Mark Brown spoke with Mr. Odu during a pop-up vaccination session in New Cross Gate, London, in May 2021.
TRANSCRIPT
MB: Hello, this is Mark Brown for Lewisham Vaccination Stories, in a very windy Besson Street Community Gardens in late May, and I’m here with…?
MO: Mr. Odu.
MB: You just had your vaccination. What was it like?
MO: It was absolutely perfect and the organisers here, I think, were quite decent, well organised. It took only a few seconds, should I say a few minutes? But overall it was fantastic.
MB: Brilliant. Was there anything worrying you about vaccination before you came?
MO: Well, to be honest with you, I have been relatively ambivalent about it. I’ve never had COVID. I’ve had 3, 4, 5 tests for COVID, since the inception of COVID, and somebody called me up, to be honest with you. I think it was — no, somebody gave me a flyer and I called the number and introduced myself. They said, “Oh, you can come in, walk in, or make an appointment.” I said, “I already made an appointment,” and that is how I got here.
MB: Excellent. How has the last year been for you during this big upheaval of COVID and pandemic?
MO: I wouldn’t want to say it is anything short of a nightmare. In my humble opinion I think COVID has altered the course of our trajectory of our lives, and I have to thank the people of this fantastic country.
At the beginning — I was here at the beginning. We were all confused and worried, but it is amazing that God has been able to make it possible for us to find our way, achieve the vaccines, organise everything quite nicely. Overall, I have to say it is not as bad as it should have been or could have been.
MB: Yes. Once this whole vaccination effort is out of the way and everyone is vaccinated, what are you looking forward to happening?
MO: Oh, God, you know, my normal life, I’d hope. I don’t expect any miracles but to consider my normal life.
MB: Thank you.