Getting Vaxxed

As the whole world struggles to contain the Covid pandemic, vaccines are now a big part of getting the world back to how things used to be before everyone got sick. China, like many large, developed countries, created their own vaccines. However, unlike all the other vaccines, no one is really sure how effective China’s are.

But, if you’re living in China, you have no choice but to get one of the locally developed shots and hope it works. I’d rather get a vaccine that I know, and had been proven, to prevent getting Covid, but, that’s not an option right now.

While I was at the zoo, my apartment sent me a message saying that the building, of which my apartment complex takes up 2 floors, may stop allowing unvaccinated people to enter. I asked my Chinese teacher when I saw her at work if it was as scary as they made it sound, and she said yes.

But, in talking with another coworker, I found out that a lot of people had been getting these messages in an attempt to scare them into getting their shots, as if all the bribes weren’t working. It takes a week or two to magic your way into a vaccine appointment at one of the major hospitals, the only place for foreigners to get a vaccine.

Filling Out the Form

After figuring out which of the 4 different QR codes for vaccine appointments I needed to scan (yay, already making things hard for the foreigner), I had to fill out a little form.

Most of it was easy – name, passport number, date of birth, nationality. Some was a little harder – area you live in (province, city, district, sub-district) and address. Luckily, I learned my sub-district during the testing craziness and my address I just copied from a delivery app.

But, it also wanted work/school. I have no idea what the full name of my training center actually is. I eventually remembered to ask my Chinese teacher. She added lots of unintelligible, to me at least, characters. I filled out the rest of the form.

And it was accepted! I had my pre-registration barcode. Step 1 complete!

Getting an Appointment

Every city developed their own apps and procedures for determining who and when people can get the vaccine. In Shenzhen, foreigners can only get vaccinated at designated hospitals, one in each district in the city. Vaccines are allocated to the various vaccination locations, hospitals, clinics, and random tents on the street, every evening for the next day’s appointments. So, to get a shot, you have to get your appointment the evening before.

For months, I had been listening to other foreigners complaining about how hard it was to get a vaccine appointment, when the best time of day was to get one, and which hospital/district they had to go to for their appointments. There are only so many doses available and millions of people still need their shots.

Hoping, to get vaxxed in my own district, I know where the hospital actually is, or the next district over where I work, it’s a very popular area with foreigners, I started checking the app on the evenings, trying to get my appointment.

I saw a couple of open appointments at hospitals is a couple areas of the city I’ve never been to before. I considered getting one, but I had never heard of the vaccines they were giving out and I had no idea where the hospital was and didn’t really want to get lost.

Eventually, after over a week of checking on and off, I decided to randomly check on the metro ride home and there it was. Hundreds of available appointments, just waiting for the taking at the local hospital. I quickly grabbed one mid-morning and hoped that I wouldn’t get side effects at work the next day.

Shot #1

Vaccine appointments are one hour windows that you can go to your site and get the shot. I decided to walk to the hospital as it was just one metro stop over. If getting the shot took too long, I could always hop the metro home or straight to work.

I knew the hospital was big, but I didn’t really realize how big it was. The directions I had said to go to outpatient #1. I was just praying for lots of signs in English. Walking in what I like to think of as the front gate, there was a building that said “outpatient” right on top. If it’s not the one I need, there’d be someone to ask for directions at least.

It was also the only place I saw a line specifically for people with yellow or red health codes. I guess if you don’t have a green health code, the only place you can go is the hospital as you either have Covid or were near someone that does.

I showed my appointment confirmation at the information desk just inside the door and was told to go back outside and go left. And thanked everything I could think of, there were signs. Everywhere.

Once I found the sign, it was easy to follow them to down an alley between a couple of the buildings to the line of people waiting for their own shots.

The Right Building

Once I finally made it into the building, I got to enjoy a bit of air conditioning while I continued to wait. When I got close to the end of the line, I was handed a couple forms to fill out. The person handing them out took one look at me and gave me the English version. It looked like she had Chinese, English, and at least one other version, probably 2.

But, I had no pen to use to fill the forms out.

Eventually, that problem was solved when I made it into the room. I was handed a couple other forms, mostly wanting the same information, then allowed to go sit at one of the tables with attached pens and fill out the forms.

Once done, I moved to exit the room and the person directing traffic there told me to go to room 6. Walking down the hall, I saw room 3, room 4, and the observation room. Looking confused, one of the people in line took pity on me and pointed me into the observation room saying that it was in there.

It was, in fact, a table set up in the observation area with a person taking payments. A quick 100 yuan later, I went back to the line for room 3.

Inside were a few people waiting behind some computers to do something. My guy spoke a bit of English. I had to scan my appointment barcode and verify that he typed all my information correctly.

I was also informed that I shouldn’t drink alcohol or eat seafood for a week after the shot. I have no idea why. It seems a bit odd to me and everyone I mentioned it to.

Next, it was on to room 4. The room where I finally got my shot. The lady that stabbed me did not really speak English and had to get her neighbor to tell me “no beer” and I was given a piece of paper, a swab to hold on my would, and sent on my way.

Realizing I wasn’t actually bleeding, I quickly tossed my q-tip and chose a chair to wait half an hour to see if I was allergic to anything in the shot. When my time was up, I had just enough time to walk home, grab my work bag, eat lunch, and get to work about 10 minutes late.

But, my health code now has a little, blue lion man.

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Shot #2

While I waited to be eligible for my second dose, quite a few counties in several provinces in China announced that places would basically ban the unvaccinated from everything. Until, shortly after, China’s CDC basically said it was unethical to force someone to get vaccinated and the bans were banned.

Forever later, when the 3 week wait between shots was up, I was in Zhangjiajie and only had 2 days in Shenzhen before leaving on my big summer vacation. I didn’t try very hard as I was very busy doing a lot of laundry, packing, and had to take another Covid test.

But, once I was back, it was time to play the appointment lottery again. This time was even more challenging than for the first shot. Most of the Chinese vaccines that you’ve never heard of, like Beijing Biology and Lanzhou Biology (the one I had), were no longer available, at least they weren’t showing up on the app anymore with any regularity.

However, they were basically the same as Sinovac, the one you may have heard of, and that was still available a hospital a short metro ride away, sometimes.

By some miracle, the one day I had off between my last summer classes and the start of the new semester had a lot of vaccine appointments available. But, I was too busy teaching classes to get my own appointment. The company I work for got the appointment for me.

I only noticed that I had the appointment when I went to see if I could book one on my walk home. I did get a message with all the details and a location but, my overworked brain, didn’t really register the significance of the messages waiting for me in WeChat.

Unfortunately, my second shot is not going to be at the same hospital as the first. It’s farther away, in a heavily foreigner-populated area, for China at least. Hopefully, there’s lots of signs around telling me where to go.

But, before I could go and get lost trying to find the place, a friend messaged me letting me know there are still appointments available. Coincidentally, we have an appointment at the same time and make plans to meet up at the hospital.

At the Hospital

I, of course, get lost. I’m wandering around this parking lot that my directions tell me is the right one. The building should be there. But there are no signs. I do find a couple signs in Chinese with arrows but only two so they don’t really lead anywhere.

I find a building name that matches what my appointment confirmation says I should go to, but the guy outside says no and doesn’t tell me where to go. All I get is a vague hand gesture that basically means ‘go away’. Not very helpful.

I keep wandering around and eventually ask a couple other guys just standing around. After a bit of hand gestures to figure out where I want to go, they point me in the right direction.

There’s a big banner, all in Chinese, with an arrow. I decided to follow the arrow. What’s the worst that could happen at this point? I already have no idea where to go.

Messaging my friend also wasn’t very helpful. She wasn’t able to really give directions as I didn’t really know where I was and neither of us knew the area all that well. She knew I was in a parking lot and that I should be in a parking lot. But not why I couldn’t find the entrance.

But, following that arrow led me to a stand-up banner with a bunch of images that were very familiar – they were from the app to book the appointments. I had found the right place!

Getting my Shot

After showing my appointment barcode and following some vague hand gestures and directions, I found a desk. I’m given a form to fill out, just I agree to get the vaccine and I’m healthy enough to get it.

And this time, I have proof that I have the social insurance, but not the actual card as there is a whole long process to get it. I get a special red stamp on my paperwork and told to move on to Window 8.

Where I joined my friend waiting for the payment machine. She had to enter her name, passport number, and scan a QR code to pay 100 yuan for the shot.

When it was my turn, I showed my paperwork, and the volunteer helping at the machine waved me into the next line. I got to skip the machine entirely.

Next was the registration, where they scanned my appointment barcode and asked if I had any reaction to the first shot. I was given another little paper and told to go out the door.

Where I joined yet another line. But this was the line to get the shot. And after a quick wait, I handed over the paperwork and met a lady who ruthlessly stabbed a long needle into my arm. It hurt! A little bruise showed up a couple hours later.

But I was done! I’m fully vaxxed! Well, by Chinese standards, but not according to the rest of the world, as most countries, especially Europe and the US, don’t recognize the Chinese vaccines as effective.

After the required 30 minute wait, where my arm hurt the whole time, I rewarded myself with a delicious burger from Starling and Shenzhen rewarded me with a red and gold lion man.

If you have any questions about any of the terms I’ve used, look in the glossary.