On Friday 18 June I got my second Comirnaty BioNTech/Pfizer jab. I am very happy with that, and more and more baffled at the people who think there’s a microchip in it, or that say you’ll get magnetic, or even those who believe Covid-19 is a hoax. I kinda feel like I am part of an exclusive fraternity, though obviuously it’s not that exclusive what with over 15 million vaccinations already having been performed in the Netherlands alone (with 17 million inhabitants). Granted, many people still need their second injection.

Although vaccinations took an irresponsibly long time to get started properly, once things took off they really took off. The whole organisation is incredibly efficient and very professional. Hats off to those involved. Both times it took less than 30 minutes, including the 15 minutes you have to wait after the jab in case you faint or something. Staff were friendly, and both injections were virtually painless. And in the days after I had a mild muscle ache – much less than my annual flu shots that always result in more swelling and quite a lot of itching.

Yesterday most anti-Corona measures in the Netherlands were lifted. Maybe a bit too quickly, if you ask me, so I hope there won’t be another surge in Covid cases when people get back from their holidays in August/September. I read somewhere (I forgot the source, but it seemed reputable) that every single person in the world who won’t get vaccinated will get Covid (though many with mild symptoms, obviously), so we’re not out of the woods yet. But we’re getting there.

I have had about a dozen other vaccination shots in my life (excluding those regular annual flu shots), against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, measles, smallpox and influenza A (2009’s Mexican Flu, 2 jabs). Long live vaccination, and I fervently hope we’ll never have to go through this again.