"Hope to Help Those Hesitant About Vaccination"... 'Vaccine Reviews' Shared Everywhere

On the morning of the 29th, citizens are coming out of the vaccination room after receiving their COVID-19 vaccinations at the Sadang Sports Complex in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, where a COVID-19 vaccination center has been set up. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Since the 27th, adults aged 30 and over can reserve "leftover vaccines," also known as "no-show vaccines," through the Naver and Kakao apps, increasing interest in COVID-19 vaccination. Recently, more people have been sharing their experiences by writing reviews after receiving the vaccine and posting them on various online communities.

On the 29th, a review by Mr. A, who revealed that he received the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine on the 27th through a no-show vaccine reservation, was posted in an online community where local residents are active. Mr. A explained that he wrote the review because "many people seem hesitant about getting vaccinated, and I hope this can be of some help to those who are still considering it."

According to the review, Mr. A made the no-show vaccine reservation by phone, and on the day of vaccination, he received a brief medical consultation before immediately getting the injection in his left shoulder. He shared his impression at the time, saying, "It didn't hurt at all when the shot was given, and I just felt relieved."

Mr. A also posted a detailed follow-up review describing the symptoms over time after vaccination. He said, "Between immediately after the shot and up to three hours later, I started to feel some pain in my left shoulder, as if I hadn't slept well, but aside from that, no other symptoms appeared."

He continued, "After seven hours from the vaccination, muscle pain began to spread from the injection site to various parts of my body, and the intensity increased to a throbbing pain. However, I was not scared because I was told these are common symptoms after vaccination. After taking two Tylenol tablets, the pain subsided without any issues."

Mr. A reported that the most difficult time was 20 to 24 hours after vaccination. He said, "When I woke up in the morning, I had no fever, but my whole body ached as if I had the flu. I immediately took three Tylenol tablets and rested a bit more, which made me feel better." He added that he experienced no further symptoms afterward, returned to his daily routine, worked normally, and took various vitamins and supplements.

While saying, "I will continue to monitor symptoms caused by the vaccine," he also shared, "Although symptoms may vary from person to person, based on my experience with the first dose, it felt like having the flu and was not unbearably painful." He also expressed, "Of course, caution is necessary, but I feel somewhat liberated from the risk of COVID-19 infection."

Netizens responded with comments such as "Thank you for the detailed review," "I want to get vaccinated soon," "I gained courage thanks to this," and "I was worried about whether to get vaccinated, but now I think it will be okay."

Meanwhile, as more people seek to relieve their thirst and anxiety for vaccine-related information by reading reviews from those who have been vaccinated earlier, there is also a cautionary opinion that such reviews are mainly subjective impressions of the posters and may contain incorrect medical information, so care is needed.

A quarantine authority official urged, "Caution is necessary when accepting unverified information related to COVID-19 vaccination," and added, "For inquiries related to vaccination, you can contact the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s infectious disease specialist call center (☎1339)."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.