Time to go get shot

Tammy and I are heading out the door now. Going to the Telus Convention Centre downtown to get our AstraZeneca vaccinations.

Updated May 1st

Well. That didn’t go quite as expected. We got our shots, but not until we’d waited in line for two hours and twenty minutes. For weeks, we’ve been hearing about “the uptake on the vaccines is slow” and “I just walked into the clinic and there was no line”. Of course, a lot of that was before they opened the eligibility to Gen X.

Tammy and I had our appointments for 6:00, and we hopped on the C-Train just as this alert blared on everybody’s phone in Alberta:

Unfazed, we rode downtown.

But when we got downtown to the immunization clinic, there was a huge crowd. A line was heading down the block and around the corner. I asked, and it was the line for those who had appointments. We got into line around the corner. It took 15 minutes for the line to get to the sign that said “⬆️ to appointment line”.

When we got to the point where we were let inside after a half hour in line, we thought “oh good, we’re almost there.” 🤣

Nope. That started almost an hour an a half of the line snaking through multiple buildings, across the +15 sky bridge that you can see in the above photo, through the museum and finally to the place where they checked you and you got into the final line.

But once we were in the final line with red dots on the floor in the main exhibition hall, it wasn’t much longer. A check of our AB Health Cards, our driver’s licenses and then we were getting vaccinated. Anna was the lady who did my shot and I didn’t even feel the needle. No bleeding. It was 8:05, after getting in line at 5:25. Tammy and I then waited for 15 minutes before getting our complimentary C-Train tickets and hand sanitizer and then we were off.

Unexpectedly, the one thing we didn’t have to wait for was the train home. One was along two minutes after we got to the platform.

We got home and had the leftovers from the meal that the kids cooked. Didn’t even bother to heat it up, we were so hungry. And yes, there was bubble tea waiting from Miranda. 🧋

Now a week or so until some immunity builds. Hopefully shot #2 won’t take quite so long, but we can say it was an experience!

Updated May 3

The “weekend after” has passed. Unlike when we get our flu shots, Tammy passed this with flying colors. Her arm was a bit sore and she felt a bit foggy on Saturday, but that was it for side effects for her. I wasn’t quite so lucky, but I’m not complaining. My shoulder is a bit stiff, but never enough that I would complain. I was tired on Saturday afternoon until the evening, and laid down for most of it. If you know me, that’s a pretty good indication that I wasn’t feeling well. A mild headache, some muscle pain and mild abdominal discomfort were the only other issues. I was right as rain by Sunday and even managed a mild indoor bike ride to get the body moving.

Tammy wanted me to say something about the gas… The side effects of AZ include nausea and vomiting, but apparently that’s inflicted on the people around you. 🍑💨

😂