On Sunday I looked online for a place to get my COVID-19 booster. There were several in our small town, phramacies or grocery stores with a pharmacy. You can sign up for an appointment online (filling out the paperwork ahead of time and submitting it online) For some locations you can walk in. I opted to sign up online for the first available appointment time, 9:45 a.m. this morning.

I showed up a few minutes early. There was a handful of people in line at the pharmacy counter and a couple of others already in the queue to get their vaccine. Most were older folks. There was one young woman who appeared to be in her 20s or 30s. The pharmacy staff was cheerful and efficient.

They asked if I had an appointment. I did. They asked for my CDC vaccine card. They accessed the online information I had submitted, printed it up, then directed me to the entrance of the little privacy booth next to the pharmacy. I had a short and pleasant confirmation with an older gentleman who was waiting for fifteen minutes after his vaccination.

Once in the booth I was given my updated CDC vaccine card and a pile of informational papers. I was asked, “Which arm?” I indicated my right. I asked if the booster was the half dose. It was (that’s standard). I didn’t need a band-aid. I was instructed to hang out in the grocery store for fifteen minutes. I asked if I could wait in my car. “That probably wouldn’t be a good idea if you had a reaction. No one might be able to find you.” I replied, “What if I lean my head on the horn?” “[Laugh] Still not a good idea.” So, I walked around the grocery store, lingering at the craft beers for a while, until my fifteen minutes were up.

That was it. I was in and out within twenty-five minutes.

If you haven’t already done so, get vaccinated.

Wear your damn mask anyway.

Previously:

“Does the microchip have a data cap?” (February 12, 2021)

It’s been a year (March 13, 2021)