Thread by @thatemfagan

Received my first dose of the (Pfizer) vaccine today!! I’m very excited and lucky for this moment to have arrived—and meanwhile in NY, my little brother got his second dose of Moderna today! For those curious what getting the vax is like in BC, a thread. 1/

I got my first dose at the Victoria Conference Center. About two dozen other people were ahead of me when I arrived, spaced out in this fast-moving line up. 2/

The demographics of the line up were what you might expect—mostly people who appeared to be in their 50s or 60s, with just a few people who looked to be in their 20s and 30s. Like me, I’m guessing many are immunocompromised. 3/

Then, it was up some stairs and through another few quick lines with several checkpoints—like a speedy and distanced airport security. 4/

After another line, I arrived at the check in desk, where they ask for your BC services card and confirm your appointment. This is also where I got in trouble for taking photos, so had to stop. 5/

While checking me in, the person at the desk informed me that they’d vaccinated 1055 people yesterday at this site, with 1800 vaccines expected to be administered today. 6/

Finally, I was directed into a large room with dozens of stations for vaccinations—it looked a little like an open-plan office. The man who vaccinated me cracked a few jokes and had the needle in and out in maybe 10 seconds. 7/

As someone who is afraid of needles, I would say the vaccine is quicker (and more satisfying) than giving blood. It made my arm a bit sore for a few minutes, but went away by the time I got home. 8/

They make you wait for about 15 minutes before leaving in case you have an allergic reaction. In his three months there, the man who vaccinated me said he’d never seen someone react badly to the vaccine. 9/

Worth noting, this whole process took less than 30 minutes!
10/10

One last thing that I've tried not to think about...research shows that the first vaccine alone may not create the same (or any) immunity for people like myself who are immunocompromised.

BC apparently knows this, but seems to be doing nothing about it.

bit.ly/3nL2LWB