A 40-Something Ajae's Struggle with the 'Aje' Vaccine

Reference photo. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] I was lucky to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca) that I had been waiting for. I got on the waiting list for leftover vaccine recipients and succeeded in getting vaccinated. It hurt more than I expected, but I gained a strong weapon for returning to daily life.

◇ Struggling to Obtain

At the beginning of last month, COVID-19 vaccinations began in earnest, and after the so-called 'no-show vaccines' appeared, I kept looking for an opportunity. Like everyone else, I desperately wanted the vaccine. My family's safety depended on it. Since going outside was limited to taking the kids to and from school, I was extra cautious. Not being able to see my parents or close relatives for a long time was also painful.

As soon as I heard about leftover vaccines, I called several hospitals near my home. All I got was to wait. I also got on the waiting lists of hospitals near my workplace, but my rank was far down.

Then an app was created. I registered at the maximum limit of five places. It was hopeless. I checked it every hour like stock trading. The 'hospitals available for vaccination' were always zero. Once, an unknown phone number appeared, and when I checked, it was a hospital. Oh no, I was late. Sure enough, someone else had already taken it. I received app messages three times from registered hospitals saying leftover vaccines were available and to apply, but I lost out due to 'rapid clicking.' I wondered if there was no hope now. Should I wait until August when vaccination opportunities come for people in their 40s?

Then suddenly, an opportunity came. On the 11th, around 4:50 p.m. while leaving work, a nearby hospital called saying leftover vaccines were available and to come get vaccinated. I quickly took a taxi and rushed there. Judging by the time, I was probably the last lucky person that day. On the way to the hospital, watching news about people who died after vaccination, a fear I didn’t have before arose. Am I going to have a problem like those people? It’s a mass vaccination. I thought the media should refrain from reporting unless the cause of death and the vaccine’s causal relationship are confirmed. Otherwise, I might die from fear rather than side effects.

Fortunately, it was a quiet hospital, so the vaccination time was short, and there was no time to be scared. After the medical questionnaire, I got the shot and waited for 30 minutes before going home. The nurses were busy with continuous vaccination inquiry calls and couldn’t catch a breath. I told my family at home, "I’m a man who got vaccinated!"

Reference photo. Not directly related to the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◇ Struggling Through Illness

At around 5:30 p.m. on the 11th, even after getting vaccinated, I felt nothing. I boasted on social networking services (SNS) that "I feel fine." I even started to get anxious because I heard that a fever means immunity is building. Until the next morning, except for slight pain at the injection site, nothing happened. But about 10 hours after the shot, 'that guy' came. The injection site pain worsened, making it hard to lift my arm, and then body aches started. Early symptoms like chills and fever appeared. I was so fatigued and lethargic that I couldn’t go anywhere and just lay down all day.

I suffered from a high fever around 38 degrees Celsius for a while. At its worst, I felt faint and had some difficulty breathing. I deliberately kept taking deep breaths, which helped a bit. I lay in bed in a semi-conscious state, repeatedly startled awake by something. Following health authorities’ recommendations, I kept taking Tylenol, but the fever didn’t go down and it was useless. Only now do I realize that people like me, for whom Tylenol (acetaminophen) doesn’t work, need to take other medications like ibuprofen. So I just endured it with my body.

On the 26th, when COVID-19 vaccinations began in Korea, medical staff at Dobong-gu Public Health Center in Seoul administered AstraZeneca vaccines to workers at nursing hospitals and nursing facilities. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

For two days, chills came and went, fever rose and sweat lowered the temperature, and this cycle repeated, gradually improving my condition. Only yesterday afternoon did the fever drop slightly to the mid-37 degrees Celsius range, giving me some relief. Especially, others say symptoms disappear like magic after about 40 hours at most, but as of 9 a.m. on the 14th, over 60 hours later, symptoms remain. I’m suffering from a mild fever, slight headache, muscle pain, and dizziness. My temperature before going to work this morning was 37.2 degrees Celsius, a mild fever level. I even broke out in cold sweat on the bus. I’ve never had such a severe body ache or flu before.

The next second dose is scheduled for August 27. I heard many Americans refuse the second dose due to the pain, and I somewhat sympathize. It’s a bit scary. I just trust the word that the side effects of the second AZ vaccine dose are milder. Anyway, "I’m a man who got vaccinated!"

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