JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<a id="a">Click this</a>
<div id="action_message"></div>
<div id="action_response"></div>

JavaScript

// add a handler for the click
$('#a').click( function(event) {
    
    // write that message
    $('#action_message').text('The link is disabled.');
    
    // do/call your action here (like ajax or some DOM stuff)
    $('#action_response').text('Something happened here');
    
    // release the event handler that it won't fire again
    $(this).unbind('click');
    
    // prevent default action of the link - this is not really necessary as the link has no "href"-attribute
    event.preventDefault();
});