Worried about getting the COVID-19 vaccine? My experiences might ease your concerns.
New Year’s Eve was a rollicking time for the wife and me as we gladly closed out 2020.
We went crazy, nuts, and somewhere between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., as the party was winding down and we started thinking about bedtime, we registered to receive our COVID-19 vaccination at the Tarrant County Health Department website.
I know. Crazy.
We’re both fairly fit and relatively young, so imagine my surprise Wednesday morning when I received notice via email that I had a Thursday appointment for the first of the two vaccine shots.
We decided that asthma, which I’ve had since infancy and am managing with a couple of inhalers, pushed this 46-year-old into Phase 1B. While I feel healthy and work out regularly, I have occasional flare-ups and my primary physician is leery of me potentially traveling in my duties as Texas Rangers beat writer.
My father- and mother-in-law, 71 and 65, have not received their vaccine, but they also live in Dallas County. It still didn’t feel quite right to be ahead of others like them.
Well, I wasn’t going to give up my appointment.
It turns out I overprepared for the worst and underestimated how smooth the operation at the Arlington vaccination hub, the Arlington Esports Stadium at 1200 Ballpark Way, was going to be.
Round 1 was a piece of cake. Like eight-layered chocolate cake with shaved chocolate on top of chocolate frosting with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Yeah, it went well. Here’s a rundown:
The misconceptions
My best friend said that a nurse friend of his experienced sharp pain at the injection site and dealt with fever and chills after the first shot.
The wife told me to expect long lines, like hours-long lines.
The email from Tarrant County Public Health seemed to back her up, warning that anyone with an appointment can come early, but to be prepared for a long stay in line.
Bracing for a catastrophe, I made a mental checklist of things I might need: water, snack, folding chair, a fairly well-charged cellphone and my most comfy shoes.
I wore running tights under my pants and brought an extra jacket in case the line stalled out in a wind tunnel or in the shade.
I ran through the strong possibility of having to leave the line to use the restroom, and was hoping those in line would allow me to return to the same spot.
I forgot my headphones and now ran the risk of actually having to talk to people beyond any requests to hold my spot because I couldn’t hold it any longer.
Trouble was lurking, I thought.
What really happened
I whipped into the driveway of the Esports Stadium and found the shortest of three lines. From my car, I gave an Arlington police officer my name, which he found on a roll, and he handed me a card to prove that I, indeed, had an appointment.
There were ample parking spots available, and I couldn’t see the long line I had feared. So, the folding chair stayed in the car.
I hopped out of the car at 1:19 p.m. Yes, I went early.
I had the shot by 1:34 p.m. Yes, 15 minutes.
First up, before entering the building, everyone received a QR code to scan. That leads to the registration process. For those who have trouble working their cellphones, there were plenty of people offering to help.
The registration is easy. It asks the usual questions. There is nothing tricky to contemplate.
I was finished with it before others ahead of me in line, and I was passed through to the waiting area. It was a sea of empty chairs, and I didn’t even slow down before being assigned to Table 12.
There, I was greeted by an Arlington firefighter and someone from Arlington EMS. She was at the computer, and the firefighter quickly administered the shot into my left arm.
I received the Moderna vaccine.
The firefighter answered the biggest question I had without me even asking: When do I get the second shot?
He explained that the date for the second shot is automatically assigned as soon as the first shot is administered. He handed me a card with a date for the second shot, and told me I would be reminded in some form or fashion.
His parting words? Don’t stop wearing your mask in public. The first shot gets you to a minimum of 50% vaccinated, and it takes around 10 days to get to that point.
After the requisite 15 minutes in the observation area, playing Toon Blast on my phone, I simply walked out.
Only one side effect
My left arm at the injection site, near the shoulder, started to ache about three hours after the shot. I was expecting that.
I convinced myself I was feeling a little warm and took my temperature, but that was a false alarm.
My temperature was taken again as the fam grabbed some dinner at a restaurant, and again there was no fever. However, my son kept leaning into the shoulder while at the table, and I felt it each time.
The good news is I had decent range of motion before feeling any discomfort. The bad news is I couldn’t sleep on my left side.
That was the worst of it.
It was still tender as I reached for the Cocoa Krispies on Friday morning, but I had very few issues during my Orangetheory Fitness workout about two hours later.
Parting wisdom
Warning: My experiences might not match yours.
The fact that there is a waiting area at the Esports Stadium suggests that, yes, there might be long lines and getting the shot might take more than 15 minutes.
Others have experienced worse side effects than I have. Request a table instead of a booth if you go out to dinner the night of your shot.
I would have liked a little more post-injection information, either from the person administering the shot or in pamphlet form about what to expect. Of course, a quick Google search gave me that information. It’s also entirely possible I dropped the ball there.
Ultimately, though, this isn’t a scary process.
Just go with the flow, which in my case was a rapid, and do so knowing that the light at the end of your tunnel is not a freight train but hope.
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
