Pfizer Vaccine #1

The first Covid 19 vaccine is in our arms. This will not make big changes in our lives because the second vaccine is scheduled for March 18 and we will continue to wear our masks--even our new KN95 masks--and stay isolated for the most part. The great relief for me is that I don't have to keep checking for a place to get the vaccine. We drove the 50 plus miles and the process is started. 

 I stopped checking the CVS site and the Penn Hospital site this week knowing that our turn had almost arrived. If I had not found this appointment on February 6, I don't think anything else would have turned up. We get emails from Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center telling us we are on their lists but they don't schedule anything. We were relieved yesterday when we got confirmation of our appointments today. I figured that meant they had enough vaccines. 

 We left home at 8:20 am and arrived at Rowan College in Gloucester County before 9:30. We joined the long line outside the college center. First stop was to get our temperature taken by a young lady wearing a FEMA shirt. Second stop was for a National Guardsman to check our ID and appointment forms. I was happy that they allowed Jim and me to go in together even if our scheduled appointments were an hour or more apart. The third stop was to check IDs again and address and phone number. And then we were given seats together with the nurses who were going to administer the shots. However there was a short wait while they got more vaccines from another building. "No, they had not run out," I heard them reassuring someone! That gave us an opportunity to chat with Jasmine and Amy. Jasmine called me "Miss Mary" as my GED students always did--and called both of us "Hon." They were RNs from the county. The shots were duly administered and we were sent off to the recovery area where EMTs were in charge--asking us how we felt. I said, "Happy" or "Great" when asked. It was certainly better than just "Fine."

 

 

It took one hour from parking lot back to parking lot. On the way home we treated ourselves to a Starbuck coffee and a treat. I think we will treat ourselves tonight to take-out from On the Border which has been our celebratory go-to place this year--along with their takeout margaritas! I hope we don't have severe side effects this time or the next.

 I will NOT post a photo on Facebook. I know there are many others who are still struggling to get appointments. This process could have used better administration from the national level. The previous administration did not take the situation seriously at least not publicly so and the new adminsitration has a lot of catching up to do. Over 500,000 died in the last year. I am so thankful we have been able to take this big step in our defense against Covid and hope my children and grandchildren will get their turns soon.