Wednesday was trying on all fronts. My ride was a dear friend's husband rather than my friend because she was working during the appointment time. He arrived early and though the car windows were left open during our less than five minute ride and drop-off, he was also unmasked. He has been fully vaccinated and received both a booster and flu vaccine so I said nothing, preferring to keep conversation to a minimum. Upon arrival, I was dropped off outside, he went to park and then came into the store masked to be sure I had his phone number. I wore two masks and a face shield in the car and into the store.
Small and mobbed, this Publix was renovated several years ago but never intended originally as a vaccination site. No one was making any effort to allow a six foot distance anywhere. The pharmacy had a small waiting area along the front and the few chairs were jammed together and full. I did my best to be apart from folks, but was surrounded until I was called.
While waiting, I watched several masked people. One was an older woman who made it her business to tell me I was in her way, pulling down her mask to make sure I could see her lips moving. Though I rolled away, when she complained to the masked man behind the counter, he said I had a right to wait there and could she please pull her mask up and simply go around. She did but made sure he and I knew she was in a snit. Then there was a middle-aged bald guy who thought his mask was best worn around his chin. Do chins get COVID? I mean I've heard of COVID toes and fingers...
My time behind the portable screen was quick. The chirpy women giving the injections came to call me without her mask up and pulled it up when I asked. She spent most of her time telling me to relax my arms and asking which vaccine I wanted in which arm. I am not certain she asperated either needle and there was no attempt to keep me there for any amount of time after my booster to make sure I did not have an adverse reaction. Since the booster was different from my original COVID vaccine in March, I was fortunate not to have one.
What I did have and still do as I did with the J and J vaccine, is intermittent chills, extreme tiredness, pain at the site of injection and slight swelling in my armpit on the booster side. The flu arm was sore initially but is no longer.
The two COVID vaccination experiences are strikingly different and I honestly would prefer never to set foot or wheel in that Publix again.
It is in the sixties here today and I may attempt to clean my seldom-used screened porch...
Cheers.
