Not Throwing Away My Shot

 (Why all the Hamilton references? Because I want to see live theater, dammit!)

I've spent the last 6 weeks working hard to get people vaccinated. I've worked with others in FB groups and other places to find opportunities, first for 75+, and then for others as the process opened, and I can say I have had a direct hand in getting 8 people their shots. And then yesterday it was my turn; I had had a slot for today, and then got called last night to come in instead, and dropped everything and headed out. The sense of relief I felt as I sat in the "observation area" after getting it was like nothing I have ever felt before.

Why is it so important to get vaccinated? Yes, sure, it will eventually build herd immunity. But even more so, as one person so eloquently described it in a twitter post last night, each person who is vaccinated breaks a chain of transmission. The virus moves person by person, link by link, until it reaches that break and can't go any farther. And by breaking those links, we break the transmission.

So I am strongly in favor of as many people as possible getting vaccinated as soon as they possibly can.

Yes, I believe there should be priorities, and that we should move through those and get people their shots (which is why I worked hard to get them for others.) But when I hear "Oh, I'll wait so someone more deserving can get theirs first" — though I appreciate the sentiment, that's not how it works. Unless you are actively elbowing an older person of color using a walker out of the way to score the last jab of the day, there is no guarantee that you bypassing a chance will thus mean that someone else "more deserving" will get it. (especially now that we have more supply, I might have a different opinion if we were still in the middle of the last administration's nightmare of a distribution plan — or lack thereof). If you see a chance, take it.

And here's something else I learned truly and well through taking care of two dying parents — the ONLY way the healthcare system works is through self-advocacy. So to that end, if you are one of the groups that Minnesota is about to open to:

1) Yes, make sure everything is updated on Vaccine Connector. If there have been changes, like they have added Type 1 diabetes since you filled it out or you did not realize that "living in a multi-generational household" meant your current situation of sandwiching in your home between your mom and your kid, you should call and update it at 833-431-2053
(yes, you can only do it by phone).

2) More importantly, don't just sit back and wait for them to call. Your clinic and/or vaccine connector is like that guy that's just not that into you — they might call, eventually, but it will be a long wait. Instead, ask them out. Take a look at the categories and tiers, know where you fit into them, and then watch the system like a hawk. Each of the pharmacies has their own screening and scheduling tool, and slots are getting easier to get, so if you answer the screening honestly and stay on it you should be able to nab a spot. In the metro area, Walgreen's, Walmart, Sam's Club, some Cubs, Hy-Vee, and many independent pharmacies such as Saint Paul Corner Drug are doing it; Costco and CVS will be added soon. In outstate MN, Thrifty-White seems to have a great selection of doses, and who does not like a road trip? But you have to stay on it, and try early and often (try midnight, first thing in the morning, last thing at night, when appointments open up due to bad weather, etc.). Yes, it's a lot of work, kind of like a PT job. Welcome to our medical system. It only gets worse.

3) Don't fixate on which (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J) is "better" or "worse." They are all better than covid. Take what you can get.

4) Try not to get discouraged about how "everyone else" seems to be getting theirs scheduled before you. Thomas Jefferson is paraphrased as saying "I find that the harder the work, the more my luck improves." This is a combination of timing/luck (I know several people who were randomly notified from Vaccine Connector) and work (I know several more who worked it hard with the tips above and got it). And, though I know it's hard, try not to be jealous or judgmental when someone else gets theirs before you get yours. Obviously, other will get their shots before you do, and this is not a contest about who deserves it more.

Once you're vaccinated (or even while you're trying to get your appointment), pass it on and encourage others to do that same. (The two people I talked to about this at Mary's memorial tonight, I'm looking at YOU!). The sooner we can all get vaccinated, the sooner we get to move on — NOT back to "normal," but to whatever this after-time is.