Last week I received my first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. There's a lot of misinformation being spread on a daily basis, and some uncertainty around getting the shot, so I figured I'd share my experience.
Since I lived in a designated hotspot, I had been trying to book my appointment through the online portal almost everyday with no luck. I will say that for awhile there, trying to book my vaccine online was way more difficult than purchasing tickets to Coachella. I felt bitter-sweet about it because I couldn't book mine, but I was content knowing that so many other people did.
When I received a message about a pop-up vaccine clinic, I immediately stopped what I was doing and made my way there. When it comes to standing in pop-up clinic lines, it's really just the luck of the draw with how long you should expect to wait. I honestly thought it was going to be 30 minutes to an hour max. However...it took me 3 hours to get inside the building.
Once I was in, I was placed in a socially distanced line as I waited for someone to direct me to the middle of what's usually a hockey rink. The rink was divided up into 8 or so pods. Once I was instructed to go to a pod, I was assigned a seat and waited to be checked in. Someone came and asked for my health card number, went through screening questions, and placed a green sticker on my shirt to let the nurse know I was ready for my vaccine.
A cheery nurse pushed her cart towards me, asked if I was excited, and administered the shot. It was super quick, virtually painless, and provided an instant feeling of relief. She said congratulations and asked me to wait fifteen minutes before I left.
Although I'm not fully vaccinated yet, I felt a sense of hope. It's one step in the right direction to going back to a somewhat "normal" life and I'm happy with my decision. Overall, it was an easy, painless, and necessary choice for me. I hope you are able to do the same soon!
*P.S. Some clinics give you chocolate bars after. It's awesome.*