Time to Vax!

 I’ll admit, when March 19th rolled out the next round of candidates for the COVID vaccine, I was bummed a little too hard that it was for adults 40 and up... I’m only a few months away from 40! Come... on! But good news quickly followed; anyone 16 and up would be eligible on March 29th.

I got fire ants in my pants by the time March 28th arrived and went ahead to see if I could go ahead and schedule my appointment. At first, it was a bit overwhelming so I stuck to Kroger pharmacies. Only one was available in my search radius so I jumped on it and... scheduled!

Today was the date of my first shot and I was also happy to hear I was getting the Moderna vaccine. After researching all of them, I felt this one was more aligned with what I wanted. It had side effects I was already familiar with from getting my adult vaccines caught up two years ago and I liked where the effectiveness sat, as well as the mRNA. It’s likely my nephews will eventually get the Pfizer one, since that is the front runner in clinical tests for those under 16 at the moment, so we’ll have some diversity in the findings for herd immunity.

I have plenty of personal reasons for rushing to get it done. A process that gives hope for a return to normalcy, the amount of people around who still don’t wear masks, having a very temperamental immune system that sometimes dodges the big seasonal illnesses and other times makes me sicker than others for longer periods of time. Overall, I want to contribute to the goal of herd immunity. It’s worth the risk of stepping up. Enough of us have to step forward to race against the development of mutations and variants. I know my own family is less likely to ever do it unless someone they actually know steps up first. It’s less that I have always been a leader and more that I am not content to just follow.

Fully aware that no matter what choice we make these days, someone is always quick to pin you as a sheep. My friends, I have never been a sheep. I’ve had to mask to attempt to belong my whole life and I make a terrible sheep. I’m definitely not a wolf under the wool; more like a weird ass cat. One that started off feral, discovered they liked the domestic life but still gets the urge to explore the outdoors from time to time. But that’s okay; I won’t fight anyone on being a sheep/sheeple. It also secretly delights me that some people do perceive me as belonging. 

In any case... yeah, at this point, it’s about nine, ten hours since I took the plunge. There’s an expected soreness in my upper arm and... I’m so glad I’m not around people because my ass gas is absolutely foul right now. I feel a little fatigue and started to get a stuffy nose and dry cough, BUT. An allergy pill cleared that up quickly. That’s right, folks; don’t panic, it’s also allergy season! 

There may be more discomfort overnight and well into tomorrow but the worst of it should pass by the afternoon (the 24 hour window). A totally expected occurrence for a vaccine. And this mRNA one is actually pretty cool. It basically delivers a genetic message (hence the m and RNA) on how to build these S (spike) proteins like the coronavirus has. It’s basically instructing the cells to build these training dummies and wake up the antibodies, then identify them as the enemy. The first dose is the training phase. The second dose is then the real deal; the body is trained to go, so the simulated S proteins are reintroduced so that the buff and ready antibodies can go to war. This is why the second dose tends to get the most severe symptoms; however, we’re talking a day, maybe two, of discomfort while your body perfects its immune responses. If all goes well, the virus tires out and dies in the bodies of the ready hosts and there is little to no chance it can mutate or spread to weaker hosts. However, if the variants/mutations win too hard, then vaccines must be boosted and we must fight harder to achieve the hope of herd immunity. We must close as many doors as possible to weaken the virus’s ability to spread, mutate or even exist, so we need risk takers to step up.

I might have been one of the more cautious sorts in the past, but I am eager to restore my life to some sense of normalcy, to not put others at higher risk, no matter how much the sacrifices have inconvenienced me. I will continue to wear a mask as long as the healthcare system asks it of me. You could tell me my vaccine is 100% effective and I can’t get it, but there’s no guarantee I can’t spread it to the unvaccinated or immunocompromised. 

I’m not a saint either. I would not give a shit about spreading it to some asshole that hasn’t taken it seriously but it doesn’t work that way. There are people who genuinely cannot get vaccinated or are too compromised for it to work and we don’t get to choose who ‘deserves’ a dose of reality. But here’s the truth, it doesn’t cost me much to be safe. I’ve grown accustomed to wearing a mask when I go out around others. I’ve always been reasonably hygienic about hand washing and minimizing spread. Assholes can laugh all they want but I am kind enough to lose sleep over the harm I might do others. 

I mean, I’ll still smash my fist into the faces of anyone who crosses boundaries with me, but that takes quite a bit of pushing and you will not see it coming. For the most part though, I exist to get along with anyone. A bit of a hippie with a hell switch. 

All the same, today marked a day of hope. In a few weeks, I’ll endure a bit more discomfort, and maybe a couple weeks after, enjoy a sense of safety and even more hope. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that enough people see sense and we can beat this virus. If freedom is truly what my fellow Americans value, they’ll see this virtue of science as their ticket.

Before I go, I do want to add that it’s become increasingly clear to me that nurses don’t quite have adequate medical training; they are first and foremost trained in hospitality. I say this because I have heard quite a few accounts of nurses saying they had to get the vaccine but would not have if they knew they’d get such side effects. This is a real red flag that not all workers in the medical field have valuable knowledge in science or how vaccines work. Now, I do know that many nurses do have stellar education and advanced medical training (depending on their certification and experience) but despite the incredible respect I have for anyone in the current medical client, I highly urge people to take such statements with a grain of salt. Not a single one of my friends/colleagues who know their shit in the medical field has said this or any other vaccine is not worth the risk and inconvenience of an expected immune response. In fact, they are relieved they’ve experienced the discomfort, embracing it as a sign their immune system is prepared. While many caregivers may appear to be in a position to influence, be very careful not to form your opinions based on unfounded fears or discomfort. Due diligence with verified sources only! I hope that you are sensible enough to not be lured in by colorful or powerful languages. This is fine when reading fiction, but facts? Facts are often not going to regale you. They will sometimes even bore you, but that is reality. Sometimes, the truth is quite predictable and even isn’t the answer you want to hear. Science is truthful enough to admit it does not have all the answers but will tirelessly keep searching. It doesn’t fill in all the holes immediately because it needs to make anyone feel better.

Embrace the unknown. Take risks. And try to do no harm!