Heck, I had to fight to get the vaccine in my country.
I was working at a food bank during covid. I was coming face to face with 200 different people every day. Many of whom were covid positive but because they were homeless they had no where else to go.
I have a genetic condition that effects my sympathetic nervous system. I have sinus bradycardia, and chronic pulmonary congestion due to having over 10 bouts of aspiration pneumonia. On top of this I have an autoimmune condition. I was taking immunosuppression therapy in March 2020, I stopped taking because I couldn’t risk my immune system being suppressed in my line of work. I was so sick because of my untreated autoimmune condition, but I just had to deal with it.
In October we started rolling out the vaccine to our most vulnerable populous. I was eligible because of my autoimmune condition and I was first in line at my local vaccination centre.
But my genetic condition was on the list of contraindications. They were just going to send me away until I broke down crying explaining my job and my risk and my fear of catching covid. So I had to get two doctors to sign off on me getting the vaccine, and I had to make a special vaccine booking because they needed an NP to do a pre-screening and then I had to wait around for 3 hours afterwards and then get a post-vaccination check up and the NP had to sign off.
My booster shots were easier, because I just took my proof of vaccination certificate to the pharmacy and I didn’t even mention my underlying conditions. (I didn’t have that luxury the first time. I had to hand over my medical records to prove I was eligible for the first round of vaccinations. But after my first jab, the fact I had gotten my first dose was proof enough that I was previously approved to be part of the first round, so I didn’t need to present my records to get my boosters)
Trying to get an appointment with two separate doctors during a global pandemic for some red tape paperwork was like pulling teeth.
It should not have been that hard for someone to get a vaccine when they want one. I understood the risks. I’d rather die of a vaccine interaction that helps provide information that makea the vaccine safer for others, than just be another statistic of covid 19.
Heck, I had to fight to get the vaccine in my country.
I was working at a food bank during covid. I was coming face to face with 200 different people every day. Many of whom were covid positive but because they were homeless they had no where else to go.
I have a genetic condition that effects my sympathetic nervous system. I have sinus bradycardia, and chronic pulmonary congestion due to having over 10 bouts of aspiration pneumonia. On top of this I have an autoimmune condition. I was taking immunosuppression therapy in March 2020, I stopped taking because I couldn’t risk my immune system being suppressed in my line of work. I was so sick because of my untreated autoimmune condition, but I just had to deal with it.
In October we started rolling out the vaccine to our most vulnerable populous. I was eligible because of my autoimmune condition and I was first in line at my local vaccination centre.
But my genetic condition was on the list of contraindications. They were just going to send me away until I broke down crying explaining my job and my risk and my fear of catching covid. So I had to get two doctors to sign off on me getting the vaccine, and I had to make a special vaccine booking because they needed an NP to do a pre-screening and then I had to wait around for 3 hours afterwards and then get a post-vaccination check up and the NP had to sign off.
My booster shots were easier, because I just took my proof of vaccination certificate to the pharmacy and I didn’t even mention my underlying conditions. (I didn’t have that luxury the first time. I had to hand over my medical records to prove I was eligible for the first round of vaccinations. But after my first jab, the fact I had gotten my first dose was proof enough that I was previously approved to be part of the first round, so I didn’t need to present my records to get my boosters)
Trying to get an appointment with two separate doctors during a global pandemic for some red tape paperwork was like pulling teeth.
It should not have been that hard for someone to get a vaccine when they want one. I understood the risks. I’d rather die of a vaccine interaction that helps provide information that makea the vaccine safer for others, than just be another statistic of covid 19.