This afternoon, I received my second COVID booster shot. I had been planning to get it before mid-June, and a workplace mandate merely moved the date up a week or so for me. Since the big government-run vaccination sites have closed, I went to a local CVS store for the inoculation.
This not being a big COVID injection site, while registering for the booster, I was given the option to receive an additional vaccine. I chose the initial shingles shot. My brother Vincenzo had the shingles and declared it the worst pain he'd experienced in his life. A coworker who had it said that he was bedridden for two days, his body alternately feeling like it was on fire or it was being stabbed with multiple pins,,, with a barely endurable constant itching as a background bad feeling. Shingles shot, please!!!
The pharmacist at CVS. a consummate pro, gave me the COVID jab in the left arm, and the shingles shot in the right arm. She told me that I might experience redness and swelling around the shingles injection site, and instructed me to drink plenty of fluids. She told me that I should come back in two months for the second shingles shot. Four hours after receiving both shots, I feel fine, though after running some brief errands, I plan on being home for the duration, drinking water and generally loafing around. Yeah, what a way to spend one's day off! At least it's a nice afternoon for sitting in the back yard, counting my blessings for having a high tolerance for injections.
Post title a paraphrase of the title of this post-punk classic:
I think I'll pump my fists a bit... I've heard tell that arm movements help distribute the fluid from the injection sites, lessening the incidence and duration of injection site soreness.
4 comments:
Congratulations! I've known a few people who had shingles, the one guy was only in his 30s, but the others were older people. They all said it was horrible, and they wouldn't wish it on (almost) anyone. Vaccines can prevent needless suffering.
It is hard to understand some present day attitudes. I am thankful that vaccines exist.
Take a minute to remember Francisco Xavier de Balmis, and the Balmis Expedition. Easy to find this history. They were trying to save people from smallpox. From Spain to Mexico, and on to the Philippines. This is what i like to read when I am recovering from a vaccination.
That's funny, I did the same thing with my first booster, signed up for CVS to give me the booster with the Shingles kicker. I didn't experience any side effects from either shot, although my Shingles shot arm remained very sore for several days. But better that than the Shingles.
They all said it was horrible, and they wouldn't wish it on (almost) anyone. Vaccines can prevent needless suffering
That's what everyone I know who's had it tells me.
Take a minute to remember Francisco Xavier de Balmis, and the Balmis Expedition
An amazing story, especially the detail of the orphan boys who were infected with cowpox in order to provide the vaccine.
That's funny, I did the same thing with my first booster, signed up for CVS to give me the booster with the Shingles kicker. I didn't experience any side effects from either shot, although my Shingles shot arm remained very sore for several days. But better that than the Shingles
More than 24 hours later, and I also had a bit of soreness, but nothing of note.
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