WHY I CHOSE VACCINATION
Many beliefs swirl around the COVID vaccine. A few are: 1) there’s a tracking chip inside, 2) a bad reaction will kill you, 3) it gives you COVID, 4) it alters your DNA, 5) your personal immune system works better than the vaccine, and 6) COVID’s a hoax so no need for a shot.
I choose to believe in inoculations because I am of a generation that has experienced the ravages of easily preventable diseases. Personally, as a child, I suffered from encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) caused by measles. After weeks in the hospital and several years of rechecks, I am normal. (Although some of my friends might disagree.) The experience literally changed my personality, causing me to be more reserved. Sadly, no vaccine was available at the time. My husband contracted polio months before the vaccine was introduced. Despite multiple surgeries and braces as well as limits on his physical activities, his condition has again deteriorated with post-polio syndrome. He now uses a walker and has lung issues caused, in part, by the virus.
With readily available vaccines, both of our lives would have taken different trajectories.
We were fortunate to get our first vaccine at the subhub in Brenham, Texas on January 19, 2021. The operation is well-run and we were in and out in fifty minutes. The routine is as follows:
• Stay in your car. Short sleeves are requested.
• The first station is to confirm you are on their list. Your identification is checked. A large dot of blue washable paint is put on the outside of your windshield.
• The second stop is to verify whether your paperwork has been completed. If so, a green dot is added. If your paperwork is in order, you are allowed to pass those who are sitting in their cars working on them.
• The next station deals with temperatures and a few questions about recent illnesses. A red dot means you are good to go.
• Pulling into one of the bays, you are handed a shot card and a yellow stickie is placed inside your windshield indicating the time you may pull out of the parking lot.
• The tech then gives the shot in your left arm. My husband was driving, so I sat behind him to get my stick.
• After leaving the bay, you join the line of those waiting the required fifteen minutes. Once your time is up, you are free to go.
For up-to-date information regarding the subhub go to https://www.localevent.info.