Waiting For My Shot!

“They have two appointments in Springfield today,” Ron said glumly at 7:00 a.m. “It’s not such a long drive....it’s gone!” He studied the screen some more and brightened up. “Or Foxboro? They have lots of appointments in Foxboro! If we go today you can have your first shot.” Long pause. “We’d have to go back in a month. It’s a hundred miles. Each way.”

Poor Ron. He’d been manning the computer for days, hunting down appointments in Berkshire County. He finally found a site with openings, put in his details, then looked for the Family option. It wasn’t there. No more appointments. None scheduled.

He felt terrible. Why him and not me?

It’s the luck of the draw, I told him. Don’t worry.

Of course he’s worried. So am I. We’re in our seventies, the most vulnerable group, and appointments for the vaccine are hard to find. I registered with the Sheffield and Great Barrington Senior Centers, and Ron continued to haunt his computer. Something had to turn up.

Yesterday I called our daughter in St. Augustine to talk about a road trip south. We expected to leave the first week in May, giving us time for both shots and the waiting time in between.

I asked if she’d been vaccinated yet.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll get the shots in time to meet up with you.” Endless pause. “It will probably be the J&J vaccine.”

“That’s good,” I said. “I might be getting that one, too.”

“It’s not a real vaccine,” she said. “It doesn’t work.”

Say, what?

Jessica is a healthcare professional. What is she thinking?

She’s thinking about the numbers. Numbers are important, but they don’t always tell the whole tale.

The J&J might not be quite as good at protecting from infection as the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, but it’s been more than 90% effective at preventing severe illness, hospital admissions, and deaths. Unlike the other two—and this is big—the J&J vaccine doesn’t need to be stored at incredibly low temperatures. It can survive in an ordinary freezer for up to six hours and at room temperature for two and a half. That means it can go places the other vaccines cannot, like small towns in rural America. It’s also a one shot deal. No second shot.

Does that make it an inferior vaccine?

Not in my book. If it’s offered here, I’ll take it in a heartbeat.

So spread the word. The three vaccines we have in the U.S. all prevent infection. All three are effective. Take whichever is available where you live.

Not just for yourself. For all of us.

Stay well and stay safe.

Love,

Judith

News Flash! I just got off the phone with Kathy at the Sheffield Senior Center. She’s found me an appointment tomorrow at 3:05 pm. at the W.E.B. DuBois Middle School in Great Barrington!

Even though I know how to get there, Ron’s not taking any chances. He’ll drive and wait in the car ‘till I’m done.

Stay healthy. Stay safe. Take whatever vaccine you can get. Together, we can beat this!

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