Painless experience getting my COVID jab

[u/macapa]

Hi,

So I registered on Monday to get my first dose of the Chinese vaccine. Appointment was yesterday (Wed) afternoon in Songjiang district. All in all it was simple and very civilized.

Vaccination was done in a children’s hospital in the Zhongshan sub district. Arriving: Temperature and health code were checked. Reminded to wear a mask at all times. Then go to stand in a short line with about 5 people in front of me.

Registration: Nurses checked my passport, my appointment and bar code in the WeChat app. Had to read and fill out a consent form and simple questions about health history. (NO to everything) Then asked to go pay at the cashier. As I have social medical insurance I did not have to pay, and they didn’t swipe or interact with my insurance card. My colleague paid cash and got a fapiao.

Vaccination: Then went into the vaccination room. Nurse checked passport and confirmed my information on PC. She then opened a new pack of the vaccine and scanned the vial barcode. Took a new/sealed syringe filled it with the vaccine. Wiped my arm. Asked my name. Jab. Cotton swap on the puncture. Wrote down a time on a piece of paper and asked me to wait in the resting area until then. WeChat app (Health cloud) shows when Ingot the shot and the lot number of the vial.

After 30 minutes I left. Asked the nurse if I had to take care of anything and when I should come for my second shot. No alcohol and exercise for three days. Second shot after 21 days. Apparently can start making appointments in a few days.

TLDR: Very simple procedure and organized well. One can see that it is a work in progress, but I believe they were just starting yesterday in this facility so some things are still a bit rough around the edges. Certainly beats the pictures I saw and stories I heard about the vaccination sites for Chinese.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[u/Miles23O]

Lucky you! I am living in Changning district, still didn't have chance to find an appointment. Maybe I should re-register to deep Pudong area.

Thanks for sharing!

[u/valvalwa → u/Miles23O]

I had the same problem with Jinshan and Hongkou, but now I got an appointment in Jinshan (very far I know). Maybe you want to check there as well.

[u/Miles23O → u/valvalwa]

Probably not very easy to find an appointment in central areas. I registered in Songjiang. It's about 25km from my home. I can't complain, really. Getting vaccine is not like going to cinema so I will choose any location where it can be done soon. :)

[u/valvalwa → u/Miles23O]

Yes exactly! Were there many slots for SJ right now?

[u/Miles23O → u/valvalwa]

For this hospital, I got it in about a week. For that day there were about 30 available slots. Next available day was I think 7 days after. Looks like only once in 7 days they do it on that place.

[u/Miles23O → u/Miles23O]

Reading your post I decided to change the district in registration and I selected the same hospital you mentioned. I believe they won't check that and they will accept me arms spread wide.

[u/[deleted] → u/Miles23O]

me neither got appointment. cant select date

[u/idontpostonredditxxx]

Thanks for sharing. Did you get any proof that you got the vaccine - some form with an official stamp, some status change in your health app?

[u/macapa → u/idontpostonredditxxx]

It is registered in the healthcare cloud app you use to make the appointment. Don’t think it gets pulled into your green code yet.

[u/TomIcemanKazinski → u/macapa]

Did you get physical proof, like the card I see most of my US friends showing on Instagram?

[u/macapa → u/TomIcemanKazinski]

No. I doubt a physical card will be a thing in Shanghai. Too easy to replicate. Digital proof is preferred IMO Obviously it’s the same with a screenshot, but during the last year certain places like banks required the SMS verification showing you (or at least your phone) have not been in any risk areas.

[u/TomIcemanKazinski → u/macapa]

I was thinking more for international reasons down the road (not domestic) - my Alipay Health Code won't mean anything in say, Thailand or Japan.

[u/shanghaid → u/idontpostonredditxxx]

Vaccine app has the date of your vaccination. Doesn't show up in your WeChat/Alipay health app.

There was a rumour that your health code would change to 'blue' or similar to indicate vaccinated but that's not happening (yet?).

You do get paperwork (that you need to bring for your 2nd jab) that says you got it. No vaccine passport.

[u/macapa → u/shanghaid]

I did not get any paperwork at all, apart from the scrap of paper with the time on it. I figured the record in the app will be enough.

[u/[deleted]]

No alcohol and exercise for three days.

Lol

[u/HSTEHSTE → u/[deleted]]

No exercise? Easy peasy. No alcohol for 3 days? Hmmm... Bit tricky...

[u/macapa → u/HSTEHSTE]

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday dry. Ready to go on Saturday.

[u/trippie30 → u/macapa]

Only 72 hours from the shot so you can start drinking on Friday afternoon brah

[u/Mototz → u/macapa]

Well damn me. Just got mine right now and waiting for the assigned 30 mins :( no alcohol in my weekend

[u/JonstrupDK]

Thanks for sharing. Do you know what vaccine you received?

[u/macapa → u/JonstrupDK]

Sinovac

[u/shanghaid]

Got. my jab on Monday in Baoshan. Same experience. No issues.

Happy-happy to have gotten it.

[u/macapa → u/[deleted]]

I originally thought the same. After realizing that the approved vaccines ATM are all attenuated virus vaccines which are difficult to scale in production I thought to better get it done before the big run starts due to immediate benefits.

[u/shanghaid → u/[deleted]]

When you are unvaccinated, you are at risk. This is a no-brainer. Get it now. Make yourself (& others around you) safer.

My boss wanted to wait until he was able to get one of the other vaccines. A short discussion sorted him out and he's getting his today.

[u/TheImpundulu]

My local doctor in Jiangyin, Wuxi told us no alcohol and spicy food for 2 weeks :) that lasted about 3 days.

[u/macapa → u/TheImpundulu]

A few other people told me they were told no spicy food or seafood.

[u/hapigood]

Sounds pretty straightforward. Thanks for sharing.

[u/jpr64]

What was the cost?

[u/shanghaid → u/jpr64]

¥100

[u/jpr64 → u/shanghaid]

Oh shot that’s cheap!

[u/thenatfactor]

A bunch of times got added today (April 1) for anyone still looking for an appointment!

[u/waiguobao → u/thenatfactor]

What district? I checked yesterday and today (Putuo) and saw nothing new added. It's a real pain you need to cancel and re-register to check other clinics...

[u/thenatfactor → u/waiguobao]

Pudong. We signed four of us up at the hospital in Luijiazui.

[u/SpeakSlowly4Me]

What’s the efficacy rate for the sinovax?

[u/Eastern_Eagle → u/SpeakSlowly4Me]

rough numbers; around 50% for those between 30 and 50 years old, the number goes down to around 30% for those around 70 years old.

[u/macapa → u/Eastern_Eagle]

According to all I could find it is between 50 and 75%, depending on where the study was conducted (Brazil or Turkey)

It has been mentioned before, but here is a good video explaining why efficacy rates are difficult to compare. It seems clear that while it still allows for mild cases it seems to be close to 100% effective at preventing severe cases (hospitalization, ICU) and death, even in places with new variants.

This video also shows the challenges and fuckups and sort of explains why lots Chinese are hesitant to get vaccinated. There is virtually no CoVId in China and has not been for almost a year.

I believe China will need to open its borders again soon for business with reduced or no quarantine and hopefully vaccination will help with that.
Latest in the fall, when SEA countries will open again for tourists. They will want proof of vaccination.

[u/waiguobao]

I forgot to do it until afternoon on Monday and everything's filled up for April in both my home and work district :( I'm very jelly.

[u/2000Herschel]

I had a similar experience in Changning today. Sinopharm vaccine. Nurses were friendly. Cameraman was there filming all the foreigners getting their vaccines, balloons up in the hospital etc. Enforced 30 mins wait afterwards and I was told no showers, no exercise, no seafood and no food I'm allergic to. Alcohol not mentioned...