Being a stem cell recipient and having co-morbidities like diabetes and a heart condition, and soon reaching 60, I believed that if I was infected, I was at high risk for hospitalisation and death.
Watching developments, researching the risk of being vaccinated and being privy to information from my elder sister and mother in the UK, who also has co- morbidities, I decided the risk of contracting Covid-19 far outweighs the chance of a reaction to the vaccine.
As healthcare workers, the opportunity came up for all staff at Epilepsy SA to be vaccinated, but many were sceptical and rather wanted to see how it all works and what the side effects were.
I decided to take the leap and be vaccinated, firstly for my well-being and security, and, secondly, to lead by example.
Vaccination can lower the risk of being seriously sick and hospitalised.
You cannot catch the virus from the vaccination, but you can increase your chances of surviving another wave, which is possibly coming soon. On the day of the vaccination (29 April 2021), which is relatively pain-free, I developed a headache and tiredness in the late afternoon. I took some Panado and the next day had no symptoms, not even a sore spot where the injection was given.
My sister and mom w