I had my annual physical this past Wed. Dr told me I qualify under the current, (that day), guidelines to get a CV-19 vaccination and to get it done. When I got home, I went online with the MS Health Dept where you can schedule appointments. They list the number of vac appointments available by county, you pick one, answer some questions and get scheduled an appointment. My county they are only in one location, all outside drive thru type. I got one of the last 2 available this week. MS counties are small, so I could have easily driven ~75 miles to a smaller county that had 500+ doses available still. New batch of vaccines every week. My appointment was this moring at 10:40 am.
I drove over to the mall where they are set up for the vaccinations, big sign for "Enter Here" and a city police car with a National Guard person standing there in an orange vest. No line. I pull in, mask up, roll down the window and answer a few questions, he checks me off against my appointment time on his list. Did not ask for any ID. Tells me to drive across the parking lot to the next NG person. Next guy again checks my name against the list, again verifies the appointment time, hands me a Pre-Vaccine checklist panplet with info and a dozen yes or no questions to answer, plus fill out my name, etc. Tells me to go to one of 2 lanes and fill out my paperwork there.
I drive to the designated lane, fill out my paperwork, (easy and fast), then pull up to the tent. A Nurse comes out, asks my name, again verifies me against the list, then gives me a run down on how it's going to go, then hands me another form already filled out, tells me to read and sign if everything is correct, (it was), then to pull around following the cones to the next tent. Two lanes throughout at this point. There was one car in front of me when I pulled up to the spot to fill out my paperwork.
I drive around to the next tent, again verify my name against a list, she hands me a shot card filled out with the date, location and my name and DOB, tells me that if I feel wonky or am having a reaction after the shot to honk my horn and someone will come, not to try to drive anywhere or get out of the car, then to pull thru the tent and up to the next tent to get my shot.
Next tent is all NG staff. No car in front of me. I pull up, he verifies my name and DOB again, then swabs with alcohol, stabs me painlessly with the shot, (no pain during stab or actual injection of vaccine), puts a bandaid on it and slaps a post it note with a time 15 minutes in the future and send me off. I follow the cones to the exit line. Two lanes, the other lane for shots went to a different part of the parking lot and also has multiple lanes. As their times come up, cars are released from the lot and the line moves forward. I think there were 4 cars ahead of me. The NG guy moved the cone and let three leave, a few minutes later let the one in front of me go, then I had about 8 minutes to wait until they let me go. I had a brief bit of soreness about 30 minutes after the shot that is gone now, not quite 2 hours after the shot. I have a very, very mild bit of a headache that is fast dissipating and I noticed about 30 minutes after the shot.
I was both given a phone number to call for my second shot appointment, and sent an email with a link to do so. I've already got my second shot appointment for 3/25 and was offered two dates online to choose from.
All in all, very well run, no waiting to speak of except the mandatory 15 minutes after the shot to make sure there are no complications. No one that I witnessed had any complications while I was going thru the process. My appt. was at 10:40, I got there at 10:31 and was gone at 11:00.
Funny side note, yesterday MS Health Dept and the Governor announced that anyone 50+ can now get the Covid Vaccinations. They also noted that this was in part because 94% of the deaths in MS have been people in the 50 and older age range.
To date, 94% of COVID-19 related deaths (6,381) and 80% (7,342) of COVID-19 related hospitalizations in Mississippi have been among those 50 and older, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.