Getting the Covid-19 vaccine in Taipei - Summer 2021

Usual disclaimer: Note the date of this blog post. As time goes by, things may change, so always try to find the most up to date information. Feel free to let me know if anything ever changes. If this article has Chinese characters / Pinyin and you are not sure about pronunciation, copy/paste the Chinese characters to Google Translate and use the text to voice feature. As a side note, the pronunciation of the neutral tone is usually not so good, but it should be close enough.

Relevant links:

Making A Covid 19 Vaccine Appointment in Taiwan

Well, I got the shot and wanted to explain the process for those of you who are not fluent in Mandarin and worried about how things go. If you haven't already, be sure to read the article linked above about how I set up the appointment.

My appointment was set for Saturday July 31st between 2:30pm and 4:30pm. My friend had gotten her shot a few days earlier at a different location and she apparently showed up 2 minutes late from the beginning of her time frame. She ended up having to wait 90 minutes to get her shot. 

For that reason, I decided to show up 30 minutes early (I ended up being the second to get the shot and I got it 15 minutes before the beginning of my time frame). Registration was really easy. As far as my experiences went, for the initial registration, there was no need to talk to anyone. You can of course say that you don't speak Mandarin, but it was all hand gestures for me.

My vaccine was done in a community center. I showed up, handed over my NHI card, and then I just followed the hand gestures as they gave me the relevant documents/forms. The layout was clear and the staff helpful. 

You will have to fill in certain forms as well as the Covid-19 Vaccination card. Someone may even do it for you. I don't know if it matters, but for my vaccination card, instead of my ARC, I wrote my passport number where it said ID number. I figured this might be better for me if I have to travel and provide proof of vaccination. I made sure to write my name as it is displayed on my passport as well.

Once that was done, the staff motioned for me to hand over the forms in another area. Once that was done, they once again guided me to another waiting area. This was the area where I was to get the shot. I sat behind a lady was the first to get it. Before getting the shot, a staff member came over to me to ask certain questions about allergies, medication, health condition, etc. My Mandarin is good enough for lots of communication but not good enough for technical talk so she explained it to me in very good English.

Once that was done, the person administering the shots came over to me and asked pretty much the same questions, and I got the shot. I was then told to wait 15 minutes just in case. I felt no pain whatsoever when I got the shot, in fact, I was even wondering if they had even given it to me.

After the 15 minutes, a doctor came by and asked how I was feeling, and I was given some medication in case I had a fever. They explained how to take it in English.

That's pretty much it! In my case, it was a very easy process. Of course, I can't guarantee that every location will have the same procedure and helpful staff that also speaks English. It was certainly the case for me though!

In the unlikely event that you have no Mandarin skills whatsoever and they can't speak English, here are useful keywords. I'm assuming that you have no allergies, are in perfect health, and have not received any kind of vaccination recently.

健保卡 jian4bao3 ka3 - NHI card

過敏 guòmǐn - allergies

沒有過敏 méiyǒu guòmǐn - no allergies

我的身體很好 wǒ de shēntǐ hěn hǎo - I am in very good health

最近沒有打疫苗 zuìjìn méiyǒu dǎ yìmiáo - no vaccinations recently 

最近沒有吃藥· zuìjìn méiyǒu chī yào - no medications recently

Take a screen cap of these phrases/words if you need them and show it to them when relevant.

As far as I am concerned, I didn't have any side effects. Just a tiny bit of fatigue, and very slight itchiness. I made sure to avoid foods that cause inflammation. I was on a diet of salmon and veggies for a few days. I stayed hydrated, and basically stayed home and rested. I do have friends who were knocked out for up to a week, however, so in case that happens, I suggest cancelling plans for up to X number of days if possible. I guess was lucky!

Hope it goes well for you!

If you're looking for Mandarin lessons, I highly recommend my teacher Jenny from JL Mandarin School. 

If you want to support me and buy my music:

https://duvedandhistransatlanticfive.bandcamp.com/album/more-than-you-know

https://dcmusique.bandcamp.com/album/for-jimmy

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