The 90% Project - Luke Kirkness: My first vaccination went without a hitch. Here's my guide

OPINION:

The most difficult part about my Covid-19 vaccination process was trying not to make a silly joke about how it might affect my internet connection.

Yesterday morning I was lucky enough to be run through the Bay of Plenty District Health Board's Baypark vaccination facility to receive my first dose.

I was in and out of the facility in fewer than 30 minutes. That's including time to get the vaccine, wait 15 minutes, take photographs and video.

My biggest concern was the health board had found a time for me to get vaccinated and I hadn't actually made my own booking.

I managed to track down my NHI number but I didn't even need it, instead, I just gave my name, date of birth and my address and I was off to the races.

Following the markings on the floor, I weaved through the bollards and found my seat at the front of one of the several rows in the facility.

Making my final steps as an unvaccinated member of society. Photo / George Novak

I was asked a handful of questions by a nurse and asked to take a photograph of an explainer detailing things I should know about the vaccine including what symptoms I might feel.

After answering that I was feeling chipper, in went the vaccine. If I wasn't looking at my arm, I wouldn't have even known it had been administered.

I got it in the morning and for the rest of the day, I didn't experience any problems though I'm told the jabbed arm can be a bit tender the morning after.

The Baypark facility is the biggest in the health board area and its clinical nurse co-ordinator Kathryn Baker said they could process 2000 people in one day if they had the bookings.

Baker and the staff at the facility's major plea to the public is vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate.

There's nothing to worry about either. The vaccine has been proven safe by medical experts both in New Zealand and internationally.

All smiles - not that you could tell. Photo / George Novak

You don't even need to book anymore, with many locations offering walk-in bookings. All you just need to know is your name, date of birth and address.

Many facilities also have the capacity to vaccinate an entire family in one group so individuals don't need to be alone.

There is also a section with explainers and information in a range of different languages, with RSE workers recently processed at Baypark.

The needle went in without any problems and I could barely feel it. Photo / George Novak

They've even thought about people who think they might faint from the jab with a decked-out private booth specially dedicated for them.

St John paramedics are also onsite, so if anything is to go wrong they are around to help.

The timing of my first dose couldn't be better — well, it could be if I had done it earlier but it's certainly timely.

No lollypop but I did get a Barley sugar. Photo / George Novak

At the 1pm news briefing yesterday, it was revealed a positive wastewater test result had been recorded in Tauranga on September 23.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson confirmed health officials were developing a vaccination passport.

According to the NZME vaccine tracker, of the 4.21 million people eligible for a jab only 43.6 per cent of us are fully vaccinated — 1.83 million people.

Some of the rows of booths dedicated to people getting their first Covid-19 vaccine dose at the Baypark facility. Photo / George Novak

I'm part of the 33.7 per cent or 1.42m people in New Zealand who have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

There is no time like the present when it comes to getting your jab so, please start the process if you haven't already — we're in an arms race with the virus and this is how we beat it.