One Down, One to Go

I just got vaccinated and here’s how it went.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

I did it. Got my first shot. One of the perks of being over 50 and living in Ohio.

So now I’m halfway there. Maybe even 80% depending on where you get your data. If I were living in another country, that might be enough to call it a day after the first vaccine. But the FDA recommends a two-dose strategy for Moderna, so that’s what I’ll get. I’ve marked my next appointment on the calendar four weeks from now.

Compared to registering for an appointment online through one of the not-so-user-friendly scheduling portals, the day-of process was pretty seamless. Front row parking spot. Third in line. And the only waiting I had to do was for another batch of the vaccine to be brought forward and allowed to thaw for five to six minutes.

Seated in the chair while the nurse swabbed my skin with rubbing alcohol, I thought of all those times I sat holding my kids’ hands while they got their shots. I’d tell them to look away, close their eyes, and squeeze my fingers. My son was the worst. He always cried as if someone was sawing his arm off with a dull blade.

I didn’t need hand-holding, but it felt nice that my husband was sitting a few tables away. We had endured this pandemic together. Semi-quarantined in the house and spending more time with…