i've gotten vaccines at a more unusual place

 

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheWayWeWere/comments/3l6liu/polio_vaccine_sugar_cubes_1962/ 

This child looks a whole lot like my sister Pat. But she was 10 years older than me. So clearly it isn't her!

I was seven in 1962. Probably grade two. We were compliant in the 60s. We climbed under our desks for duck and cover drills. We sat where we were told to. Went where we were told to. There was no independent thinking. So it was no surprise when our class was called down to the gym. We lined up in a perfect row because that's what we did. In the gym there was tables with nurses. You knew they were nurses because they had on whites, white hose, white shoes, and those silly hats. I have no idea if there was doctors. 

Still puzzled I noticed there was boxes of sugar cubes on the table. The nurse had a tray of them. It was 1961 so there was no gloved hands or masks. A person with a clipboard asked our name and they checked us off, we went to the table and they put a cube of sugar in our mouths. IN SCHOOL. They made sure you ate it and then you went and stood in another line to go back to class. It took maybe five minutes total.

When I told my mom what happened in school today she told me I had gotten a vaccine against polio so I didn't end up like whoever's kid in something called an iron lung. She didn't get my excitement about eating cubes of sugar in school and my speculation that maybe we could do it again the next day. We didn't.

I think that was my introduction to vaccines. I actually had measles, mumps, and chicken pocks so there was no vaccine for that. I did have the smallpox vaccine which left this nasty scar on your arm. Mine has all but faded now. If I look hard I can see it. My mom had eight kids. She couldn't have that many sick people laying around it took a month for any illness to cycle thru us all.

And I've had others since then. Most notable a shingles vaccine. My dad had shingles. No thank you.

Yesterday Pat and I went for my coronavirus vaccine at the Wind Creek Casino sponsored by the Health Bureau. I finally got us an appointment after weeks of trying. The system sucks.

Tier 1A is for old and sick people. I know that booking large spaces is hard, but you're supposed to not be around a lot of people. This place was packed and not elderly friendly. Though people did offer Pat a wheelchair which she refused. We should have taken the walker.

You entered at the Outlet Mall. I have NEVER seen so many people at the Outlet Mall. I dropped Pat off and then headed to the parking lots. In about 10 minutes I was back. She was standing waiting in the lobby. All the nice benches were gone because of covid. Many stores too. Then we walked thru the mall to the first left, and down a long hall, past the hotel doors to the event center. When we entered the event center there was a serpentine to go thru. And stay 6 feet apart. People were managing about 3 feet.

You checked in, then the quick way was to go down the stairs. We had to go down the ramp, then across the room to the curtain where you took off your coat. Then we were assigned to Line 1, right inside the door. There was at least a dozen lines. Thankfully it wasn't long. There was one person at the table and another in front of us. Pat went first. You didn't sit. You just got a shot and left. Then it was my turn. It was very, very cold.

Then we walked across the event center to the waiting room where she could finally sit down. I didn't think she'd get back up. Getting out wasn't quite as bad, we exited near the hotel entrance. But we still had to walk down the long hall and thru the mall. At the exit the wheel chairs were lined up, so she finally sat down. I went for the car, parked in the drop off zone, picked her up and we came home.

My arm is sore today like with any other shot. We go back on the 22nd for round two.

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update: We received the email for the 2nd  shot last night at 9. Second shots are from 3-6. I work from 330-5.  Oops. I only noticed it last night because a former student sent me a request via text and I wanted to reply right away. I'm not in the habit of checking texts after 9 pm. I click on the link and it looks exactly like the first time. That time was 8 screens. I clicked "2nd" vaccine and hit okay. The appointments came up and many were gone. But there was one around 3:30. I chose it for Pat. However, the stupid program took you thru all 8 screens, again. WTF? Don't they keep this info? Everything from demographics, history, and down to the medical insurance. I had to do it twice.  Needless to say when I was done it was gone. She's now in for 4:02. I sent a text to Bonnie to see if she could take her. My siser-in-law Barb will be my second choice. 

I go back in to do mine. All the appointments are gone till after 6:00. They added an extra hour. Mine is at 6:32.