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Writing a Blog post: Expat-friendly Vaccination Centers in North NRC/CLARK. Recommendations and What Was Your Experience?

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kristopherryanwatson
Hello Gentleman!

Good morning to you all.

I'm writing a blog article for a local expat magazine.
I'm looking to compile a list of Expat-friendly Vaccination Centers and Your overall experiences with getting them.

Would anyone in Pampanga/Clark area mind sharing your experiences and where you received your vaccination?

Thank you very much.

Peace
onefogarty
Hello Gentleman!

Good morning to you all.

I'm writing a blog article for a local expat magazine.
I'm looking to compile a list of Expat-friendly Vaccination Centers and Your overall experiences with getting them.

Would anyone in Pampanga/Clark area mind sharing your experiences and where you received your vaccination?

Thank you very much.

Peace
- @kristopherryanwatson
SMDC Light Mall (Mandaluyong) gave me my first dose (Johnson & Johnson), just show up early with ID and you should be good to go. 
kristopherryanwatson
@onefogarty

Thank you for sharing.

Would you mind sharing any side effects you had ?   how much was your first shot ?
Enzyte Bob
@kristopherryanwatson

1. Received Sinovac
2. no immediate side effects
3. Then came down with a full blown case of Covid-19 about a week later (confirmed with Covid Swab) and very sick for almost two weeks.
4. Received second dose of Sinovac, no side effects
5. Received Pfizer booster
6. Had all the side effects of Covid for four days.
Enzyte Bob
Your post was reinstated but buried, So me posting this should make it noticeable.
Puddman
To @Enzyte Bob, Et al,

Thanks for uncovering this and re-posting it. I found the earlier forum threads on the matter curiously interesting.....

The original post is innocuous, no malice or mischief. Just a request for information.

But, taking a different view (from a business perspective), I can see why it was moderated.

As for my vaccination, I was vaccinated in Taguig, so it has no bearing on the original post request.

Regards,

Puddman (aka, Bruce)

kristopherryanwatson

@Enzyte Bob

Thank you so much for your effort here to find it.
I find it amusing that the post was reinstated (a small win on the matter, i guess)

But more importantly, much appreciated as well for sharing of your prior experience!

kristopherryanwatson
@Puddman
No, please feel free to share anything you are willing in regard to which Vaccine you were inoculated with. and of any temporary side effects that it may have caused you.

i may want to include it in my article - which i am still working on that is due soon.

many thanks!


Puddman
To @kristopherryanwatson

No problem, glad to help out.

I was vaccinated at an outdoor school gym in Taguig, 1st and 2nd shots. The Booster shot was done at a cinema venue in Taguig. All 3 shots were Pfizer. The time line for each shot was approximately an hour, start to finish.

The staff for all 3 shots were very helpful and considerate. I experienced something very nice, other vaccine attendees were giving up their sets in the queue for me. Possibly because I was the only foreigner at each event, and having some gray hair, they thought I was elderly, quite respectful.

Side affects, with each shot there was soreness at the injection site, which lasted about 3 days, nothing more.

My wife and 3 adult step-children received Sinovac, but my 9 year old son (who is a Phil-Can, re: dual citizen) received Pfizer. Not sure on that scenario, but as always, I have a view on it.

Glad to contribute,

Regards,

Puddman (aka,Bruce)

PS, remember, the ghost in the machine is always watching.
kristopherryanwatson
@Puddman

HI Bruce,

thanks again for the well detailed recollection of your experience.

You mentioned that your wife also goy the Sinovac vaccine.
did she have any similar side effects as you did ?

Nice to meet you. By the way, I'm Canadian as well!

Warm regards to you.


FilAmericanMom
I think vaccination centers treat expats the same way as the locals. There's no preferential treatment, except if the expat is a senior. For me, the best way to get updated with vaccination schedules and venues is to call or go to your local government unit, i.e. your barangay. We got better results / schedules than Quezon City's online registration portal.

I, my husband, our two kids and our housekeeper are all fully vaccinated. The side effect we all had in common was soreness around the injection area for 2-3 days for all of doses / boosters.

I, my husband and our housekeeper all had Astra Zeneca for first and second doses. Additional side effects for the first dose was tiredness and drowsiness which came a few hours after we got our shot. The next day, my husband was fine, but my housekeeper and I both had body pains, tiredness and drowsiness. She and I slept it off and we were fine the following day. For the second dose, we did not experience other side effects except for arm soreness.

We had Moderna as a booster. Except for the pain at the injection site, we all felt fine at first and thought there will be no other side effects. But after about 6 hours, we all felt tired and dizzy. But they went away after 1-2 hours. So, based on our experience, I would suggest to those getting a jab to just go home after their shot and avoid going out for a drive.

My kids, ages 14 and 11, are both fully vaccinated with Pfizer. Except for soreness on their upper arm, they did not experience other side effects for either first or second dose, and were able to attend their online classes after getting their jabs.

I learned that a vial of the booster can inject up to 16 people. And that a health worker will not open a vial unless that number is met to avoid wastage. The first time we tried to get our booster, it was as walk-ins. So, no prior schedule. We just read from the HOA's Viber chat group that a booster was available at a nearby building. It was mid- to late-afternoon when we went. But we were sent back home because there were just 7 people, including us, there. We went back early the next day, and got our booster. So, it would be best to coordinate with your barangay if you want to get your shot / booster.

Lines are not as long as they were last year. The thing that would take up your time is filling up forms and health check: 5-15 minutes. Bring your own pen.
Michael P. Carter
I was originally vaccinated in the states with Moderna. both shots but the booster shot was here at a regular center for Filipinos and I waited in the same lines as they did, it was free and it was Moderna.
Enzyte Bob
In the beginning of the vaxxed process we had to wait for an appointment. At the vaxx center they did not follow social distancing protocols, which alarmed me. People were crammed together like Sardines. Throughout the process, in different stages, you were exposed to a whole new group of people.

Following my vaxx I came down with a full blown case of Covid-19. I'm not pointing a finger at the vaxx center, but it is something that is in the back of my mind.

With the hundred & hundreds people going through the process I'm sure there must have been some newly infected people who did not know they were infected when getting the vaxx.
kristopherryanwatson

@FilAmericanMom

very well detailed in your reply here.  Thank you very much for your insights and time to write this. It is most appreciated!

Puddman
@kristopherryanwatson

Hey, sorry for the late reply. The members of my family that received Sinovac experienced the same after effects as myself (with Pfizer), soreness at the injection spot for a few days.

Bruce

pnwcyclist
In the beginning of the vaxxed process we had to wait for an appointment. At the vaxx center they did not follow social distancing protocols, which alarmed me. People were crammed together like Sardines. Throughout the process, in different stages, you were exposed to a whole new group of people.

Following my vaxx I came down with a full blown case of Covid-19. I'm not pointing a finger at the vaxx center, but it is something that is in the back of my mind.

With the hundred & hundreds people going through the process I'm sure there must have been some newly infected people who did not know they were infected when getting the vaxx.
- @Enzyte Bob
That was exactly the crowding situation my GF encountered when she first went to get the shot in the province. People jammed, and stories of people getting Covid "from the shot".. which I explained may have been from the poor vaccination process. It freaked her out though, so she abstained. Eventually the clinic, and the traveling vax centers figured the process out and they (she and her son) were able to get it without a problem, and followed up with the second one. No booster yet.
kristopherryanwatson
@Puddman

No worries, thanks again for the input on this.

as it happens to be the case, publishing of my post has been pushed to the end of the month - so this gives me the opportunity to further collect personal experiences of getting vaccinations.

For All --

Thanks a bunch, gentleman.
if you have heard of any peculiar or unusual experiences from other foreigners regarding this whole thing, please do feel free to share (provided you have permission to do so from the ones involved). I would really appreciate that!


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