St Columba Church Hall Vaccination Centre

Just a quick post to let you all know that there’s no need to worry. I’ve had my first Covid vaccine jab. I’m sure many of you will have been wondering about my welfare and were also curious as to when I would be administered my first protective jab. Fear not and worry no more. I’ve had it. Yesterday in fact. Yes indeed, I popped along to the St Columba Church Hall Vaccination Centre for my 10:47am appointment.

How precise is that. A 10:47am appointment. When I got the phone call last Friday from my doctors surgery (Boughton Medical Centre) to tell me that I was in line for my jab, I had to ask again to confirm.

“Did you say, 10:47?”

“Yes”, came the reply. “We are allocating bookings in four minute slots.”

Appointment Booked

Before I could say, “but 47 minutes isn’t divisible by four”, I was booked in. All in the space of two minutes. A few simple questions to start with, then a confirmed time with the announcement that a letter would be sent out in the post confirming the appointment.

And sure enough, Monday morning the letter arrived confirming the appointment. The letter also contained a few simple “do’s” and “don’t’s” type of thing.

Your arm must be easily accessible. You must know which GP practice you are with; have your NHS number (provided in the appointment letter); please arrange suitable transport (they do not order taxis for you); don’t bring bags into the vaccination hall were just some of the easy to follow instructions included in the letter.

With the letter came a map of how to get to St Columba’s. So far, so good. Everything running smoothly so far. But what about the day of the jab itself?

Bear in mind this is a new experience for everybody, so maybe make allowances for a “not so smoothly” run operation. But, no fears on that score.

St Columba Church Hall Vaccine Centre

St Columba Church Hall Vaccination Centre

No fears whatsoever. I take my hat off to those that organised the arrangements. Very well organised, professional and slick are comments that spring to mind. It’s worth pointing out at this stage that the many, yellow high visibility jacketed people keeping busy ensuring everything ran smoothly are volunteers. Volunteers who were put together as a team in double quick time. No pre-season training available for this team. No siree. Everyone needed to hit the ground running. Or should that be, everyone needed to hit the ground jabbing?

You know what I mean though.

In case you didn’t know, St Columba Church is in Newton. In Plas Newton Lane, Newton to be precise. It has a car park so driving there and leaving your car safely for a few minutes isn’t a problem.

I live in Hoole, so it is walking distance for me. Walking, driving or cycling, there were big, yellow, road signs clearly visible en route saying “Covid Vaccination Centre” with a big arrow pointing you the way. So you couldn’t miss it really.

But what of the getting in and getting vaccinated process itself though? The appointment letter did also state, “you may need to queue outside so bring warm clothes.” Fair do’s. Forewarned that you may be shivering your bits off for an unknown period of time.

St Columba Church Hall Vaccination Centre Volunteers

But, as it happens, that’s all it turned out to be. A warning for a possible situation that may have occurred, but didn’t. There wasn’t any queueing outside that I was aware of.

To begin with, the first ‘high viz’ jacket wearing volunteer that I encountered was someone who, I would imagine, could be described as a traffic coordinator. Traffic ably marshalled by the volunteer, assisted by another bright yellow road sign with the appropriate arrow.

No need for me to follow the arrow though as I was on foot. The same traffic coordinator directed me to where I was to walk to the actual vaccination hall.

Volunteers And Plenty Of Them

Plenty more volunteers in the car park guiding cars into parking spots. On arriving at the hall itself, I was greeted by a lady who asked for my details. As I took along my appointment letter (it’s worth doing that), the lady guided me to the hall entrance door.

Before I entered the door, another volunteer said, “did I hear you say Boughton Medical Centre?” Responding in the affirmative, he advised me to “follow your way round here.”

Which I did. The floor was suitably marked with the necessary distancing markers. Only move off your marked place on the floor to the next one when the people in front have moved. Obvious stuff really, but only if the markers are there in the first place.

Let The Music Play

Moving from marker to marker, you then arrive in front of a desk. The volunteer on the desk, took your name and address details and marked you off the list with a marker pen.

My jokey request to be marked off with a red marker as “I don’t do blue,” prompted a light hearted 30 second footie banter exchange as I waited for the person in front to vacate their floor marker.

I must admit, the next bit did get a bit confusing for a very brief moment. Instead of going in a straight line, the floor markers zig-zagged until you got to the last floor marker before heading off to a table for your jab. I’m not sure why they zig-zagged instead of going straight but all said and done it wasn’t a problem. Just remember, follow the arrows basically.

Upon seeing the zig zag route, someone made a jokey comment about “let the music play and we can dance our way to our jabs.” (Note to self, no more inane, jokey quips about ‘let the music play’ when you go for your second jab).

Thanks Erin

So, onto the jab itself. Fair do’s, at this point I was well impressed at how quickly the queue was moving, which of course indicated at how quickly the nurses were administering the jabs.

There was a volunteer at the end of the floor markers waiting to tell you which nurse station to go to. There were plenty of them. I didn’t count, but maybe in the region of 8 or 9 maybe. All well spaced out of course for social distancing.

As soon as a nurse put their arm up to indicate that they were ready for the next ‘jabee,’ the volunteer would advise whoever was at the front of the queue to go to that table.

My turn took me to Erin’s table. A bubbly, friendly young lady, who wasted no time in getting me seated and informed as to what was next. At the registration desk you were given a form to present to the nurse. On this form were a few questions.

Such as whether you have had a flu jab within the last 7 days. Or, if you had displayed any Covid symptoms. Or, as is relevant in my case, whether you are on any blood thinner medication. About 5 or 6 questions in all.

After letting Erin know I was right handed, she then proceeded to administer my jab into my left arm. That made sense to me. A potential (and I stress the word potential) side effect is pain at the injection site means that a jab in your other arm is a better option.

Simple, Painless Procedure

The jab itself was a breeze. I must admit, I’m not one that’s bothered by needles or injections. But I know that plenty of people are. Words of reassurance if it helps. The injection is a piece of cake.

Cake!! Cake!! Talking of which, I didn’t get any. My request to Erin of “coffee, black with no sugar with a piece of cake” after my jab was met with a “in your dreams” type of reply.

All done. A painless procedure expertly administered by a friendly, helpful nurse. So, onto the next and final stage. Before I leave Erin’s table though. (Note to Erin. You really must try the salted caramel flavoured Polish vodka I recommended).

St Columba Church Hall Vaccine Centre – The Last Lap

After your jab you are then shown to another volunteer standing at the exit door. This volunteer then placed a sticky label onto your coat showing the time. The time on my label said 11:04am.

Bear in mind I got to St Columba Church a few minutes before my 10:47am appointment time, so all in all, it took about 20 to 25 minutes from entering, registration, queueing, filling out form and getting jabbed. Not bad at all that is it. Very slick. Very professional and so very well organised as I mentioned above.

Now being the proud owner of my post vaccination jab sticky label, I was advised to enter a marquee just outside the main hall. Inside the marquee, there were rows of well spaced out chairs for you to sit on for the required recovery time. (Note to self, you will now know for when you go for your second jab, that no there won’t be any movies showing and no, you can’t buy any popcorn).

Volunteers inside the marquee were walking up and down the rows, checking the times on the sticky labels and when your 15 minutes recovery time was up, you were informed that you could go. What a good idea the “sticky label on the coat ploy” was.

On the way out I briefly spoke with one of the volunteers who told me that they were expecting in the region of 900 ‘jabees’ that day. He himself had attended four such days, but he said that there had been six in total.

That being the case, St Columba Church Hall have seen to something like 5,500 or so. With more to follow no doubt. That is very impressive.

Volunteers Still Needed

Yes, without doubt, a very well organised event. A big well done to all those involved. I’m not sure how many more such days will be held at St Columba Church Hall, but from what I can gather, volunteers are still required. So, if you would like to be a volunteer, check out my original post on the request for volunteers. The link for this post is HERE.

Side Effects Update

Well, here we go, two days since “JabGate” and what of the side effects? Just to complete my JabGate experience it is worth noting that after your jab, you are given an information booklet. Only four pages. As well as that, a card that provides details of your jab. You are advised to keep this card in your purse or wallet.

Any side effects? In the there is a section on possible side effects. It is split between: Very Common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people); Common (may affect up to 10 people); Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people) and Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people).

I haven’t experienced any as far as I am aware. Included in very common are symptoms like: pain at the injection site; tiredness; headache; muscle pain; chills; joint pain; fever.

I say, “as far as I am aware,” because having arthritis I always have joint pain, so my interpretation of no side effects means nothing over and above normal. So, just normal joint pains for me.

For the others, no. No pain at the injection site. Tiredness? No, not at all. It’s not as if I’ve suddenly fallen asleep at my keyb…..zzzzzzzzzz….zzzzzzz……, or anything like that. Where was I?

No seriously though, no side effects for me. I know each jabee will be different. I’m just giving a quick update as to what’s happened to me.

Long term effects? Who knows yet. Watch this space, I suppose.

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