First Vaccination Experience and process

lmimmfn

Just outlining the process from my own experience and to let folk know what to experience.
It would be good to normalise the experience particularly for those with anxiety issues or interested in time taken and across vaccine types/or centres.

My vaccination was in Athlone today, with Pfizer:
Total time: 30 minutes

As per text you must bring:
- Your Id
- A face mask
- Your mobile

Optional:
- PPS number speeds it up

Procedure:
1. The vaccination centre is well signposted so if you get a text for an area you're not too familiar with it will still be easy to find

2. There are stewards from the entrance guiding you to the car park and detailing the process in terms of entry to the site, same if on foot.

3. If you arrive early and in a car you are told to stay in your car until 10 minutes before appointment time(best to be early for appointment, there was a woman behind me 5 mins late and that was no problem)

4. You will be guided by stewards to the main entrance. Before entering you will be asked for:
- Your name
- Your Id, you may be asked to show your appointment on the phone.
- If you have any covid symptoms, or have had covid in the past
- If you have had any vaccination in the previous 3 weeks
- If you or a family member/close contact have had covid in the past month

5. On entering there will be several counters and you will be directed to one when available

6. At the counter they will ask:
- Your name
- Your id
- Your PPS number if available(speeds up their lookup)
- Your mobile number
- If you have any covid symptoms, or have had covid in the past
- If you have had any vaccination in the previous 3 weeks
- If you or a family member/close contact have had covid in the past month
- If in the past you have had any allergic reactions to vaccines
- Your consent to have the vaccine allocated to you administered

7. You will be directed to area and queue where nurses/stewards are guiding people to rooms. The rooms have lights to signify when a patent is finished(green) or red(occupied)

8. Once guided to a room, the nurse will ask:
- Your name
- Your mobile number
- If you have any covid symptoms, or have had covid in the past
- If you have had any vaccination in the previous 3 weeks
- If in the past you have had any allergic reactions to vaccines

9. Afterwards you will be asked for your dominant hand and the vaccine will be administered to your other arm.
I can only speak for Pfeizer but the needle is quite long, its not painful its just obvious that your arm will feel off for the rest of the day.

You will receive:
- id sticker,( used for 15 minute monitoring)
- card with your initial vaccination date, vaccination type and batch number.

You will be told that you must be kept for 15 minutes for monitoring purposes to ensure you have no issues with the vaccine

10. You will be guided to the 15 minute monitoring section(basically sitting on a seat for 15 minutes with others waiting for clearance). The nurse will tell that youre not immune until 7 days after 2nd jab, being monitored for 15 minutes, ask if you plan to go on holidays abroad before the month is up(?) etc.

11. After 15 mins a nurse will tell you you're good to go or you can notify them yourself.

Thats it, leave the centre(separate path) and job done
Hope this is useful for others.

Post your own experience and if different to the above and where it was different.

Hudur

Thanks for the info

I got chance to finally fill the forms Saturday. How long it was after you filled the forms before they contacted? Week or less?