I Got the Shot!

I am vaccinated against COVID-19 – at least, the first of two shots.

It wasn’t as difficult to get an appointment as I’d expected, although I had to attempt signups and do online chats on several websites. I ended up at a Fred Meyer (supermarket) pharmacy, far from my neighborhood haunts, on Monday morning.

The scene wasn’t crowded or crazy; no buzz of anticipation or nerves. People showed up quietly in 15-minute increments to check in and wait.

The pharmacist either was incredibly good at giving injections or the needle was super-thin – I didn’t feel a thing. After the shot, I sat for 15 minutes in a tiny waiting area to make sure I didn’t have a bad reaction. (My only bad reaction was to the pathetic-looking faux orchid plant in the waiting room.)

As the day wore on, my arm became sore at the injection site – nothing an acetaminophen tablet and an icepack couldn’t remedy. I’ve otherwise had no symptoms and feel pretty terrific about my progress toward herd immunity.

I’m never crazy about being one of the herd, but this is an exception. An online search for exactly how large the herd should be, however, reveals a smattering of guesses, from 60% to 83%. So, the medical experts still aren’t sure how many of us need immunity in order to protect the rest.

According to the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard, just over 17% of Idahoans (over age 16) have had both of the two-shot COVID vaccines; almost 28% have, like me, had the first shot.

That leaves 59% unvaccinated. If they're already eligible but holding out, I hope they’ll reconsider.

I’m rolling up my sleeve again on April 19.