Front Porch: COVID-19 vaccine worth effort

We old people have been plenty busy these days, largely hunting for COVID-19 vaccines.

Before this new imperative loomed large, over these past many months, we’ve been at home honing our computer skills for a variety of reasons. In some cases, starting from zero. Those of us with enough tech savvy have already navigated how to stay connected with family through Zoom and have learned how to order groceries online, as well as having meals delivered from favorite restaurants. Some of us, I’m sorry to say, are spending too much time on eBay or Amazon.com buying odd little things for ourselves or sending them to friends. As the recipient of such an item or two, I’ve taken note of that.

And, of course, we’ve been reading a lot and also busy catching up on Hallmark Channel movies and every episode of “Murder, She Wrote.” Bruce and I have just finished Season 4 of “The Crown” and are hunting for our next marathon binge.

But now, we’re laser-focusing our activities on tracking down where and how to get a COVID-19 vaccine. We’re all eligible now, but we just can’t get the darn thing.

When the large vaccine site was opened at Spokane’s Veterans Arena last week, the website for registering froze up with the onslaught of login attempts, and all slots were taken within two hours that first day. Things should be getting better by now, but it is an endurance race, which is especially challenging for those of us at a point in life where endurance isn’t our strongest attribute.

And pity the poor person who does not have computer access or is not online agile or doesn’t have someone to guide them through it. There are a lot of seniors out here still in that boat.

Once we knew that those of us 70 and older were about to be made eligible to receive the vaccine, a few of my friends began an informal information network, sharing what we’re hearing, what and where and how shots might be available.

As it turned out, I learned on Jan. 20 from a pal in the health care field that Providence was opening a three-day-only clinic for the eligible public Jan. 21-23 at Holy Family Hospital, and she sent me the details and sign-up link.

Faster than a speeding bullet, I reserved a spot for Bruce and me, and then I started sharing the news, forwarding the information to friends, one at a time – though I realize now that I should have done it as a group email.

I wanted to be sure to phone each person immediately afterward to tell them to quickly check their emails and hop to it. Being caught up in a linear moment, I didn’t get the information out to enough people fast enough, so some of those receiving the later calls or some of the friends who waited a bit before acting, found all the slots taken. I hadn’t gotten to everyone when I started to hear back that there was no longer room at the inn.

Still, several friends signed up and, like us, have gotten their first vaccine dose. We all now also have appointments this month for the second shot. We’re the lucky ones.

I have asked my friend in health care that if she learns of additional such clinics, to still let me know, and I now understand that I can and will disseminate the information in a better way than I did the first time. And, happily, it’s already clear more and larger vaccine clinics are being made available to more and more people in the region through Chas, Multicare and others.

But we’re still scrambling after appointments.

I do understand that a lot of the problem has to do with availability of the vaccine and clear knowledge of what, when and how much vaccine will be coming. Things are improving with the distribution flow, so I’m hoping this will continue smoothing out greatly in coming days.

Even so, I still know seniors who are hesitant to get vaccinated, including my own 82-year-old sister-in-law, whose reluctance, I fear, is based on reasons other than good science or a disqualifying health condition.

Most people have no significant aftereffects for either the first or second shot. But for anyone who wishes to know, after our first shot, my arm was a bit sore at the injection site, but then, it’s always sore whenever I get any kind of shot in my arm. Bruce was fine, though he did have a few chills the day after.

I have read and been told some people have experienced mild flulike symptoms after the second shot – a sign, by the way, that the vaccine is doing what it’s supposed to be doing, stimulating your immune system. And if that should happen to me, it’s a small inconvenience for protecting myself and possibly everyone I love and everyone I come in contact with from the worst pandemic to ravage the nation in a century.

It will be nice when we can go back to just focusing on “Shark Week” or home décor shows on TV again … or, more importantly, be able to return to work, eat out at a restaurant and even start planning a vacation. Oh yes, and hugging our loved ones for real, up close and personal.

So bring on the vaccines!