halfway there

[mellowtigger]

I got my first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this morning.  The needle was so small that I almost didn't notice the injection.  (I hate needles.)  I expected it to feel chilled because of the cold storage requirement, but apparently they let it warm up to room temperature before injection.

The temporary North Memorial Health vaccination site I visited appeared to be a former chain store.  From the colors inside, I'm guessing it was a Target.  Big signs outside said to stay in your car until the time of your appointment.  I got there early and watched the previous wave of people step inside.

They were geared up for maybe 20 appointments in each 10-minute slot.  After my injection, I sat down in the waiting area with 30 other people (I counted), sitting on enough chairs (socially distanced across the wide open area) for about 60 people.  It's been a full hour now, and I still have no reaction.  We'll see how I feel tomorrow, though.

Minnesota has temporarily received a large influx of vaccine supply, so they finally opened up the state fairgrounds for mass vaccination. That's what I expected this procedure to be like from the beginning, not trickling out doses at clinics and other small sites.  Regardless, we're finally making progress on vaccination percentages in our state, although we still have the troubling beginning of a 4th wave here. 

Not to mention that the virus continues to mutate, and new versions are still being discovered.  This report from Brazil is just a few hours old now, describing a new variant of the P1 strain which is already known to evade current immunity.  People who risk exposure of themselves are just helping this coronavirus by giving it more opportunities to mutate, risking everyone else.  We're watching evolution happen before our very eyes, as the virus randomly changes into forms better able to spread.  I don't expect general "safety" until 2022 at the earliest.

I suppose my vaccination milestone means that it's time finally to shave and get rid of this "covid beard".  I knew this would be a long-haul adventure, and I promised myself that I wouldn't shave until I got my vaccine.

It shows.  Pictures soon.

Comments

[foeclan]

I was fine for about 3 and a half hours after my first Pfizer shot, and then I desperately needed to take a nap. My arm was really tender to the touch for the next few days.

[mellowtigger]

Quite painful bicep tonight. Wondering what tomorrow will bring.

[zipperbear]

Mass vaccination sites could be super-spreader events, in theory. Maybe small clinics are a better idea. I'm getting my 2nd Moderna shot today, at the smallest Kaiser clinic I've ever seen, just big enough for a 1-way loop through check-in, injections, waiting, and exit.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/849WF2XH%2BGJ/@37.4988125,-121.9731262

[mellowtigger]

Good point. I hadn't considered the exposure potential. I was imagining it like the testing sites where they drew blood from a finger through the car window as people drive through. I suppose that arm injections wouldn't be nearly as reasonable in that setting. :(

[mrdreamjeans]

Congrats!

[mellowtigger]

Just 3 more weeks to injection #2. This mRNA rollout seems like a great proof of concept for the technology. They're already talking about using it for HIV vaccination!

[mrdreamjeans]

Isn't science great!

[threemeninaboat]

Thank you for getting vaccinated!