For a while, I thought it would never happen.
As we slogged through the dead of winter amidst another lockdown, I would look at the extraordinarily bleak picture the numbers painted each morning. Throughout February and March, we routinely had 10,000-15,000 new cases a day. Our healthcare system was more overmatched than Notre Dame in a College Football Playoff semifinal. The vaccination rate was incredibly low: only about 10,000 a day on weekdays and less than that on weekends. Yes, we had as many daily cases as we did vaccinations. The vaccine rollout was painfully slow, marked by delays in importing vaccines and frequent technical difficulties with the central registration site.
Simply put, I appeared to be as far away from vaccination as the Buffalo Sabres are from winning a Stanley Cup. And that’s a LONG way off.
It was so deflating to my mental and emotional health. A part of me truly thought that lockdown was going to last forever and that my number for vaccination would never be called. Seriously. However, slowly (and I stress VERY slowly) but surely, things improved. Vaccination registration opened up to the 70 year olds. Then the 60s. And the 50s. And so on. Finally, at the end of May, it was my turn. And of course, just like everything else during this pandemic, it did not come easy. At first, all of the open time slots seemed to conflict with lessons or other commitments. Then, I remember finding a slot and being so happy, only for the system to reject me because someone else had beaten me to it by a matter of seconds.
Was I doing something wrong? Was I not meant to get vaccinated after all?
At last, I was able to book an appointment for June 2. It would be the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. I honestly did not care which vaccine it was; I just wanted it in my arm. Believe it or not, I did not get vaccinated at a doctor’s office or a pharmacy. Instead, I went to O2 Arena, where the government had opened up the largest vaccination site in the country. I knew that this would be the place which would get me in the quickest. After hearing all the horror stories on Facebook and other places about how people would have to wait several weeks before being able to sign up, I knew time was of the essence. While I would be locked into six weeks between vaccines, which was not ideal, I couldn’t afford to be picky as I understood how important it was to at least get that first dose into my body.
The second of June came and I went to the arena. It all looked extremely intimidating at first, as members of the Czech military were out in front, checking people’s registration details. A few people were taken out of line, and while I’m not sure of the exact reason for this, I believe it was because they were too early for their appointment. After I showed the guard my QR code and told him (in English) when my appointment was, I proceeded to the main entrance, where I scanned my code again. After walking through a corridor and sanitizing my hands, I arrived at the registration desk. Both times I went, I had minor problems here. The first time, I had to be sent to a different line because I only had my QR code on my phone, not a printed-out version. The second time, the woman at the desk was concerned that I might have issues with my vaccination certificate because my registration did not have my middle name listed, but my certificate did, so we just had to get that fixed at a different counter before moving on.
Then, it was time to go to the vaccination hall, where I was greeted by a medical professional. After I informed them that I spoke very little Czech, they basically read me the riot act in English. Are you feeling well? Yes. Any other shots in the past 14 days? No. Okay, good. Please do not drink alcohol or exercise for two days after the shot. Little did they know that neither of those things would be a problem for me…
With that said, it was time to face the music. Like most others, I’ve never been fond of needles, but I sucked it up and did it. It was over in a matter of seconds. It was actually pretty painless. Following the shot, I was required to sit in a waiting area for 15 minutes in the event of an adverse reaction, which I luckily did not have. In fact, other than a slightly sore arm, I had absolutely no side effects from either dose.
And that was it. When I returned for my second dose six weeks later (this past Wednesday), I had more or less the same experience, so I won’t bore you with the details again. It just felt good to get it done. I felt such a wonderful sense of relief and accomplishment, believing that the aforementioned long days in February and March with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel were worth it. I was elated to have stuck it out for as long as I did.
I was super impressed with O2 Arena. Everything was extremely well-organized and efficient. Where to go, where to stand, registration and QR codes…you name it. The people had no problems with me and my lack of Czech. The army guys were actually not as intimidating as they looked (and spoke English!), and the medical personnel were friendly, informative, and professional. I was in, out, and vaccinated in less than 30 minutes. For those of you in the Czech Republic who haven’t been vaccinated yet (what are you waiting for?), I highly recommend O2.
A week and a half from now, I will officially be considered fully vaccinated. The number one reason I did this was for my health. There’s a reason we’ve been through hell and back with lockdowns and restrictions over the past year and a half. This is a dangerous and deadly disease. We wouldn’t constantly be shutting things down if it wasn’t. While I am 31 and reasonably healthy (thank God), coronavirus does not care about who you are. I’ve heard stories of people my age (or younger) becoming extremely sick and dying. As I prepare to begin a new job that will (hopefully) be in person, it’s more essential than ever for me to stay healthy. Many people are counting on me, and I don’t want to let them down.
I’m also well aware of the doors that this will open up for me. I hope to be able to reunite with family and friends again. I’ll be able to travel again (I’m currently making plans for my first foray out of the country in 18 months). And if things ever get to a point where unvaccinated people are banned from using restaurants or services, as it has in some countries, I won’t have to worry.
With how safe, cheap (my vaccine was completely covered by insurance), and effective the vaccine is, it really was a no-brainer for me. This is not a place for political debates and I don’t want to turn it into one, but if you still are not vaccinated or are thinking about not getting vaccinated at all, please reconsider. Everyone, including young people, is vulnerable. Especially with the recent emergence of the delta variant, you need that added protection. If we get enough people vaccinated, the sooner we can get back to normal…and STAY back to normal. I’ve been hearing rumblings that the Czech Republic could be facing another lockdown come autumn, as the numbers are unfortunately rising again. I don’t know about you, but I desperately want to avoid that, and the best way is to get the shot in your arm.
This pandemic is not something that the media is glorifying or making out to be worse than it actually is. I can tell you that firsthand. I’ve seen friends of mine (younger than me) get sick. I’ve seen others test positive and have to shut their lives down for two weeks. I’ve seen good people lose income or even have to move back to the States because of the closures.
Guys, take this seriously. Get vaccinated. And don’t just do it because Joe Biden and Dr. Fauci told you to.
Do it to protect yourself…and others.
Czeching Out the World of TEFL 