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Vaccinations are now available to all Minnesotan residents ages 16 and above. Several KOM employees have already been vaccinated. To learn about how and why they got the vaccine, read their stories below!
Jackie Chan, KOM’s COVID Care Navigator
(pictured above)
Why did you get vaccinated?
“The reason I got vaccinated was to protect my family and friends and co-workers and to protect myself. I do not want to transfer [the] COVID virus to anyone because I know a lot of people are very vulnerable to sickness. In a way, it is also to protect the communities and people around me. I also have a wife who is pregnant. I wanted to protect her from COVID and as a Community Health Worker and COVID Navigator, it is…good role model[ing] for others as well.”
What do you look forward to the most as we begin to return to some normalcy?
“The thing that I look forward to is hanging out with friends and families again and doing some barbeque outside without having to worry about breaking any guidelines. I also look forward to going back to work…at the office.”
How did you sign up to get the vaccine?
“The process of getting my vaccine was very simple. I just sign[ed] up [with the] Vaccine Connector and within 2 to 3 weeks, they emailed and texted me that I was selected for random selection. All I had to do was pick a day and time I wanted to get vaccinated and wait for my confirmation. Email is not required. If you have a phone number they can reach you. I suggest people sign up for [the] Vaccine Connector online. For…elders, they can sign up as well, but some health providers are providing vaccines to their clients so they may or may not need to sign up depending on their health care provider.”
How was the process of getting the vaccine?
“When I [got] to the place, the line was a little long, so I suggest going a little bit early. When I got inside, it was straightforward. I just followed the sign and checked in [to get] vaccinated. You do have to [sit] for 15 minutes after vaccination in the seating area that they provided so they can see that you don’t have any allergic reaction to the vaccine.”
Lwepaw Kacher
Why did you get vaccinated?
“First of all, I always go back to my community. [In Burma], the children [receive] no vaccination. But here we have the opportunity, and with the COVID vaccine, why not? I don’t want to get COVID, and this is one way to protect myself. I am [also] out in the community all the time. I have to go get meals, deliver to houses, and sometimes…shop for [clients]. I want to protect myself too. I…[practice] precautions [like] washing my hands, using hand sanitizer, [and] wearing masks. I’ve made it this far, but [now] our prayers have been answered [with] the vaccine.”
“I will be protected, others will be protected from me, and I will feel safer to go out in the community. And my husband and mom [are] stroke survivors. I don’t want to be the person who brings back COVID from the outside.”
What do you look forward to the most as we begin to return to some normalcy?
“I want to go back to church [and] see everybody come back to church as before. I teach Sunday school, so I want to be able to go back…and sing and pray. Teaching from Zoom is not as good as in person [because] I don’t get a chance to help kids read bible passages. My main goal of [Sunday school] is to improve the students’ [reading abilities]. And during the summer we have vacation bible school and everyone is looking forward to that. We pray, dance, eat, go out and learn, sleep, take a nap. We have 100 or more kids and we just want to go back.”
How did you sign up to get the vaccine?
“[I signed up] through M Health Fairview, because they were giving [the] opportunity to people who work for them. They consider me an essential worker. So I got vaccinated through them. I am employed by M Health Fairview.”
How was the process of getting the vaccine?
“It was not hard because we were given [a] spot. You just go to the website and sign up, and then when it is your time to get the vaccine they call you. If they want to do it early they say come early. It was smooth. I went inside St. Johns Hospital. I showed my ID [at the front desk and] went upstairs [to get] vaccinated. After vaccination I waited 15 minutes and then left.”
“I’m ok and everyone should be ok. The first dose is better than the second. The first dose you don’t feel anything, but the second one [gives] you problems. You might have the whole arm hurt for 24 hours and you’ll feel a little bit tired. I remember after the second dose I took a nap. For me, the symptoms only lasted a day or two. I didn’t have to take Tylenol or anything.”
Ehkalu Sein
Why did you get vaccinated?
“I want to travel again. I love to travel, but the last four years I was in college and I didn’t really get to travel except for spring break. I really want to go to Australia to meet my relatives there, especially my grandmother. She’s old and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her. I was planning to go December 2020 but things got [bad because of the pandemic].”
What do you look forward to the most as we begin to return to some normalcy?
“Traveling and meeting friends in a big group instead of meeting online or virtually. I want to meet in person and smile and hug each other. [I’m also looking forward to] going back to church normally…, hanging out with friends, inviting family or other relatives over, [and] having a group gathering and talking about life. That’s what I usually do. We have a BBQ once a month.”
How did you sign up to get the vaccine?
“KOM works with MDH [on] the COVID vaccine project. [MDH] also offered [the vaccine to] some of us who have to go back to the office. They…sent us the link and we just signed up. It was at MOA, so I had to drive a few minutes to get there.”
How was the process of getting the vaccine?
“Quick and easy. Since we scheduled [the appointment], it was not busy. It was organized and clean. When you get there they checked you in by scanning the barcode [or] checking your phone number.”
I didn’t have to wait that long. The line was open, and they asked me a couple questions [such as] “do you have a fever?” and “what arm do you want to get the shot on?”. “
“After the shot they send you over to a place where everyone sits for 15 minutes after getting the shot to check to make sure nothing happens. After 15 minutes you can leave if nothing happens. Nothing happened while I was there. [The vaccine] doesn’t hurt a lot. I felt a little sore, but not that much. It was at the point that I could still do anything and everything. When I got back, I went grocery shopping and did my regular workout routine. And [the soreness] disappeared by Sunday.”
Kaziah Josiah
Why did you get vaccinated?
“I got vaccinated because I do a lot of community engagement so I thought it was important for me to prevent [spreading] COVID-19. I had COVID in the past. It was really bad and I didn’t want to go through it again. I think for me its more preventing giving it to other people. I don’t want to transfer it to others and don’t want them catching it from me. I like to travel a lot, so that’s another reason I wanted to get vaccinated.”
What do you look forward to the most as we begin to return to some normalcy?
“Just hanging out with people. Like going to events and things like that [and having] human interaction with people. [With the pandemic] I try not to gather with too many people. Definitely looking forward to traveling. [I] want to go back to Thailand again and to other countries.”
How did you sign up to get the vaccine?
“I work for the police department so we’re considered essential workers. When my job offered [the vaccine] I took it.”
How was the process of getting the vaccine?
“Before getting the vaccine I had to go to this website [where they] asked questions about basic info and allergic reactions to medications. And then on the day of, you have to check in with one of the staff and go through those same questions. [Afterwards, staff] showed [me] an app that [I] can check in with [to] tell them how [I was] doing each day. Sometimes they would send a text saying its time to check in and let them know how [I was] doing.”
“[To get the vaccine] it was pretty quick. I think maybe it was just five minutes.”
Did you have any symptoms?
“I got a two shot vaccine. The first [dose] I got in the morning and then at night time started feeling sick. [I] had a fever but it was only for a day but then my arm was sore for like two or three days. Second dose the same thing.”
“The first time I got my vaccine I didn’t take any pain reliever medication, but…when I took the second dose I took some Tylenol and that helped.”
