When the pandemic was at its most tense, a lot of people hesitated after the COVID vaccine became available. Everyone had heard something: side effects, bad reactions, stories passed from one person to the next. Some people were eager to get it, while others kept watching from the sidelines, unsure what to believe.

The first people to receive the shots were probably those in the medical system. After that came people working in government departments. I suppose it was meant to set an example and encourage others to follow.

I still remember the evening of January 14. A few colleagues and I were out working in a village. It was already past eight o’clock at night. The village Party secretary happened to be excellent at cooking, and he had prepared two free-range chickens. Eight or nine of us sat together for dinner, and the atmosphere was really good.

After eating, we stayed around chatting and joking. Someone suggested having a couple of drinks, and beer was brought out. Just then, a WeChat message came in: the people listed in the notice were to go to the county hospital the next day for unified vaccination. The names of several people sitting there were right on the list.

The group notice also said that alcohol was not allowed within 24 hours before vaccination. Everyone froze for a moment. The scene suddenly became a little awkward. Someone spoke first: “Looks like we can’t drink now. We have to get the shot tomorrow.” A few others quickly agreed and said we should forget it this time and drink another day. One colleague joked that the next chance to drink would have to be a month later. Everyone laughed, and the tension eased. In the end, nothing came of the drinks, and we all went home.

The next day, people in the compound were ready to set off early, but by the time we actually left, it was already afternoon. At the hospital, we lined up and saw some colleagues who had arrived earlier. They had already finished their shots and were resting near the entrance. A few of them looked rather listless, which scared the rest of us a bit and made everyone more nervous.

We first filled out forms at the front desk. After being asked about possible contraindications, we went to the service window, where the staff member inside checked our information. She asked which work unit we were from, and at the end she even asked about education level. I still could not understand what vaccination had to do with education.

After a simple checkup, including blood pressure measurement, we joined the line for the injection. While waiting, we heard that someone ahead of us had fainted after getting the shot. That added another layer of tension. Nobody said much. You could tell everyone was uneasy.

When it was my turn, I went in and the doctor told me to roll up my sleeve. Before I really felt anything, it was already over. It was no different from an ordinary injection. The doctor told me to sit outside for half an hour for observation.

Thinking back, it was not actually that frightening. Most of the fear came from facing something unknown. As for the woman who had fainted earlier, it turned out she was allergic.

That was my first dose. Many colleagues still did not get vaccinated at first. They had heard all kinds of rumors and did not dare to go through with it. But later, around May and June, they eventually got vaccinated one after another.

Three months later, on April 17, after the township health center was able to administer the vaccine, I went there for the second dose. This time my arm hurt a little afterward. I asked several colleagues, and they all said they felt the same thing.

That is about all I can remember from the experience: a vaccination notice arriving just as the beer was being opened, a nervous line at the hospital, and finally realizing that the shot itself was much less frightening than all the talk around it.