Waited

Just a few days after writing about the expectation of not getting a vaccine anytime soon, the provincial government seemed to be getting pushback and suddenly they announce availability of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged 40+.

The news got announced on Sunday. I signed up for half a dozen waitlists on Monday—because a centralized, well-managed system for vaccinations doesn’t exist for some reason. Then heard that it’s better to go into individual pharmacies or call. On Tuesday, I walk into the local pharmacy and get an appointment booked for Wednesday. Sure enough, it is now Wednesday afternoon, less than a week after lamenting the inability to get a vaccine, and I have had my first shot.

I spent much of yesterday thinking that I must’ve misheard or that there was a step that I must’ve missed along the way. I wasn’t actually going to get a shot today. But I did.

And now I wait for the second shot, which will likely be in June or July. This feels like a huge step and at the same time, nothing changes. Kids are still doing remote learning. Restaurants are still closed. Cases are still high. I’m still staying home. We’re still in a pandemic.

But instead of being filled with dismay, I’m filled with hope.