Got my 4th COVID-19 vaccine yesterday! Finally! Felt like THL sure did sat on it this time for my medical risk group despite the number of cases sky-rocketing during the summer 😯 and despite saying that the protection against serious disease only lasts a few months. At one point they said Finland would wait for the updated vaccines before starting the 4th round except for the worst medical risk group. Only thing was that at the time it wasn’t even known when those vaccines would be approved for EU and then for Finland, so there was an out-cry that it might be November/December by then and much too late for the autumn COVID-19 cases increase and THL changed their stance. Luckily. 

I got my 3rd vaccine in early December so I’ve been feeling more or less in danger all through the summer. Avoided crowds and kept safe distance from other people because of that, while still trying not to become a hermit.

So far the jab site is slightly red and the arm muscle is a little sore, but not nearly as bad as the previous times. Yesterday I suddenly got a worsening headache 1,5 hours after the jab, and I think it’s because of the vaccine. It came on much faster than my migraine usually does, and responded better to the headache meds. So I’m thinking it was a vaccine side effect, but can’t really be sure.

I don’t get it – the authorities and politicians handled the first two years of the pandemic so well, why has this year been so bad and the attitude even by the authorities seems to be that it’s over even though the hospital system is suffering due chronic under-funding and under-staffing of nurses and devalue of nurses’ jobs? As if suddenly COVID-19 isn’t putting more pressure than normal on the system that was already cracking under the weight of the pressure long before COVID-19 came along? Why add to that by risking having even more patients because they’re in risk for serious disease and complications and that then happening by not vaccinating them if the powers that be themselves admit that the vaccines prevents deaths and long intensive care stays or even hospital stays altogether? I trust science and doctors and tend to believe that organizations like THL does what is best for the nation, but sometimes it’s very hard.