Double-dose prescription completed.

Thurs 10th June 2021. 

After 16 months, after 175,170,367  cases worldwide with 3,776,961 deaths (that's 2.1%), and  633,891 cases here in Malaysia with 3,611 deaths (that's 1.9 %), after India reported 29.2 million cases with a population of  almost 1.4 billion and China reported 91.3 million cases with an even bigger population of almost 1.5 billion, when USA, with a population of less than 333 million (less than 25% of either China or India) reports deaths of more than double of India,  my mind is boggled and unbelieving.  Boggled by the huge numbers. Unbelieving at the Chinese and Indian numbers.  But at 9.37 this morning a nurse at the Senawang Government Clinic pierced into  my left upper arm with the sharp needle at the business end of her syringe, and with her thumb pushed through the Pfizer vaccine from the containing tube into my arm. At least my double-dose prescription in the worldwide fight against the Covid 19 pandemic was completed. But the full fight is far from it.

No sooner than the minute I posted the certificate of vaccination from my smartphone to facebook, Aba Jiwa (a  college mate from too many years ago ) and Ah Meng ( a golf kaki of too many years ) commented.  That was fast,  Aba and Ameng !

I have more  wait,  though. I waited for 15 minutes after the jab. It was  to see if there were any immediate negative reactions. With the first dose,  there was none. None so far today. But I have to wait for 14 days to see if there are any subsequent negative reactions. Reports say some people had them. "Spider" wrote in the media he didn't feel anything when they injected him, and claimed it must be placebo. We'll wait and see,  Spider. (Spider was another college mate from too many years ago also.)

The debate goes on everywhere - for and against vaccination. The debate goes on - about the origins of the pandemic. The debate goes on - about the standard operating procedure in curtailing the spread of the virus, so much so the "mak ciks" and the "nyonyas" and the "achis" say "SOP" without blinking and even knowing what that actually stands for, but know too well what it means. And all the time the virus is not distracted. In fact it has mutated into several more dangerous strains. And the feeling is that we're not even maintaining pace with the present variety.

We can have our laughs in spite of the  situation. The 2 nurses and I had our laugh at the vaccination station. The old Chinese lady next to me asked her attending nurse "apa tak bolih makan ?" Maybe certain food has to be avoided. I said to my nurse, loud enough for the three people close to me  to hear "babi tak bolih makan". It was a joke. Not a good one, but a joke nevertheless. The other nurse joined me and my nurse and laughed. I added " saya memang tak makan babi" and the nurses laughed some more. The Chinese lady either didn't hear, didn't understand, or heard and understood but pretended different. 

 

Mat Nor "Ribut" was there at the clinic. "Ribut" is the monicker given by Dato' Sahak  to Mat Nor. Someone talking big, or talking too much, is "ribut". Mat Nor was in Felda when I was there, and he remembers me from there, but I don't remember the ribut part. I'd taken the side entrance into the vaccination station.  Since Mat Nor and the group with him were following the spacing rule, my coming from the side prevented me from being aware of the line. Only after I'd gotten the nurse's attention and she'd given me the form to fill did Mat Nor coughed "ahem !" and I turned and saw him. "Cucuk dia" I said to the nurse, but didn't break my pace, and Mat Nor didn't try to. So I got the jab before Mat Nor. But we waited together for our 15-minute observation. As I took leave I again said, this time to the male nurse, "cucuk dia". "Hey, berapa kali dah !" Mat Nor protested, good humouredly.

I changed my mind about taking the bike to go to the clinic this morning. It looked like rain. The idea was to beat the notorious parking woes of the clinic. With the old jalopy, I left earlier that planned and made good time.  The car park was full.  Of course. I saw an empty OKU space. I took it.  Of course. This was desparate hour.

So all in all I made good time. But I have more time. 14 days to be exact.  But my double-dose prescription is completed.

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