Vaccination!

I had some good news finally this week; I am eligible for the COVID-19 Vaccination. After receiving a text from the NHS, I was able to book my appointment at St James Hospital in Portsmouth relatively easily. Next Thursday, approximately a year after this dreadful pandemic took hold, I will finally get my first injection, followed by a second one on the 9th June.

According to the message I received from the NHS, I have underlying health issues, that have given me priority, during the first wave of vaccinations. I do indeed have many health complications, but I'm not entirely sure which ones have allowed me to receive the jab early. My best guess is, it is a combination of all of them. I do have some kidney issues however, which were highlighted in an ultrasound I recently had. Whatever the reason, I am just glad to be having it as soon as possible. For me, this signals the beginning of the end of the virus and I can't wait to get back to normal.

Surprisingly, there are still some people who don't want the vaccine and I literally have no idea why. I mean why wouldn't you want to protect yourself and others, from the worst effects of this disease. I am baffled by anti-vaxxers and the dangerous misinformation they are peddling, to support their case. Lies and fabrication to encourage others not to have the vaccination are completely dishonest and shows a complete lack of understanding about Coronavirus. Whether these misguided individuals truly believe in the inaccuracies they encourage, or they are simply denying the facts, without any thought or comprehension as to why, I am not sure. Whatever their reasons, they are dangerous and in my opinion, we shouldn't be giving them a platform to peddle their nonsense.

The UK has vaccinated nearly 25 million people now, far more than any other comparable European nation; we should be proud of just what our NHS has achieved. Our Government failed on so many levels at the beginning of this pandemic. I have mentioned their failings many times before and don't want to do so again. What I do what to mention is just how far we have come in the last year. I really can't believe where we were a year ago, compared to today; the biggest vaccination programme in UK history underlies that. This is a country that has changed out of all proportion and whether we return to the 'old normal' is anyone's guess, but the journey all of us have been on, has completely turned our lives upside down.

I've just had a look at my old Facebook status updates on this day last year. To be honest it was scary reading them. The chatter was about the 'killer virus' and how 90 percent of us would contract it by the beginning of 2021. There was certainly a lot of anxiety in my words back then, so much so, it brings back the terrible memories twelve months ago. A lot has happened since last March, just before we headed into the first lockdown, and look where we are now. 125,000 dead, when the Government said 20,000 would be a 'good' outcome and many millions more who have suffered economically and mentally. Patients remain in intensive care, children have missed nearly a year of school, businesses have closed for good and the effects of 'Long COVID' looms large over the landscape; a medical crisis in the making!

Today we are approaching the end of lockdown number three and nearly fifty percent of the adult population are now vaccinated against COVID-19. Death rates are falling and fewer people are contracting Coronavirus. The vaccination programme that began towards the end of December 2020, has done amazingly well at protecting the nation through this terrible period. When I receive my jab next Thursday, I can breathe a slight sigh of relief, until I get my second dose. I hope this really is the beginning of the end of COVID, but none of us can be entirely sure how this traumatic time will conclude; after all, the course of the virus turned out very differently to what we expected. Let's hope all of us can get back to the way things were, hug our family and friends and finally relax again, living our lives as we would like to do. The end is in sight, lets not blow it now.... Stay safe, remain well, keep your distance and above all, HAVE YOUR JAB!

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