Having a Shot

 The result so far of my first COVID-19 vaccination shot last Monday afternoon has been utterly unexciting. Having heard from a few people who developed minor pain in their arms or mild fever, I had proactively canceled my day care/rehab appointment for the day following the inoculation. If your temperature rises above 37 °C they turn you away from the care center in any case, and I wanted to avoid causing a same-day cancellation. The folks at the center were appreciative of my concern, but told me that should I change my mind I could call in the morning and "cancel the cancellation".

A couple of weeks ago I spent 10 hours nearly continuously attempting to complete an internet appointment for the vaccination. Telephoning the appointment site was notoriously difficult, but doing it on the 'net wasn't that much easier, as far as I could see. I did finally manage to complete the log-in and appointment process, at one of my two preferred choices of venue. Once I got there Monday afternoon with paperwork in hand, the process was very smooth, indeed.

The only physical reaction that I experienced from the shot was minor itching at the injection site, maybe half as itchy as a mosquito bite, that subsided to nothing after an hour or so. No pain, no lassitude, no fever: anti-climactic, really.

I did as had been suggested and went to rehab the next day after all, having checked and found my temperature as normal as ever.

I'm aware that there is an increased chance of experiencing unpleasant side effects after the second dose, and a couple of the PTs and care specialists I've spoken with reported pain or other effects with various degrees of severity  after their second shot; a couple of them had to take the day off from work, and at least one lady says that she wasn't entirely back to normal for about three days, although she seems to be rather unusual in that respect.

I'm scheduled to get the second dose on July 5th, and I plan to repeat my proactive cancellation of rehab for the next day. With luck I'll be able to rescind the cancellation, with less luck I may experience some discomfort next time. Either way, I'll be happy when my vaccination is complete. 

I'll be happier still when my younger relatives and friends--who should be getting theirs in the next stage of the process--are done with it, too. I'll be even happier when enough of the population is vaccinated that the pandemic becomes manageable enough to responsibly allow businesses to resume normal operation. I have friends in the hospitality and entertainment business for whom this has been a serious disaster, and I hope to see them recovering as soon as possible.

I'm looking forward to the day when having a shot is a reference to Herradura, or Ardbeg, or Jameson, or Meyers's.