Yesterday, we received notice that agricultural workers and veterinarians (and their staff) could at last sign up to get the COVID19 vaccine in Arkansas. As a veterinarian who works for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, I was in line at last.
After some quick computer work, I was set up. I somewhat randomly chose a local pharmacy about 5 or 6 minutes from the lab. Although it may have been a bit overkill, the pharmacy sent me multiple email and text confirmations and reminders. I'm okay with that. I looked at each one of them with a smile.
I got my shot today at 9:50am. The pharmacy is in a somewhat upscale strip mall on the western side of Little Rock. They set up the vaccine clinic in an empty storefront in the same strip mall, and it was a straightforward experience. The storefront didn't even have finished walls, it was just a big, empty, concrete-floored space. Plenty of room for social distancing.
Which vaccine did I get? Does it really matter? For the record, I got the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. And I have a confirmed appointment for my second shot in three weeks. My colleague Xie got his shot today too, and he got the Moderna vaccine. Science for the win!
Reactions? My arm hurts. Eh. Tetanus boosters are far worse. After one of those fuckers, I can't lift my elbow higher than my waist for a couple of days. But here's the thing. Rabies and tetanus--they will kill you. As a veterinarian, I'm happy to line up for the vaccines and titer checks (my rabies titer is checked annually, at no cost to me, at the lab) and boosters. COVID19 is now just another check box on the list.
I'm quite over-committed at work right now, yet I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from me.
