23 February

Winning The Covid-19 Vaccine Lottery. Getting It Thursday

by Jon Katz

I’ve been told by many health care professions that I need to get the Covid-vaccine as soon as possible. I am over 70, I’m shocked to say, and I have two chronic diseases.

But I’ve given up on panicking and scrambling.

The vaccine process offers me another chance to be mindful of how I wish to behave and how to stay grounded. I decided to hold back for a while on the vaccine scramble; I just didn’t want to drive three or four hours or take somebody else’s urgently needed spot.

I know my small town in upstate New York would not be among the first places to get the vaccine. I decided to sniff around but also to be patient.

Early last year, a doctor told me I would be very sorry if I got this virus.

Living in the country and spending most of my time with sheep, donkeys, dogs, and my remarkable wife, I’m not as much at risk as many others. I have this aversion to going where everyone else is going.

Every day I run into people who have driven five or six hours to get the vaccines. I understand their urgency. They want to see their grandkids again, is what they often tell me.

Come to think of it, I’d like to see mine. The last time I saw Robin was last March at the Bronx Zoo, the day before the country locked down. I’m hoping for a reunion at the Zoo this Spring.

I decided to have faith in my local pharmacy.  They would get it eventually.

But I’m not as stupid as I once was, and I also realize I need the vaccine so Maria and I can return to a normal life, which we miss. And Maria was very anxious that I get vaccinated as soon as possible. So is my primary care physician.

So I chose a path between rushing and exploring.

Every couple of days, I would go to the state health care site online and see if any vaccines were available. I got one appointment for late March right away. The site was three hours away, then I got another appointment in Albany, an hour away, and canceled the first one.

Those are the last two available sites anywhere near me for weeks.

I’m a sap, I know, but I wanted to get the shot at my local pharmacy, where I know and like the staff and feel comfortable. It’s hard to explain; it just felt right to me.

The staff at my Walgreen’s Pharmacy told me they would be getting the vaccine, but they didn’t know when, or how many doses. Call every day or go on their website; you just have to get lucky, they said.

This always makes me think of the 500,000 people who lost their lives during the pandemic.  I am already lucky.

My local pharmacy is two miles from the farm. This morning, after breakfast, I decided to go on their website and was shocked to be told a small number of vaccines were available. I tried to sign up, but the website went a little crazy and crashed.

So I just called the main Walgreen’s number and had a chat with their very polite voice recognition software. Amidst all of our tech chaos, there is always a phone call to be made.

I gave my information, explained my qualifications, and got an appointment Thursday morning first thing in the morning. It took about two minutes. I thanked the voice.

When I gave my age and listed my chronic diseases, things move quickly.

I have a second appointment for the second shot or four weeks from now. I guess the lesson here for me is what it often is. Stay calm, stay grounded, have faith, watch for the light.

I think this is the first lottery I won. I  hope always to remember all those people who died. They teach me what it means to be fortunate.

2 Comments

  1. Glad you got an appointment for the vaccine ! . I am also blessed…I am over 70 and had both shots. I am glad that you mentioned are the 500,000 + souls that were not so fortunate. What struck me about President Biden’s remarks was when he reminded us that they died alone, without their families. That jogs my memory to remember those families, those left behind, in my prayers. Thank you Jon.

  2. I also got lucky and was able to get an appointment on the very first day my age group became eligible. I’m 79, turning 80 next month. The 80+ folks were ahead of me by a week and it’s the first time since I was a teenager that I wished I were older. But now I’ve had both shots and am feeling safer, but also somewhat guilty about being so fortunate when so many people have died. And it really doesn’t seem fair that people who don’t have computer access are having such a hard time, in Ohio at least, getting appointments. As usual, the haves get preference over the have nots.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email SignupFree Email Signup