COVID-19 has been no less than a nightmare for everyone involved but add in the element of unsanitary vaccination practices and the dread instantly gets amplified tenfold. If you’re not vaccinated yet, you’re likely to be shunned by your family and peers. However, vaccination centres around the country are here to save the day! One such vaccination centre exists at Expo Centre Karachi.
The Good
I had been putting off getting vaccinated (don’t worry I’m not an anti-vaxxer) because I wanted to get the Pfizer vaccine, however, most workplaces and educational institutions have made it compulsory to get the first dose before a certain date. Seeing as I had no say in the matter left, I decided to go along with it.
Therefore, last week after my online classes I scampered to get ready. I put my mask on and tagged along with my family to get vaccinated. Our vaccination centre of choice was Expo Centre Karachi, even though Aga Khan and Arts Council came highly recommended as well.
We went around 3 pm and it was fairly deserted, mostly because a lot of people were still at work. Upon entering we were swiftly notified that all they had left was Sinopharm and that’s what everyone was going to get. The entire process was fairly quick and hassle-free. We were in and out in under an hour. The place was relatively clean and the air conditioning was a relief walking in from the hot, humid Karachi day.
The Bad
Now let’s get to the actual “getting vaccinated” part. When my turn came I walked aimlessly along the makeshift corridors trying to find a booth that was vacant. After finally locating one, I went inside and immediately noticed the vaccine administrator’s hands (or were they nurses or trainee doctors? I’m not really sure. However, their inexperience was very telling. They definitely weren’t qualified to be jabbing people with sharp needles, that’s for sure).
Their gloved hands were very yellow and covered in pen drawings. I asked them if they could please change their gloves and I was informed they didn’t have spare pairs available at that time. Against my better judgement, I willingly went and sat down. I was given the vaccine form and told the side effects and when I’d have to get my second dose yada yada yada.
Then came the painful part. Now, trust me when I say I’m not afraid of needles or getting injections. However, when I was injected with the vaccine it was pretty painful. That’s not all. After they pulled out the needle the site of injection would not stop bleeding. The vaccine administrator had no swabs so she aimlessly tried to stop it with the syringe wrapper. This only made the blood smear more. Long story short, I bled a lot and then had to go wait 20 minutes to check if I felt nauseous or not. Thankfully, I felt fine and was allowed to go home. Moreover, it’s been a couple of days and apart from slight tenderness, I feel fine.
The Takeaway
Get vaccinated. Yes, my experience at Expo Centre Karachi was bad but that was the exception. Everyone else in my family had pretty smooth sailing in terms of the entire vaccination process. Yes, they could ensure the frontline workers are more experienced but in these times can we really complain? They are, after all, the most at risk of infection. Therefore, do your part to protect yourself and the people around you and get vaccinated today!
Have you gotten vaccinated yet? How was your experience?
