Wednesday, January 27th, 2021

The vaccination tent is more crowded than it was last time. We’ve had heavy rain since my first shot. People now wait in line inside. They’ve shifted some walls for this. I have an appointment, but that doesn’t seem to matter. It looks like they're vaccinating anyone who comes in. Some people get to jump the line. By law, people over eighty don’t have to wait. They seem to be escorting in anyone with a white beard. Maybe I shouldn’t have shaved mine a few years ago. I have my health plan ID ready when I get to the front of the line. They don't look at it. They just ask for my government ID code. They hand me a number in the queue for shots, but tell me to ignore it and just go to where they’re doing the vaccinations. When I step through that doorway, they ask me which health plan I’m with. I tell them. Mine has priority. The worker turns to a woman in a white coat who is stepping out of a booth. “I know you’re about to go on break, but can you do one more?” Of course. She confirms my ID number and that this is the second vaccination. She’s tired. She tosses a cotton ball into a trash bin but misses it twice. I’m not worried. The target area on my arm is pretty large. The shot takes an instant. I’m surprised. Last time it took longer. She tapes another cotton ball to the spot. “That’s it. Go out and sit for ten minutes. Relax. Get some water.” A text message tells me that I can print out a temporary confirmation of my vaccination on the health plan website. The official “green passport” will come later. I sit down in the waiting area and check the news on my phone. A government official is saying that we may have to take booster shots each year. So be it. If it’s as simple as this and the flu shot, it will be worthwhile.