy!

As it happened, OH had no symptoms, and I just had a sore-ish arm for about a day and a half ................ it only hurt when I lifted my arm or tried to pick up something, so it was more like a muscle strain.

The jab had to be given in the arm not "used", ie left arm for me, even though that is the side I sleep on. But it didn't hurt to lie on the arm, only when I tried to reach for something.

We had to sit and wait for 15 mins as well for both jabs.

We had walked to our surgery for both our jabs (the Pfizer one) but we also had to wait 15 minutes each time before we could leave. I am surprised not everyone had to do this. Isn’t the idea to be sure you aren’t going to have an immediate reaction to the jab? If you do react then it must be better that it happens where help is available than when you are walking home.

No cotton wood, no swab, no waiting. I think they would have got through fewer vaccinations if there had been a 'log jam' of people kept back for 15 mins afterwards.
I asked if I would have to wait and was told 'no, that's for pfizer' I had AZ.

Island .................

whether we had to wait or not, made no difference to the line-up for vaccination.

The waiting area was in a completely different area of a huge theatre from where people entered, checked in and got their jabs, and was staffed by a different group of volunteers, with medical assistance nearby. There were always at least 3 people watching the 40 or so people sitting the 15 minutes, as well as 1 or 2 wandering around.

It was all planned and worked well.

The only possible problem I noticed was that we left the waiting area via a different door to the theatre, but then went into the entrance hall, and out through the only Entrance/Exit door by passing by people sitting waiting to go into the check-in area or people lining up to get their new mask or queuing up to get in. It would have been better to have had separate Entrance and Exit ............. but that building is huge, and I guess they didn't want people wandering around in there for longer than necessary.

As SuffolkVera said, the 15 minutes was mandatory because it is intended to catch the few people who suffer an immediate allergic reaction. I also thought that it was mandatory everywhere.

We even had to sit and wait 15 minutes after we had our flu shot last year, and that was the first time that had happened.


OH walked and took the Skytrain to the Casino, literally just across the river from where we live although one has to go round 3 sides of a square to get there. The Skytrain goes to the airport, and had a stop right outside the Casino building, so all he had to do was walk 15 minutes to the Skytrain stop on the north side of the river, across the river, and then 2 stops on the other side. Then repeat the trip in reverse.

He drove me there, took only about 10 minutes to cross the road bridge and get to the parking lot, and we were directed to the handicapped parking right outside the door, even though I don't have a Blue card.

Sylvia.......

I was merely stating the process at our local hub - a gp surgery which is rather smaller than 'a huge theatre'.
I am confident that they knew what they were doing regarding waiting or not. Trust me, if anyone had keeled over on their way home it would have been known all over town.

Ours are also at a GP surgery, but we had appointments, which were spaced so that there were never too many people there at any time. The waiting time was spent in a room that is usually used for Physiotherapy appointments and we left by the fire door.

Sylvia, we have always had to sit around for 10 minutes after flu jabs, although nobody actually checks that we obey!

That would be good if it were so, Rollo, don't you think?

I hope it is! I'll have to ask about it.

My OH I are in 70+ bracket, we both had some reaction after the first jab and none or almost none after the second.

My 35 year old daughter had NO reaction after her first jab, not even a sore arm,but did feel rough after her second.

My 40 year old son is hoping that after his second he will take after his parents.

Much more likely as an answer is that she had Pyzer and the rest of us had AZ.

I am 60 + and had no reaction at all from both AZ jabs not even a sore arm where the needle went in. OH felt a bit flu like for a day after his AZ jabs

No more AZ jabs are being given as first dose over here, anyone who has already had it MAY be given the option of AZ again or Pfizer or Moderna when it is time for the second jab.

AZ was being given only to under 30s for a time, but the Health Officers in all Provinces have stopped that.

Most of the AZ vaccine doses that are already here and in the care of the Provinces are out-of-date by the end of May or June ...... the question of course is what to do with them. I gather there is some thought that the ones that are still good until the end of June could be sent to India. The ones that are out of date by the end of May, could be offered to children between the ages of 12 and 17 who are now able to get the vaccine in some if not all Provinces, or offered to under 30s in "hot spots".

The AZ was never available at the time that even the over 60s were getting their first jab. Canada approved and received Pfizer first, then Moderna later.

Both OH and I had Pfizer, he had no problems while I felt as though I had a mild muscle sprain when I lifted my arm for about 24 hours.

Daughter and her OH, in another province, received their first jab of Moderna on Thursday. They both had slightly sore arms on Thursday evening but I haven't heard anything since.

Pfizer seems to have become the "trusted" one here, with few major side effects reported ....... mainly slightly sore arms, a little fever, or a cough.

After both my AZ jabs I was asked to sit in the car park for 15 minutes (I had no reaction to either). After my second jab.......I got a STICKER, it was popped on my top by the lady who stamped my record card on the way out ha ha.

I had covid in December, hospitalised for 8 days (extremely luckily not in ICU) I do wonder if that made any difference when I had my jabs, eg no side effects whatsoever......a tiny circular sticking plaster was applied both times no blood when removed.

My vaccine station (small local football ground) was GP lead, the surgery I’m with + 2 others, extremely efficient, quick and painless.

They're using the AZ ones here for the next week or so for anyone that wants their second AZ jab, so in some cases, they'll get it earlier than they would have.

As for stickers my OH got a sticker and I didn't, he wore it for days on his jacket to show off :-)

Just had second Astra zenica jab. Did have cotton wool, he said it was 'just in case' to keep my top clean. As it turns out, when I removed the cotton wool at home, it was bloodstained, so glad they put it on. Needle must have caught a small blood vessel on the way in.

Remember Glad who used to catch the sausage sandwich bus with Fred? Well, she died last July, at the age of 100, leaving her 72 year old, useless, son who liked his beer and didn't cook much.

He felt unwell after his second jab, Pfizer, same as me, and consulted the doctor who ruled out Covid and gave him some sort of medicine which didn't appear to work.

He was found dead in his house last week and there has been a post mortem, the result of which, I do not yet know.

It could have no connection whatsoever to his vaccination and was probably a co-incidence. To me it resembles the death of my ex who was an alcoholic who had lived with his mum, also an alcoholic (I know how to pick 'em!). He stopped eating and died of bronchial-pneumonia, which I believe is a disease of neglect.

I got the Pfizer vaccine and am now on my 15 minute wait.

Good to know you are well on the way now to being protected.

I hope you feel OK.

Thank you Gwyn. My arm feels sore but otherwise I’m alright so far.

I had to wait after my first Pfizer but not the second. Hubby had Astra and was told to wait the first time but just told not to drive for 15 minutes after the second. Neither of us had any wipes (I'm allergic to them anyway) or cotton wool/plasters. We didn't have cotton wool, wipes or plasters with our flu jabs last year either.

Hope your okay Tawny today & all's well after your jab x