The Covid pandemic period has, on the whole, been a rather stressful period for me as I imagine it is the same for others. My life was suddenly disrupted, and the period that followed is not something I would recommend going through. I am not sure after what we have all been through this last year; anyone needs a reason why. The social conditions were bleak, and the movement was restricted; meaning that we could not do many of the activities that we enjoy or were already part and parcel of our daily lives–something I was very affected by. Social contact was minimized, meaning we could not see our friends and families as we would like to, or engage in our shared activities. Not a good news to many, I’m sure! That’s why I was excited when the vaccines came. In the earlier phases of the pandemic, while solutions were being suggested, vaccines were the most appealing.
Vaccines would mean that we could better limit the spread and eventually go back towards our normal lives. Something that I’m sure we all wanted. However, again in line with the uncertainty that surrounded that period. No one seemed to be sure of when the vaccines would be developed, and some predictions were made that it might take an extended period to develop them, not very cheery news. However, happily for us, the vaccines came out earlier than most of us expected, and many countries, ours included, have already begun their vaccination campaigns. However, with the vaccines becoming available, other questions came up. Some of these questions were: when would it be our turn to get vaccinated? Would we have to pay for it? This latter question was a very serious one for us as we weren’t sure how much it would cost if it turned out we had to pay for it.
Healthcare costs can sometimes get very pricey, so naturally, there was a little bit of worry regarding the potential cost of vaccination. As it turns out, while the vaccines come at different costs per dose depending on the version, these costs (for the doses themselves) are being borne by the federal government. So technically, they are free to Americans. Technically, because while the doses themselves are free, you might still have to pay for certain costs such as administration or associated costs. The associated costs surrounding the vaccine vary, and it is a good idea to check with your healthcare insurance provider what they are in your case. Also, check if they will charge you extra or add it as part of your usual health insurance package. In my case, when I registered(I was very relieved when I was able to get this done, I mean, who wouldn’t want an end to this issue) for vaccination, I had to pay for vaccine insurance.
The registration for vaccine insurance wasn’t as pricey as I had initially feared it might be. It cost me 18 ringgit to pay for vaccine insurance as I got registered for my vaccination. If you haven’t registered for vaccination, you should! Also, check out your options based on your location and health insurance scheme, so you are better informed about what to do next.
