City Personals
To get the vaccine or not? That seems to be the burning question on every social media outlet, every news channel and daily conversations across the country. It, along with every other civil liberty in the United States, is left completely up to the individual so a choice.
As of now, there are two manufacturers of the vaccine - Moderna and Pfizer. Both of my parents received the Moderna vaccine. Momma had her second round Friday with a low grade temperature Saturday. The sore arm is just a given with any type of shot in the arm...or truly anywhere else. Daddy is slated to get his second one this week.
I have a plethora of friends in the medical field, both doctors and nurses. I have reached out to many of them to discuss the pros and cons of receiving the vaccine. Not a single one could convince me at my age that it was a bad idea. Trust me when I say I tried to poke holes in every theory there was, as I despise needles and am, quite frankly, wary of anything new. I saw something on social media over the weekend that said “you eat hotdogs and chicken nuggets, yet you are worried about what is in a vaccine?” A little different but also somewhat true.
Are there going to be long term side effects? One really does not know at this point beyond the time frame the vaccine has been available. Were there long term side effects when the flu vaccine first became relevant? People line up year after year after year to get the “flu shot” and over those years, there have been many variants of the vaccine introduced. Does the flu vaccine keep people from getting the flu? No. What it does is lessen the blow if one does contract it. I would imagine it is more of the same with the COVID-19 vaccine.
I have heard horror tales of people who have had the virus. Healthy, what I would consider “younger” people. I have seen obituaries of people who have died not necessarily from the virus but from “complications” which arose due to the virus. If someone has underlying health issues and gets diagnosed with Coronavirus, the virus is treated, not the underlying conditions.
There are people who have had terrible side effects from the second dose of the vaccine, there are others who just had a sore arm both times.
I have heard all sorts of outlandish things regarding this vaccine – it is the mark of the beast, it is going to change one’s DNA, there is a tracker inside the vaccine. Could all of those things really be true? If I grow a tail and sprout horns, I guess I will have my answer.
There has been a lot of chatter on social media regarding signing up to receive the vaccine. I am not sure if there are several different websites out there where one could get an appointment.
I can with absolute certainty say that the government is not going to knock on someone's door and ask them to stick out their arm. If you do want to get vaccinated, you must be proactive and seek out an appointment. There are other qualifications besides age that may put you in the bracket of receiving one.
I had my first dose of the Pfizer brand vaccine last week. I went to Oxford, which was the only place close enough to go. I have to say, it was like a fine-oiled machine run by the National Guard. There were four “stations” - one where they checked you in, asked your name and birthday. At that stop, you receive a booklet regarding the type of vaccine you are receiving, along with a sheet on the top to fill out stating any known allergies and such. The second stop, you give them your information sheet, which easily tears from the front of the booklet. They let you know when you should schedule the second dose. She was very clear that with the type I was getting, the wait time between doses was no less than 21 days. The next stop, vaccine. The “sticker” will ask which arm. I suggest wearing a short sleeve shirt for easy access. In case any of you wonder if they will administer it in your rump, the answer is no. Yes, I did ask. After you get your vaccine, the “sticker” will give you a card with the manufacturer of your vaccine along with the date. The last stop is the wait for 15 minutes afterwards to make sure you have no adversity to the vaccine.
I did not get the vaccine to make a political statement, nor because I enjoy intramuscular shots or because I am a “sheep.” My friend base runs the gamut from friends of my children to the precious older generation and everywhere in between. When I think of any of them contracting what could be deadly, it gave way to pause. I will also be welcoming a beautiful granddaughter this summer. If taking the vaccine will ensure I can safely see people dear to me as well as hold a member of our family, then so be it. I would get stuck a million times over to keep those around me safe...well maybe not a million times because the stick is a little uncomfortable but...
Whatever choice is made - to vaccinate yourself or not - is solely up to you. I will not treat anyone differently, one way or the other, and neither should anyone else.