My Covid Vaccine Story: 'Please mum…don’t have that vaccine!'

Dympna Edwin, a Senior Occupational Therapist at LYPFT, shares her story

There was never any doubt in my mind that I would have the Coronavirus vaccine.

I had caught the virus in November 2020. The symptoms disabled me for a few days, but I was able to rest and recuperate at home. My twin brother, however, had a tougher time. He was hospitalised, and later developed post viral clots in his lungs. In a follow-up out-patient appointment, the doctor exclaimed, “If you weren’t as fit as you are, there’s no doubt you would have ended up on a mortuary slab!”

Sadly, physical fitness does not appear to have been a protector for many. The rising death toll, accompanied by images on TV of the people who have died, filled me with sorrow. Acknowledging the disproportionately high number of BAME people who have lost their lives to the virus filled me with fear!

When I told my twenty-year-old daughter that I was going to have the Coronavirus vaccine a couple of weeks ago, I was flabbergasted at her response: “Please mum…don’t have that vaccine.” It was a heartfelt plea which then led me to reflect on some of the posts that she and I have been reading on social media. Statements such as, “It’s a man-made virus… and they will seek a man-made solution”, “It’s all about the money”, “open your eyes…we’re witnessing a form of ethnic and social cleansing”, and for me the most despairing “Whatever you fear will come upon you. This so-called pandemic is an issue of faith!”

This last comment reminded me of the medieval beliefs that illnesses, such as the black death, were a curse from God. I don’t know if the Coronavirus is a curse from God or whether we are living in the last days, as voiced by so many people of faith. My own experience of the virus has taught me an invaluable lesson, that it is not a fabricated virus and that we must do whatever we can to avoid contracting it or passing it on to others. I cannot tell you whether COVID-19 is a Grand Plan to finally introduce Francis Galton’s eugenics through ethnic and social cleansing, or whether the vaccine is a guise for micro-chip implants, but what I can tell you is this, I don’t want catch the virus again. If having a vaccine is the barrier that stands between me and life, then having the vaccine is a no-brainer!

I know for many, to have or not to have the vaccine is not a straightforward decision, especially for people from BAME communities, of which I am a member. Our reluctance is shaped by history, our experience of racism, our religious views, our mistrust of those in positions of power. But having said this, I would urge all my BAME brothers and sisters to set aside some time to reconsider your reluctance and to seek out others from our community who like me are willing to take the vaccine. Don’t bottle up your thoughts, beliefs or fears! They are important and valid. I have found reflections and counselling  really useful when I have needed to find clarity and unbiased support. If the focus of your doubt or fear is based on your history or experience of racism, ask yourself, ‘Is that relevant to the current situation in relation to this pandemic?’

Remember, there have been pandemics around the world before. The Plague, Typhoid, Smallpox, Yellow Fever, Cholera, Measles, Polio, Malaria, Influenza and Ebola, to name a few. We have survived as a species. How? Through rigorous medical and scientific research and the vaccinations given to us as babies. And now, with COVID being a new virus – one occurring in our lifetime – we need to take the vaccine now, to stop ourselves from becoming infected later.

On the 25^th of January 2021, acknowledging that nothing is risk-free, I caught a taxi to the Mount Hospital and was greeted by trained and friendly staff. I had the vaccine, which was pain-free. I’ve experienced no side-effects to date.

A few days later, I was in the kitchen with my daughter, and I told her that I had had the vaccine. She looked at me with wide eyes and seeing that I was still in one piece and wasn’t reduced to a vegetable, she gave me a hug and told me that I looked OK. I told her that she was next. She smiled and nodded. She is now considering getting the vaccine herself in the near future.

I am now looking forward to the day when I am able to spend time with my family and friends. I long to go out for a drink, attend a church service and go on holiday! But most of all, I can’t wait to embrace my mum.

I know that by having the vaccine, I will have contributed to us enjoying the gifts of life that we so took for granted before the pandemic! Keep safe my friends and take care – our lives are precious!