COVID-19 Drive Thru Vaccine
December 30, 2020
by drplasticpicker
I got my COVID-19 Moderna vaccine yesterday on the 30th of December in the year of our lord 2020. My mantra in life is to be honest and I was honestly happy and I posted on my facebook page just personal one about my happiness and the requisite picture. It was a happy day because the four people I had worried about the most got it in the first group about probably a week before the rest of the department.
It was interesting that some people said congratulations. I’m not sure what they meant but it was in a positive way. But why do we congratulate those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine in the first wave? Is it for some reason they are more deserving? Or did they do something special to get the vaccine first? Someone posted outside of our department that they are grateful to be one of the first 2 million to get the vaccine? I absolutely did nothing to deserve to get the vaccine yesterday. I texted and sent messages to advocate for four MDs and their corresponding nurses to get the vaccine in a timely manner as befitted their risky work situations. I made no mention of myself. I heard nothing from upper management after my messages as Assistant Boss on behalf of those four people, but I know that my messages were part of a cacophany of messages they were receiving. This drama is playing out all over the country. The roll out has been interesting, but really we are just part of a large system and all of us are trying to make sure we are recognized and acknowledged as part of the system. But the slow wheels of the big machine are moving and everyone will get vaccinated lickety-split.
The reason I received the vaccine yesterday was because I’m always on my email for work and the environment and I’m off on Tuesdays! So when the mass email went out to our entire department, I had a clean eamil box and I saw it! We were eligible as part of primary care services. So I ran to Mr. Plastic Picker with my still greasy hair and said, “we can get it! I’m off today! I think I should get it. It’s that or I have to do the drive through on Saturday?” Mr. Plastic Picker wanted to wait with the rest of his department for various reasons and he now has an appointment for Monday, but he told me to go. So I jumped in the car and made it in line in time before it got really long. I saw a beloved face of a colleague who I know has been seeing the most COVID pediatric patients. Indeed the four people who were vaccinated yesterday, have been stalmarts and never turned patients away. They bought their own protective gear when there wasn’t enough. They advocated for their nurses to have enough PPE when things were short. They have been catching the non-COVID19 pediatric disease processes that others are missing because others are too scared to see patients. Those four people mean a lot to me because I directly supervise them, and I have no guilt for making sure they got in their right place in line. They really should have received the COVID-19 vaccine a week ago. But when they sent me pictures of their arms yesterday for me to keep for myself to see. I really wanted to cry. I’ve been very stressed out about those four people and they all got it yesterday.
Me? I should be congratulated I guess. I should be congratulated because I have a clean email box and saw the email first!!! Someone who is a remarkable doctor but who thinks they are still in the military sent a silly email about how all the doctors should sacrifice themselves and get the vaccine last. Uhhh, that is not how the system operates. It is absolutely not about who is more deserving. It is about who is working and exposed, and stopping the pandemic. Trying to insert your own heroic drama into the narrative is counter productive. My mantra in life is to help create a fair and equitable system, and be part of that system and live and thrive within that system – not be some sort of martyr. I honestly just ignored that email sent to middle management. They were probably trying to relive past life-glories and that person had already received the vaccine? Are they going to deal with the fall-out if my 80-year-old mother-in-law gets sick from COVID if I bring it home? I don’t expect anyone to pick up my trash nor take care of my family nor fund my parents retirement. But I do expect to be able to get the vaccine when it’s my time, and do my place to stop the pandemic and take care of the 80-year-olds who live in my house.
Anyway, that’s it! I’m super happy to have received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. I should be congratulated for having a clean email box and seeing the message first. I definitely beat the line! It’s like at Disneyland, I learned how to navigate with one of my close high-school friends growing up how to get to the best rides first and minimize wait times. When a ride broke down at Disneyland especially one of the most popular ones, that was the time to monitor that ride because when it opened back up (which it always did), the line was super short! You could sometimes ride Space Mountain like 3 times before the rest of the world woke up and realized it was still open. Lunch time and dinner time are also a great time to do the rides. Those are great junior high memories!
I actually was a bit tired yesterday and felt a bit weak after the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. No fever. My arm is sore and I usually don’t get sore after flu shots. I know it’s working. Everyone else will be offered it this weekend during an epic drive-through event and next week in the clinics. I need to talk to RN Plastic Picker and see if they need help!!! I got mine already and I’m excited to help vaccinate everyone else. If they don’t need my help, I may just pick up trash around the area. I’m starting to clean up around our HMO office building and there is A LOT of hidden plastic pollution.
This is Dr. Plastic Picker your COVID-19 vaccinated litter picking pediatrician!!! I wasn’t afraid to pick up litter around the clinic prior to the COVID-19 vaccine, and now I’m even more brave to continue this journey. It’s coming for healthcare workings this weekend and next week people!!! Pays to keep your email box clean and be off on Tuesdays. The vaccine does confer some protection, but throughout the rest of this pandemic I’ll still be masked and socially distanced and staying within my nuclear household. I hope you do too. We can do it. We’ll survive this COVID-19 pandemic and then get through the plastic pandemic as well!