WHAT IS SO CONTROVERSIAL ABOUT THE COVID-19 VACCINE? (I highly suggest you read until the end.)
IS IT THE BRAND? These are the companies that have developed vaccines to-date: AstraZeneca (UK), Bharat Biotech (India), Gamaleya Institute (Russia), Johnson & Johnson/Janssen (USA), Moderna (USA), Pfizer-BioNTech (Germany), Sinopharm (China), Sinovac (China), Novavax (USA)
IS IT THE TYPE OF VACCINE? I won’t bore you with the technical terminology used to differentiate what each vaccine type does, because even I can’t assimilate that information no matter how often I hear it. The bottomline is, only Pfizer is a one-shot-deal, while all the rest need to be taken in two shots, about 21-28 days apart.
IS IT THE CONCERN FOR THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS? Each vaccine has been observed to have their own unique side effects, but generally, they are mostly similar, such as:
- Pain, redness or itchiness at the injection site
- Fever, chills
- Body or muscle weakness, fatigue
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Loose bowel movement (LBM)
- Sleepiness
- Hunger
And not everyone experiences the same side effects, if they experience them at all.
IS IT BECAUSE THE VACCINE WILL NOT ACTUALLY PREVENT YOU FROM CATCHING THE VIRUS AND GETTING SICK WITH IT? (Now, here’s a question..)
- FACT: Even after vaccination, you can still catch the virus and get sick with it.
- FACT: Even after vaccination, you can still become a carrier and pass it on to other vaccinated and non-vaccinated persons around you.
- FACT: Even after vaccination, you still have to comply with health protocols such as washing hands, wearing facemasks and face shields, and following social distancing wherever you go.
SO WHY DO I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE – and I mean EVERYONE, even you healthy people out there – to get the Covid-19 vaccine?
BECAUSE the antibodies that will develop after the first shot, and more so after the second shot, will PREVENT YOU from developing symptoms that will make you vulnerable to the more deadly form of the virus, and will SAVE YOU literally THOUSANDS OF PESOS in HOSPITAL BILLS. I don’t know about you, but lying on a hospital bed with an intubator buried in my throat, for God-knows how many days, IS NOT PART OF OUR HOUSEHOLD BUDGET, not to mention our family life plan.
OUR EXPERIENCE:
Yesterday, my husband and I got our first shots of the Sinovac vaccine, as part of the A3 Priority Group or People with Comorbid Diseases. My husband is borderline Diabetic while I have recurring Rhinitis that can develop into Asthma depending on the season. Mama, being a Senior Citizen diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, got her shots last May 4 (first) and June 2 (second), with Sinovac as well.
Were there side effects? Yes, some. My mom felt hungry and ate very well both days. My husband felt sleepy and was out for the count the whole afternoon when we got back. I felt sleepy but had to wait til night to sleep the night away (I can’t sleep in the afternoons). I also felt a weakness (called ngalay in Tagalog) on my left arm immediately after the shot.
And that was all! No headache, no dizziness, no fever, no chills.. nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, I heard that the flu vaccine, which has to be taken on a yearly basis, causes 3-day fevers and chills, and that the recipient really has to stay home during that time because it’s almost impossible to work. And no, I have never gotten the flu vaccine ever during my adult life. Why? Because I have the ability to cure myself using natural remedies. Now if only the coronavirus was so easy to treat.
So, what are you waiting for?
GO GET VACCINATED!
Life in the Bukids 