Art and I had been wondering when we'd (Art first) be getting our COVID-19 vaccination. We'd heard that Hawaii was very short on its vaccination supplies. However, you could sign up online and get shots at Pier 2 in Honolulu. We considered it but were worried about parking and crowds of people. Actually, the news showed they seemed to have everything under control with people coming in by appointment.
Mom got her shot easily. I received a "ticket" by email from Kaiser Permanente and could schedule her appointment without a problem.
We'd heard from Art's classmates that they were able to get their shots either on the other side of the island or Pier 2 in Honolulu.
The photos don't clearly show it but there were intermittent downpours throughout our time there. I felt so sorry for the medical personnel and corpsmen who were running around without raincoats.
Some corpsmen ran over to our car twice for the same thing. They told us that it took a while for them to figure out how to organize the distribution and were trying to work out the kinks in the operation.
We were told to wait in the parking lot for 15 minutes and to honk our car horn if he experienced any side effects. A corpsman met us in the parking lot and gave Art an appointment card for his second shot in February.
I did ask one of the organizers if it would be OK to take photos. He told me to absolutely go ahead because word needs to get out about the necessity to get vaccinated.
But me? I don't know. According to this information from the Hawaii Department of Health, I'll have to wait until spring.
Whatever the case, we'll be wearing our face masks, washing our hands and keeping our social distance until next year.
Progress
ReplyDeletewe have no idea when we can get ours and have received no info at all. way to go art!
ReplyDeleteVery good to see Art getting his first shot. I got some bad news yesterday about a couple I know getting covid & being admitted into 2 different hospitals, it's scary.
ReplyDeleteWe have appointments to get our shots at different times but the same day - 2/23.
ReplyDeleteOur county will not call us or text us. We have to call early every Thursday morning to see if we can get an appointment for the vaccine at any of the many locations. So far not working for me.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty emotional for both of us when my wife finally got her first dose. As it turned out, it was also good timing because three weeks later Covid came to our house and that first dose was enough to prevent her from getting it. She has now had her second dose. My grandmother is scheduled to get her 2nd dose next week and I'm chomping at the bit. I haven't seen her in well over a year and she had progressed from active and walking everywhere to barely getting around with a walker. I just want to see her one more time (or more) and we are planning for a trip in mid February now. I can't wait.
ReplyDeleteArt is lucky! We'll be waiting in line for who knows how long.
ReplyDeleteinteresting how we just kind of stumbled onto an appt when they were all filled at the local health dept as soon as they opened then the local hospital got some and opened up online appts and we got two last week for the next day. So many 70+ retirees are frustrated with not getting an appt. No reactions but just a sore arm for a couple of days. Second shot Feb 10th.
ReplyDeleteGood for Art! We have to wait in Toronto vaccines will take a lot longer
ReplyDeleteSo glad your Mom and Art got their shots. Sorry you have to wait. Sometimes it pays to be old:)) I live in a small town and have registered with a local pharmacy. They are supposed to call me. We will see.
ReplyDeleteI signed up, but it will be a while before I can get mine
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your family has gotten started. Got mine last Saturday (78 yr old) and it was the same, painless. The event was really organized. I was impressed and grateful.
ReplyDeleteSo glad! My blog invisible husband got his first pfizer at kaiser
ReplyDeleteYes, we are too. G is scheduled to get his Thursday in the middle of showers. I worry about my eldest. She was unwilling to go to the fuss of a letter from her boss and an appointment. I played the heavy-mom, and now we hope she will do it. I loved seeing the hospital. My youngest went there when she attended the U of H.
ReplyDeletePS: I truly love that header picture.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mage.
DeleteI was shocked to hear today that this vaccine is really only good for three months and they have no idea if it will be any good at all in a year.
ReplyDeleteWhat?!?!?!
DeleteFor the first time ever, I want to be older. Being 64 is a pain in so many ways!! I'm thinking spring for me also, or maybe even summer. :(
ReplyDeleteWe have appointments with Kaiser for Feb 6. Hope the vaccine supply holds up. In the news we are hearing of appointments through other sources being canceled because the vaccine shipment didn't arrive.
ReplyDeleteHere in Washington they have lowered the phase B1 to age 65"
I really wish the governor would change his mind and include all school staff in the priority group. There is such a public demand to reopen schools and teachers say "not without the vaccine". I don't blame them for holding out.
I agree with you 100% that teachers should be vaccinated before being required to go back into the classroom. Kaiser here is quite organized. I wish they made our tier 65+ also instead of 75+. My teacher friend here is getting vaccinated here, thank goodness.
DeleteI still cannot seem to even get on a list to wait for an appointment. We are both late seventies and you'd think we should be able to, but so far, it's been a lot of work for nothing.
ReplyDeleteThat’s terrible, DJan. I sure hope you both get it soon.
DeleteWell, how COOL is that! The Hawaiian covid shots for veterans come with RAINBOWS! There really is hope for us!
ReplyDeleteOne satellite site in my county moved to Phase 2 yesterday, which bottlenecked and caused people 80 and over to stay in the cold, below-freezing weather, until they fixed the bottleneck. It's supposed to be laid out better today.
Yes, stay masked up and follow all the usual practices. We don't yet know how much the virus still permits even vaccinated people to be "carriers." An asymptomatic person, even with both shots, could still be a "carrier" and still infect others. Until we reach that 85% figure of folks having received the 2 shots, we won't know. Linda in snowy Kansas.
(I've heard of thundersnow, thunder sounds in the clouds while it snows, which is confusing to experience, but not rainbows during snow....)
Actually, Art is not exactly a veteran. He's retired military (Air Force/Public Health Service) so he doesn't go to the VA. He goes to Tripler. His friends who do go to the VA chose to get their shots at Pier 2 or Blaisdell rather than wait for the VA. My uncle is 101 and still hasn't gotten it from the VA.
DeleteOn Red's note: they don't know for sure if the protection will last 3-6 months or more, or not. Remember, this was rolled out before other results and information could be researched. The covid shot may eventually become like the annual flu shot. Some protection for now is better than none!
ReplyDeleteLinda in Kansas
Most of my friends have had their first shot but I am 85 and am on the list but the health department has not called me for an appointment. I am waiting patiently...well, maybe not so patiently.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy for you! Well done. We're such a large country, that it'll be awhile here. We're staying safe, though.
ReplyDeleteGood for Art! I read somewhere that the shot is good for one's lifetime because it targets our RNA rather than our DNA like most immune shots.
ReplyDeleteI also think that priority should go to teachers, hotel workers, and other people who interact with the public. This would be waiters/waitresses, sales people, flight attendants, cashiers, etc.
I'm so glad Art was able to be vaccinated, and I hope you look around for a source, too.
ReplyDeleteI imagine it'll be summer for me.
ReplyDeleteI lived right behind Tripler Army hospital on Craig Road. 239-P to be exact. Thanks for the memory. Glad your husband got his first shot.
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to get the vaccinations all wanted. Sorry you're having to wait if you want one now. They're offering drive-thrus at nearby County fairgrounds here with an appointment. I've decided to wait until my local pharmacy and/or Dr. gets the vaccine. Maybe by that time vaccine adjustments will have been made for some of these new variants, especially the latest highly contagious one they don't know if will be resistant to current vaccines. If I'm real lucky maybe there will be a vaccine by then requiring only one injection. I'll just keep doing what I have been doing and likely will keep doing even after I get vaccinated for a while. So much they still don't know. Strange times in which we live.
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