Credit: Mel Rothenburger

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Kudos to those who are giving us a real shot in the arm

Apr 7, 2021 | 4:39 AM

KAMLOOPS — I GOT THE JAB yesterday. Right in the arm.

It was very likely the smartest 45 minutes I’ve spent in more than a year. Kudos to the healthcare workers, volunteers, those on the phone lines and others who are making the vaccination clinics go very smoothly indeed.

When I joined the lineup Tuesday morning it was about 20 people long but it moved ahead at a consistent pace. The mood was lighthearted, with the usual jokes about masks that fog up glasses, and wisecracks about foot-long needles as big around as your little finger.

In reality, it was painless. After reaching the registration table and waiting a minute or two for one of the dozen nurses to wave a green paddle — a signal for the next person in line to come on down — the jab itself was anti-climactic.

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It was more like a quick squirt, with barely a pinch. But gratitude and relief accompanied the injection, a feeling that soon we’ll start beating this thing. A happy jig would have been entirely within protocol.

Then it was to the waiting area for 15 minutes to make sure there were no unexpected reactions. Now it’s a case of waiting for a couple of weeks to achieve what the experts call “partial immunity.”

Then comes the uncertain part. While Pfizer’s recommendation on the second dose is three weeks after the first, B.C. is scheduling the second dose four months after the first. That’s a big difference, and suggests there will be a lot of partially immune people around until the end of summer, though that partial immunity is said to be pretty good.

Given the situation, we should be pleased that so many people are getting the first jab more quickly than they would have otherwise.

The system is imperfect and we’ve had lots to complain about, but today let’s just say a big thank-you to the folks who are making the jab easy.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.