I just got my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination at Solaire yesterday morning. My left arm got sore, and I felt a little nauseous afterward. Thankfully, there were no other side effects.

Getting the COVID-19 vaccination took months until the final confirmation from my company’s provider, but it was worth it.

I am not shy to admit that I’ve been anxiously waiting for that day since I learned that my line of work made me eligible for the priority groups in PH. When I left Singapore in June, only adults aged 45 and up plus front-liners were eligible for the vaccine. Thus I missed out when the vaccination roll-out opened to the general population months later.

Still, my desire to get it done ASAP had me register not only for the company’s vaccination program but also through my LGU’s online facility.

Of the options I had, my company’s program appeared to be the best one. So I waited – and felt excited when the confirmation email arrived in my inbox around dinnertime last Friday. What a way to end a jam-packed workday, huh?

Anyways, I woke up at 5:30 AM so that we can reach Solaire before my scheduled call time at 8:15 AM. My aunt, uncle, and I were at the establishment by 7:30 AM.

Finding the vaccination site was easy as there were markers leading the way. There was a long queue when I arrived on the ground floor, but the process from user verification to the third floor of the Solaire Theater was fairly quick. After I got my credentials checked by the site officers, I went up to the third floor.

Everything went smoothly. By virtue of my early arrival, I got my first dose at around 8:01 AM and received my second dose schedule just a minute later. Later on, I sat in the observation space to see if there were immediate side effects from the shot.

Finally, I went back to the parking lot where my aunt and uncle waited for me. We left Solaire shortly and had breakfast around Gateway.

One down, one to go!