We are coming up on a year of the covid-19 pandemic changing everything, and I imagine that’s going to stir up some memories, some conscious and some subconscious. But if you’d told me that today, just shy of that anniversary, that I would have received the vaccine, I would have stared in wonder. This is an amazing feat. I’ve said before that if we had to go through this pandemic time, this was the best time in the history of humankind to do so, because of the technology we have available.
But this beats all of that. This is a holy moment. Scientists around the world worked night and day to make this happen as rapidly as it happened. I am in awe.
And … it’s not easy to get, even if you fit in the 1A or 1B categories. And it may feel a little intimidating. (Me, I never lined up to get a vaccine before – I either got it in a doctor’s office or maybe a flu shot at a local drugstore.) Let me tell you what happened to me, which I hope may relieve some of your anxiety:
There are different ways to sign up for a vaccine appointment, and I was preregistered for Austin Public Health and Williamson County. It does not matter where you live, you can go to any that have vaccines available. I also kept checking HEB and CVS:
Williamson County (fulfilled by Family Health Systems)
Wednesday night, I checked Austin Public Health’s (APH) site; they said they would open up the system at 6:00 so people go could get “in line.” When it opened, I clicked on the button that popped up. Oh, disappointing: they said they had 4000 shots available, but there were 5024 people ahead of me in line. I went and kept my browser window open, just in case … and at 7:45, a button popped up saying I could choose a time! I did so, and received an email confirmation.
If you go through APH, hold on to that email confirmation! They don’t keep lists, and so the QR code in that email functions as your “golden ticket.”
I arrived at the address given in the email (Delco Activity Center), about 10 minutes early. At that point, every single thing is directed by the staff. And absolutely everyone is wearing masks, at all times. They tell you where to park (nice large parking lot), where to stand in line, etc. In the email, it said to bring your confirmation email (you might want to print it out, just to be on the safe side), water, and a chair.
From my experience: unless you need the chair, leave it in your car. The line keeps moving, at least once every 30 seconds to a minute, so you’d simply be moving it 6 feet at a time. Look at the weather, and take a hat or a jacket as you need them. It was warm and sunny when I went. I was outside for probably a little over an hour – should have brought sunscreen!
Once you’re inside, they’ll have you fill out a front and back form. Name, address, if you have any drug allergies, that kind of thing.
And more lines, but they really are efficient and move quickly.
Shot time! Goodness, this was even easier than a flu shot. I barely felt a thing. After that, they handed me my vaccination card and gave me instructions about getting the second shot.
I’m allergic to penicillin, so they had me sit in a special section for 30 minutes, just to make sure I didn’t have a reaction. Everyone else sits in a different section, for 15 minutes.
And that’s it!
And now, the most important thing: If you qualify to get the shot right now and are having difficulties getting an appointment, first: no embarrassment. Even with being computer-savvy and talking to people who have successfully gotten appointments, I still found it a challenge. The first night I tried, I got all the way to getting a time — and then got booted out, and couldn’t re-enter! It IS a frustrating thing.
Next: We Can Help You! We have members who have learned the ropes of this, and they are happy to get you all set up. Send me an email at minister@liveoakuu.org and I’ll connect you with one of our wonderful volunteers.
As soon as you qualify, get the shot. I understand the impulse to step aside and let others go ahead of you. But the sooner we get shots in arms, the sooner we, as a society, can get back to normal: seeing loved ones, serving others, supporting businesses, and living our lives.
And … the sooner the day will arrive when we will be together!