Vaccines are coming

Since the vaccines were announced I have been trying to find a way to help. I applied to some part-time positions and wrote to the school district and my county office to let me work or volunteer for them. There was a ton of interest in using me, but no one offering me any actual positions.

After a month of emails and phone calls and applications (including digging up an old public hearing document that had the email address for a person I saw on a news story about a local vaccine clinic) (yeah, I felt like a stalker), I finally got a lead from the Jeffco public health department. They told me to register on the CVM website so they can use me. I later learned that there were issues with taking liability for volunteers, that the recent PREP Act fixed this by putting all liability on the state for any licensed volunteers. And, of course, hiring is always limited and slow, so a paid position will be harder to acquire than volunteering.

Things started to happen fast. I registered and did the FEMA training, and followed-up with (i.e. continued pestering) my collected contacts at the county office.

As promised, 10 days later when my background check cleared, I started getting invitations to volunteer at the vaccine clinics.

Thursday was my first shift!

What a day to start! We got about 4-5 inches of snow overnight. At home that meant the schools canceled in-person learning, and the remote lessons were basically “have fun in the snow!” So the plan for Ben to simple drop off and pick-up the kids for me became a lot more complicated. Poor guy.

For me it meant wearing many layers. My assignment was “Post-Op Supervisor.” This was a drive-through vaccine clinic run by the county. A paramedic and myself instructed and supervised every person to stay for 15 or 30 minutes in case they have a reaction to the shot. We reviewed symptoms and answered questions, directed parking, and answered about 4 car honks of people have mild issues (all resolved, none wanted to escalate to the hospital). This meant I spent about 8 hours standing in the snow and sun, speaking more than I have in a year, and talking louder than usual to be heard over the rumbling trucks.

I came home exhausted. My feet were aching so badly, I was fighting my Reynauds all day (yay for heated gloves!), and my voice was dry and cracking. But I haven’t been so happy in a long time. I had no energy in my body but my mind was energized and peaceful.

They gave out 510 vaccines that shift. I met some great people working the clinic and saw many polite people who were thrilled to be getting their vaccine. It was so uplifting to be a part of a solution. It was also a big step for me returning to work after quitting clinical practice 7 years ago. My confidence grew and I felt validated and wanted. My supervisor and coworkers were all so grateful I was there and said they hoped I would be back.

I have 6 more shifts scheduled for March at a different drive-through clinic in Lakewood. They tend to request volunteers last-minute: Thursday’s shift request was only 3 days prior. So I hope I can add more time in the Arvada clinic too. Bonus points if it doesn’t lead to frozen fingers and sunburned eyes! I really want to be a vaccinator and actually give the shots, but even if I only get pre-op education and observer roles, I’ll be happy. I learned a lot about what to pack and wear for comfort, and I look forward to helping more.

No one asked me if I needed the vaccine. The county is strict and they said they kick out about 100 people every day who made appointments but don’t meet the qualifications. So I didn’t think I would get one and was afraid to ask. At the end of my shift I finally asked my supervisor to confirm that I won’t be getting one, just so I can tell my family for sure it’s not happening. To my surprise, she apologized! She said they usually check every morning huddle for who needs one, and that I absolutely “deserve” a vaccine for being a volunteer. She rushed me into the fire station bay where the shots were given, but they didn’t have any extra doses left. She was super apologetic and told me to ask for one at my next shift.

Meanwhile, I had put myself on Kaiser’s waiting list as a healthcare worker once my CVM registration was approved. By coincidence, on Friday afternoon I got an email that it was my turn! I took the next available appointment and ta da! Today I got the Moderna vaccine!

I’m so happy. I had joked that I would bake a cake to celebrate the day I got the shot. So I did.

Things are looking up.