LATE MAY COVID VACCINE UPDATE
4 HOURS.
It took four hours for my mom to get her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
To the right is a timeline to give you an idea as to how long you will wait to receive your covid vaccine and below are some recommendations since it seems others have experienced similar delays.
- 9:45 pm – we arrive at Cidade Universitaria where my mom scheduled her appointment for the Covid Vaccine in Lisbon
- 10:45 am – Mom’s appointment time passes
- 11 am – People for 9:45 appointments were being called.
- 11:40 am – People for 10:30 appointments were being called in.
- 12:11 pm – 10:45 appointments called. We are online.
- 12:20 pm – We are inside and my mom is filling out forms***
- 12:35 pm – We are waiting for registration
- 12:40 pm – We are waiting to be called into a vaccination room
- 12:50 pm – We are in the vaccination room, my mom gets her 2nd vaccine
- 1:00 pm – We are put into the final waiting room where we need to wait for 30 minutes just in case there are any reactions
- 1:30 pm – We are out!
TIPS FOR YOUR COVID VACCINE APPOINTMENT IN LISBON
Normally, I would tell you to arrive early. In this case, I think maybe a half-hour early would do.
Bring a portable chair (or picnic towel if you are going to the Cidade Universitaria site). There were no benches which were fine for me, but not so much for my mom and the rest of the older people there. Other sites may be different, so maybe scope them out a day or two before so you don’t have to stand while you wait.
Go to the bathroom ahead of time. My mom had to use the bathroom and security did let her in (they were very nice), but if you are going to be waiting…you’re better safe than sorry.
Bring your own pen. Yes, they have people who sanitize the tables and pens used to fill out forms, but I’ve taken a liking to always carrying my own pen so I don’t have to use someone else’s.
As of 5-25-21, if you are over 55 years old in Portugal and have not yet gotten your first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, you can request an appointment here.
You can bring someone with you to keep you company when you get your shot.
What vaccines are available in Portugal? Since Portugal is part of the EU, the vaccines from the following companies are all made available (this is subject to change, of course): AstraZeneca, BioNTech / Pfizer, Moderna, Curevac, Janssen, and Sanofi / GSK.
Does the COVID-19 vaccine hurt? According to my mom, no…but I’m a chicken…so I will let you know my thoughts once I get mine.
Are there side effects to the Coronavirus vaccine? According to the SNS, most people have mild symptoms such as reactions at the injection site, headache, muscle or joint pain, fever, feeling tired, feeling sick, and general malaise. They usually last 3 days. If you experience any weird or strange symptoms such as experience shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling in the legs, persistent abdominal pain, severe and persistent headaches (lasting 3+ days), vision changes, red spots or spots on the skin in a different place from the injection site, you need to contact your doctor immediately. My mom only experienced pain at the injection site and sluggishness.
For the most up-to-date information on Covid-19 and the vaccine in Portugal, visit the SNS site.
GETTING THE FIRST COVID VACCINE IN LISBON PORTUGAL
We had been anxiously waiting for my mom (who is over 65) to get the SMS from the SNS (Servicio Nacional da Saude – Portugal’s National Health Service) to let her know that she would be scheduled for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. She never got that SMS, but Portugal recently made a change where anyone over 65 who had not received the first dose could request an appointment to get the vaccine. She went ahead and requested and in the same day, she had an appointment for the following Monday. Here’s how the day went.
Arrival at the Vaccination Center
My mom’s appointment was set for 12:37. I’m a bit of a freak about being places on time, so we arrived at 12:00. Our chosen vaccination site was at Cidade Universitaria. Sure, we could have taken the metro there, but we walked. When we arrived there were HUGE signs denoting the vaccination site. We walked through the first gate and saw that to the right, a walkway had been demarcated to get into the building. There was no line.
Entering the COVID-19 Vaccination Site
Once we entered Pavillion 3, it looked like some sort of indoor sports stadium. At the entrance of the building, we were given a one-page form and told to take a seat at a desk to fill it out. It had very simple questions to answer (these were the same forms my mom filled out for her 2nd Covid Vaccine***)
BASIC INFO
SNS Number
Date
Name
HEALTH QUESTIONS
- Are you sick today?
- Do you have a cough, fever, difficulty breathing, changes in taste or smell?
- Have you had contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
- Have you received any vaccines in the past 2 weeks?
- In the past, have you had any serious allergic reactions to a vaccine (anaphylactic, glottis edema)?
- In the past, have you had serious allergic reactions without an identified cause (anaphylactic, glottis edema)?
- Do you have a known allergy to known excipients?
MORE HEALTH QUESTIONS
- Do you have clotting diseases?
- Do you take anti-clotters?
- Do you suffer from any disease that affects immunity?
- Have you had a transplant in the past 3-6 months?
- Have you taken or undergone corticosteroids, chemotherapy or radiotherapy; immunosuppressive therapy, in the last 3 months?
- For women of a fertile age; are you pregnant?
- Have you (in the past) had a serious (anaphylactic) adverse reaction to a previous dose of this vaccine or any of its components?
MEANINGS OF THE WEIRD MEDICAL TERMS I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH
excipients: an inactive substance that serves as the vehicle or medium for a drug or other active substance.
glottis edema: abnormal accumulation of fluid in tissues involving the supraglottic and subglottic regions where laryngeal mucosa is loose.
After Filling Out The Questionnaire
Once the questionnaire was filled out, we were told to get online. The line was short and nicely distanced. When we arrived at the front desk, my mom handed in her paperwork. I asked if it was ok for me to accompany her, and the staff said it was not an issue. We were told to move onto the person in the orange vest. We headed over to him. He told us to sit down to wait for a vaccination room to become free, and at that exact moment, one of the people giving the vaccinations called us in.
Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine
This could not have been easier. There was a small room set up with a desk, two chairs, and a small supply table. The vaccine was sitting on the table. My mom handed over the paperwork, the woman administering the vaccine went through what was going to happen and gave her the vaccine. That was super quick and my mom said she had no pain. She then asked us to follow directions to the waiting area.
At The Waiting Area
There was a desk with a man at the entrance to the waiting area. He gave my mom a sticker where he had entered a time. He told her that she needed to wait in the area until that time came up just in case there were any complications. He gave her a goodie bag which contained an apple, crackers, and water. She was told that she could drink the water, but that nothing edible was to be consumed during the observation time. When we entered, there were plenty of chairs, perfectly distanced. We sat, waited, and when it was time to leave, we left.
If you have had the vaccine and had a different experience than my mom did, we’d love to hear how it was different…and if you have any other tips of your own, please do not hesitate to share by leaving a comment.