COVID vaccine provides ‘sense of relief’
“I got my first shot in mid-December. It was the first day we started administering them at the hospital. We found out that we were able to fill more vaccines per vile than originally thought. As it turned out, the day that I was originally scheduled for my first shot ended up being when I got my second dose.
“With the first shot, I had some discomfort in my arm. But it wasn’t anything more than you normally experience after a flu shot.
“About 30 minutes to an hour after my second dose, the pain in my arm was much more noticeable. During the pandemic, I had slowly built up a home gym, and I kept up very well with my fitness. So the night after my second dose, I was doing side planks. It was painful in that arm, but I was still able to get in a full-effort workout. The pain subsided over the next few days, and then it was fine. I didn’t have any other side effects.
“I don’t have any underlying conditions and I’m not in any of the high-risk categories. But there have been plenty of cases where healthy, young people have ended up getting sick and dying. I think that’s been one of the major fear factors during this pandemic. That’s what’s scary to people like me, a young, healthy, 31-year-old.
“Getting the vaccine has definitely provided a sense of relief. I know that I’m still going to be around to take care of my daughter.”
— Jessica Ortiz
Jessica works at Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital.
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