Folks, my focus today is on vaccines.
Yes, I am that old. I can confirm that indeed I have received my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, from the Saskatchewan Health Authority drive-thru in Battleford.
There isn鈥檛 much to say about it, really. On the day that I went, there was no lineup to speak of and I was in and out of there so fast that I completely forgot that I was supposed to do a 鈥渇irst person鈥� story on the whole experience 鈥� one where I could de-mystify the vaccine experience for you at home.
Sorry, but it was pretty standard stuff. I got vaccinated, and then I went home. And frankly, I don鈥檛 want to make that big a deal of it, given the fact that so many readers out there seem to want to get into fistfights on social media over vaccines. Everyone is free to decide for themselves, this is a free country.聽
The vaccination happened at the former home of Kramer Caterpillar in Battleford. It was a much-touted addition to the Battlefords鈥� business scene when it opened; I had even interviewed the president of the company on the lot back when the project was in its planning stages.
But then the structure was left vacant after Finning bought the company and unceremoniously closed it down. The building has since found new life as a drive-thru vaccination centre. The SHA has used the venue for both drive-thru and scheduled appointments over the past number of weeks.
At that COVID-19 vaccination, several vehicles were able to line up inside the large venue. Then, the health people gather everyone鈥檚 health cards and information, they give you the needle, and then you must wait 15 minutes to make sure you鈥檙e not having an allergic reaction. They also give you a card stating that you have received your first dose as well as a sticker announcing that you have been vaccinated! And finally they open the garage doors and you are on your way out.
This isn鈥檛 the first time I have been vaccinated at that location. They ran the drive-thru clinic for their flu vaccine at the Kramer location during the fall. Back then, health officials were saying their flu clinics were a dry run for when they set up their COVID-19 clinics.
Basically, there was really no difference in the experience of getting a COVID-19 vaccine 鈥� except one. This time, I was far more interested in finding out who the manufacturer was for the COVID-19 vaccine. In this case, it was Pfizer.
I did have the option of waiting a few days until the following week to keep my initial scheduled vaccine appointment. I had already booked an appointment to be vaccinated at the new BATC vaccination site set up at the Dekker Centre.
In the end, I cancelled the Dekker Centre appointment and went through the drive-thru, simply because I wanted it over with.
For me, the dreaded 鈥渟ide effects鈥� consisted of 小蓝视频 tired on and off for the next few days. But the main side effect was one that particularly affected my mental health. I noticed I was 鈥渉opeful鈥� and 鈥渙ptimistic.鈥�
That鈥檚 also how Premier Scott Moe described getting his vaccine in Regina. It seems a common reaction. More and more, you see enthusiasm from the people who have lined up for vaccines around the province.
Friends of mine went on Facebook to proudly announce to the world that they got their first dose. Our friend Brian Zinchuk was among waited in line in the Regina drive-thru rather than wait any longer for an appointment, and he got the shot right before they ran out. He called it the 鈥渓ight at the end of the tunnel.鈥�
You know what? He鈥檚 right. The vaccines are going to do what a year of masks and social distancing and hiding at home have failed to do, and that is end this pandemic nonsense and get us our freedom back.
The eligibility requirements keep on expanding every few days. It shouldn鈥檛 be long before everyone over 18 will be able to book their shots. The province has stated their goal is to have everyone who wants a dose to be able to book one by mid-May. Hopefully, that will happen, but it depends on supplies.
It鈥檚 embarrassing that Canada was not on the ball sooner with the vaccines, or on the ball for a lot of other things in how they approached the pandemic. It鈥檚 an outrage that Canada鈥檚 vaccine rollout is hampered so much by supply issues.
Meanwhile, we are still suffering through lockdown situations here in Canada, with new restrictions week after week in provinces across Canada including some particularly draconian orders in Ontario.
What it means is everyone 鈥� including those of us who have gotten their first doses 鈥� have to put up with restrictions for a little while longer. But hopefully, not for too much longer.
We are seeing what鈥檚 going on in Israel and in the U.K., where restrictions are 小蓝视频 lifted and peoples鈥� lives are getting back to normal. These places were particularly hard-hit and had to deal with the dreaded 鈥渧ariants,鈥� and yet the vaccines have brought daily COVID-19 rates and hospitalizations down dramatically. We can look forward to that in Canada, soon.
This past year of sitting at home in disgust waiting for the vaccines to arrive has really given me an opportunity for introspection about where my life is going.
I鈥檒l tell you straight up, now that I have gotten my first dose, I am starting to finally think of the 鈥渇uture plans鈥� that I have been forced to put on the shelf for this past miserable year. In particular, I am talking 鈥渧acation plans.鈥�
For me, seeing the rest of the world is an urgent priority. I am thinking hard about places to go in Europe or Asia.
Another goal of mine is seeing more of the United States. While I have seen a huge chunk of the USA already, there are plenty of states I haven鈥檛 been to, like Arizona and Texas and a bunch of southern and grain plains states in the middle of the country. A road trip would seem to be a good idea.
Of course, for that to happen we will need Justin Trudeau to finally open the borders and also get rid of these outrageous 鈥渜uarantine hotels鈥� they have set up, where returning Canadians are forced to stay at a cost of $2,000!
Heck, I would even welcome a simple return to life as we knew it. I鈥檓 hoping in the near future to go to an actual cinema for the first time in ages. I might finally, at long last, celebrate my new-found immunity to COVID-19 by getting to a cinema to see Godzilla vs. Kong, and cheer on the giant lizard as he beats up on the big gorilla.
That ain鈥檛 happening this week, though, because the Capitol is closed due to variant fears.
Or maybe I could celebrate by attending a 鈥楻iders game! Again, that鈥檚 not happening any time soon 鈥� the CFL just announced the season is delayed to Aug. 5! That鈥檚 assuming the authorities allow fans in the stands.
In unison, folks: 鈥淎aargh!!!鈥�
Obviously, these are reminders that we are not at the finish line of the pandemic yet. We鈥檙e still a while away from life getting truly back to normal.
But it is good to start thinking positively about the future and what could be possible. It鈥檚 been a long time coming.
