By virtue of being in the “older Canadians” cohort—turning 55 has its privileges—I was eligible to receive COVID vaccine dose number one this afternoon.
The Provincial vaccination clinic proved a model of efficiency: I was vaccinated and in the waiting lounge 8 minutes after arriving.
The most exotic aspect of the whole experience was how close Robin, my personable vaccinator, was sitting to me. I’d forgotten what proximity felt like.
My only strategic miscalculation was the decision to ride my bicycle to the clinic: when I headed out it was warm and sunny; by the time I arrived it was windy and raining and I was winded and damp.
Apparently “sometime in the next four months” a robot will phone me to schedule dose number two.
Kudos to science, medicine, politics, and public administration for making this seemingly impossible thing possible.
Comments
Yay!
Lucky! How did you get such an early appointment? I booked the first day for our age group but mine isn’t until mid-May.
Same here, over 60 and appointment in May.
I originally had an AstraZeneca appointment at Sherwood Pharmacy, but when they announced the availability for 55+ of the Pfizer/Moderna, I cancelled that and booked one of those. I did this about 24 hours after the window for 55+ people opened, so perhaps additional availability opened up after the original opening?
It did seem a novelty to my vaccinator that I was there: apparently I was among the first of the we-don’t-have-a-reason-for-vaccination-other-than-age cohort, to the point where there was no box to check on the form for me.
I suppose the proximity was only because it was essential to the procedure, and not because health policy says its hunky dory, so long as one of you is vaccinated. At least in the US, I think that probably deserves constant repeating. I imagine you and your vaccinator both wore masks, and besides that were probably benefiting from an HVAC system that has recently been checked to be up to spec.
Yay! Go team Pfizer.
Congratulations! Here in Alberta, at 59 years old, I'm currently only eligible for Astra Zeneca, which I reluctantly received on Monday. But better that than no vaccine at all.