Blog: Diary of a Frontline Worker – Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine

The following article was written by our NRC intern, AIaina Kautz.

Upon hearing that my coworkers and I were eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, I figured that the break room at our COVID-19 testing site would erupt in celebration. Finally being able to receive this highly anticipated vaccine was a cause for both joy and relief, right? The reality was rather lackluster compared to what I had imagined.

Instead of excitement, there was silence. I was so confused. Wasn’t this what we had been waiting on for the last 10 months? I asked my coworkers when they planned on scheduling their appointments and was met with a chorus of: “I’m not putting that in my body,” and “Herd Immunity has me covered.” I had to resist the urge to laugh; of all the crazy things that have happened throughout the pandemic, I genuinely didn’t see this one coming. Frontline workers were turning down the very thing that would almost ensure their safety at work, and eventually end the global pandemic. Since my coworkers expressed their disinterest in getting vaccinated, multiple news articles have confirmed that this is not a rare phenomenon. Just because people qualify as healthcare workers does not mean they plan to, or even support, getting the vaccine. I was one of only four people from my site to schedule an appointment to get the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

To get vaccinated, I had to take three days off of work. One to drive to the appointment, which was two hours from my house, and two more to make sure I didn’t have a bad reaction to the vaccine. My appointment confirmation said to arrive 15 minutes prior to my time slot. The parking lot was nearly empty, and I quickly weaved through the various lines of cones to reach the attendants waiting to check people in. After a few verification questions, I was directed to a drive-thru tent where the shot was administered. The entire process, from when I entered the facility parking lot to when I drove out, took a grand total of 17 minutes (15 of which were spent parked so the fire department could ensure no one passed out after the shot was administered). I asked the attendants how many people they’ve treated so far, and was surprised to find that specific site administers close to 1,000 vaccines every day. My arm where I received the vaccine ached for a few days afterward, but otherwise, I felt totally fine. The only difference between this and a standard flu shot was the fact that it was administered through the window of my car.

I feel a huge sense of relief now that I’ve had the first dose, and I already have an appointment scheduled for the second. While I know that the pandemic is far from over, and my state, Arizona, is in the midst of a huge spike, I feel like there is finally a light at the end of this very dark tunnel.