In the weeks leading up to the state opening up vaccinations to people over 50 on April 1st, I had been getting more and more anxious to get the vaccine. I'd been seeing more people under 65 getting the vaccine and I had no issues with that. I have no idea what their criteria are and if they are finding ways around the rules, more power to them. Meanwhile, there are ads all over social media about how safe the vaccines are. I was getting infuriated at being advertised to for something I WANT and wasn't able to get.
When the new eligibility was announced, those of us who fell into the new group weren't able to book on most sites until the day of eligibility, which just irritated my long term planning brain.
Luckily, my friend Joyce let me know that Carbon Health, the company coordinating the city mass vaccine sites, opened bookings for the 50+ group a few days prior to April 1. I was able to snag an appointment on Friday at the USC site.
That morning, I had butterflies in my stomach, almost like I was going for a job interview! I wasn't concerned about the vaccine, I was stressed about making a mistake with my appointment, getting caught in traffic, missing something to prove I was eligible. None of that made any sense, it just shows how much importance I had invested in this vaccine.
The site was in a parking structure at USC. When I reached the site, there was traffic control and a sign that said 'vaccine site appointments only' and I got teary eyed. The site was very organized with many people directing car traffic, telling us where to park and then directing us to the line. I didn't have a long wait. The check in volunteer had an iPad to scan my QR code, ask some questions and then directed me to the line where the shots were being given.
Once I sat in the chair, the process was so quick, I didn't have time to get a picture of the shot going in, so I got one of the bandage applied after.
In two weeks, I will be 80% protected against COVID (go look up somewhere else what that actually means, I'm not an epidemiologist). In 3 weeks I will get the second dose. And then after May 7th I will be fully vaccinated.
This morning I drove over to the nearest Krispy Kreme to get my free vaccine donut.
The next step is for all of my family and friends to become fully vaccinated so we can once again meet in person and give each other hugs.
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