3 CommentsMy first vaccine appointment took approximately three hours, and I spent the next 24 hours with just some slight soreness in my arm. My second appointment was very different, and I’m here to tell you about it!
After waiting in line for three hours at my first vaccine appointment at the Javits Center, I was honestly dreading going back for the second dose. Though I was excited to be fully vaccinated, my sore feet and the long lines of my first experience had yet to leave my mind. I prepared the same way I had for my first appointment: I wore comfortable clothes and sneakers, brought water and snacks, and prepared for a long few hours. When I pulled up to the Javits Center, however, I was met with a very different sight.
The Javits Center was almost empty, and I nearly laughed when the security guard told me I could head right inside instead of walking around the block to the end of a line. Before I knew it, I was sitting down at a table with a volunteer to check in and go over some basic questions. After that, I was led to the final line where I would wait to actually get the shot. All of this happened in about ten minutes, which was a pretty big difference from the approximately two hours it had taken me to get to this point during my first appointment.
I waited in the second line for about ten more minutes before I was seated at a table with the healthcare worker who would be delivering my vaccine. She needed some new supplies, so we chatted while we waited for one of the National Guard members to replenish the table. When I told her how different this experience was from my first vaccine appointment, she told me that those long lines had actually been an outlier in the Javits Center’s operation, and most days actually looked more like the quick process I was seeing today. She told me that the more relaxed I was, the less painful the shot would be, so we took some deep breaths together to loosen my muscles. The healthcare worker also warned me that the side effects for the second dose would likely be more intense than those for the first dose, but staying hydrated could help ease the symptoms.
As soon as I walked to the observation area to wait out my 15 minutes, I became focused on drinking as much water as I possibly could. For the rest of the day, I experienced a bit of soreness in my arm and some tiredness, but I generally felt perfectly fine. About 12 hours after the shot, however, I started to notice more aching, fatigue, and chills. This was about 5 am, and I knew that I had a fever almost as soon as I woke up. The fever lasted on and off for the rest of the day, and I took Tylenol to help with some of the symptoms. In addition to the fever, there was some very mild soreness in my arm, and I had a really intense headache throughout the day (although it’s hard to say if this was a result of the vaccine or just a random headache). I tried to stay as hydrated as possible and spent the day resting and napping.
Though 24 hours of fever and chills isn’t exactly how I would choose to spend a day, it has been helpful to remember that I am doing my part to protect others from COVID-19 by dealing with the short-term side effects and symptoms of the vaccine. I have also enjoyed picturing a little army inside my body preparing for battle, but that might be more of a personal thing than good advice. I would still absolutely recommend getting your vaccine at the Javits Center if you have the opportunity to do so, especially now that it seems like they have spread out their appointments and increased their staff, leading to lower wait times!
Javits Center Photo via Flickr
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3 Comments
@Anonymous do you have to take an appointment for the second dose again?
@Anonymous Not my experience at all. I was scheduled for J&J the day they closed the facility. Was told I wasn’t in their list, I shows my phone that had conformation. Was asked if I would take Pfizer I said yes. I followed all rules with allergies in my past none relating to vaccine. I got clearance from immunologist. Was give epi pen in case. Nervous but willing I gave my arm. Immediately I felt an headache and broke out in a sweat. It’s a foreign invader what can I say? They took my b/p it was high but I drank water and calmed down. Here is where it gets crazy.
Return date was 21 days later. Person in booth read my file and asked if I wanted to know what to expect. Expect I answered? Something new, feeling perplexed I was ushered to a nurse. How do u feel? Fine I said. Ready to go! She said u know this will be 3 times or more worse then the last. Excuse me? It wasn’t that bad some chills I also had surgery that week it was a long wk. like a conspiracy she called over a dr. Young girl took a look at me and said u have allergies? I was getting tired now yes but 2 drs both I can call gave #’s ok me for vaccine. I didn’t react to first one some elevated b/p it went down I am fine.
I get the doc and the psychic nurse to tell me they KNOW for a fact my side effects will be terrible ( who say this to a patient) I said no one knows how we will react. They refused to do the vaccine, wrote down my phone # on a sheet of paper I said u can’t be serious, what do I do now? We will call you, call me for what I am here. Every word is true. I was ushered out. I was shocked I said I came all this way you throw me out in the rain? What if I get Covid I am almost 70. We will call you. We r not a hospital you need a hospital I said my drs cleared me. How dismissive and rude. I was on the phone 4 hrs can not get a 2 nd apt from a different facility. That included a hospital 1 st vaccine had to b from there. They don’t tell us this? Just leave a senior alone with half a vaccine.
I was told she gave me wrong info no kidding she should have said bring in a dr letter. I will let’s see if that works. The city, state rep told me that. To many ppl sitting around with nothing to do and no patient reps. What’s happening to NYC?
@Anonymous Was this Pfizer or Moderna?