My tears of joy as Covid vaccine doubts were swept away at Scarborough Rugby Club: GP Taylor

WHEN it comes to vaccines, I have always been a bit reluctant ever since my youngest daughter had an adverse reaction to a routine jab as a baby. However, I have to say that the events of last week have changed my attitude forever.

It was around this time last year that I spoke to my doctor about a new virus we now all know as Covid. Back then it had just started to run riot and was beginning to kill people. His advice was stay inside and self-isolate. Within a couple of weeks, the country was in lockdown and the death rate was starting to surge.

I took his words seriously and hid away from the world. If I did have to go out for essentials I wore a face mask, eye shields – and my lucky flat cap. Any item of food brought into the house was washed meticulously and post and packages left for five days before opening.

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My biggest fear was that, due to underlying health conditions, I would soon be dead if I caught Covid. I cannot deny that the pandemic has changed me as a person. It took away any desire to do all the things I always liked such as a walk along the seafront or going for a cup of coffee. The house became a fortress where I would look out upon a world that was being brought to a standstill by an unseen killer.

GP Taylor was delighted to receive his first Covid vaccination.GP Taylor was delighted to receive his first Covid vaccination.
GP Taylor was delighted to receive his first Covid vaccination.

Talk of a vaccine didn’t impress me very much. Under normal circumstances, such things take years to develop without any guarantee of them ever working. I was reluctant, suspicious and negative towards the idea. Yet, as weeks turned into months, there didn’t seem to be any other alternative.

The only thing that was going to get us out of this mess was a vaccine. I had to make the decision of whether or not I would take it if it was offered to me.

My reluctance made me research every scrap of information about the vaccine I could find. Slowly and surely, the case for the jab grew stronger and stronger. Herd immunity could only be gained if we all were involved. My thoughts took me back to my childhood and seeing people ravaged with polio. It was those memories that helped to change my mind.

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Covid was such a killer that I knew I had to do something about it. So much so that I emailed my GP and asked when could I have the injection. The answer came sooner than I expected. It arrived with the ping of a text message. My heart raced as I rushed to my laptop and clicked the link. Within three days I had an appointment. I couldn’t wait.

GP Taylor has written in praise of vaccine volunteers at Scarborough Rugby Club.GP Taylor has written in praise of vaccine volunteers at Scarborough Rugby Club.
GP Taylor has written in praise of vaccine volunteers at Scarborough Rugby Club.

It was as if light had been shone into a very dark place. The anxiety over the threat of Covid that had grown darker and deeper every day of the pandemic suddenly began to lift from me. There was finally an end in sight for my fears and the burden and stress was being lifted from me. Other people who have had the vaccine told me they felt the same.

On the morning of my appointment I arrived early at Scarborough Rugby Club. It was an amazing sight. The car park was full, stewards were on hand to welcome everyone. There was a palpable sense of excitement.

Inside, the organisation was fantastic and professional. Within minutes my name had been taken and I was in line. That moment could not come fast enough. Listening to conversations around me, the most spoken words were ‘thank you’. Everyone was saying it and the appreciation was genuine.

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Soon I was sitting down with my sleeve rolled up and when the needle went into my arm I filled with tears. Not that it was painful, in fact, I couldn’t feel a thing. I cried with a whirlpool of relief, joy, hope and thankfulness. It was as if the doors to life had been opened again and if I did contract the virus, I had a good chance of surviving. All I wanted to do was thank everyone working there for what they were doing every day for hundreds and hundreds of people.

GP Taylor received his vaccine at Scarborough Rugby Club.GP Taylor received his vaccine at Scarborough Rugby Club.
GP Taylor received his vaccine at Scarborough Rugby Club.

I often take living in Britain for granted, but when there’s a crisis like this, we certainly know how to knuckle down and get the job done. That morning in an atmosphere of calm professionalism an army of masked workers brought hope to us all.

As I walked out of the building the young man who had welcomed me looked me in the eyes and said ‘well done, thank you for coming along’. I couldn’t answer, I was too choked with emotion. He could see my tears of joy and he smiled.

It was as if he had seen that reaction a thousand times before. Now we have a chance to beat this disease and bring a type of new normal back to our society. We may never escape it fully, but the Covid sword of Damocles has finally been broken.

GP Taylor is a writer and broadcaster. He lives in Whitby.

The Covid vaccine programme is proving to be an unprecedented success.The Covid vaccine programme is proving to be an unprecedented success.
The Covid vaccine programme is proving to be an unprecedented success.
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