Vaccination!

 We were in Florida when the first Moderna vaccine arrived on the island, so I missed out on the initial round of shots.  But, just when we got home, there was a new call from Mandy at the Ocracoke Health Center.

“We are getting ten more doses on vaccine on Wednesday or Thursday, so, I will call you when the vaccine is actually here and make an appointment for your shot.”

On Thursday the call came and all of the appointments for those ten doses were being lined up on the following Monday.

My appointment was set for 1:45 on Monday.  The instructions were to drive up to the clinic parking lot and wait in the car.  

As soon as Trish and I arrived in the parking lot, Lucy O’Neal, one of our RNs, came out to the car gloved and masked and carrying all of her needed equipment.  I rolled down the window and signed the paperwork, then got the Moderna shot.  Lucy then gave us a walkie-talkie and told us to wait for fifteen minutes in the car.  If I had any adverse reactions, we were simply to call them on the walkie-talkie.  In fifteen minutes she returned, reclaimed the little device, and we headed home.

I had no reaction to the shot that day or the following day.  The day after that I felt a little punky all day (may have been because it had been raining for days) but the following day all seemed normal.  My second dose is scheduled for March 8.

We are so very fortunate on the island to have the Health Center.  The staff is led by Dr. Erin Baker, who is an absolutely thorough and caregiving primary care physician.  She is backed up by two RN’s, a phlebotomist, and additional clinic staff. 

Almost all of our needs are handled here.  In case of more dire needs, we can be sent by ambulance to the Outer Banks Hospital or by helicopter to Pitt Memorial in Greenville, home of the East Carolina Medical School.  The clinic here is about one-fourth mile from our house.