First dose of the COVID-19 vaccine

I am both humbled and excited to receive the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine today. Thanks to excellent preparation and planning by the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine and the BJC Healthcare System, the process was extremely quick and painless.

Upon arriving at the vaccination site, the medical staff greeted me, asked a few questions, then directed us to down a hallway to the next station. At this point we filled out a standard medical questionnaire asking about allergies, covid exposure, etc. Once complete, we moved into a large conference room with medical staff ready to administer the injection.

From my perspective, the shot is like any other flu shot. Roll up your sleve, a quick poke, then cover with a adhesive bandage. I thought the stick was less painful than the typical flu shot. Maybe the excitement clouded my pain receptors, but I didn’t feel it.

Once the shot is administered, they require an observation period of 15 minutes to confirm there are no adverse reactions. In addition, we are asked to sign up for the v-safe system to track possible adverse reactions over the next 12 months.

Overall, it took less than 25 minutes from start to finish.

Thanks to everyone involved from the nurses, doctors, scientists, and administrative staff responsible for getting us the vaccine. I appreciate your dedication and hard work more than you will ever know! In return, I will be your champion and voice, encouraging my family and friends to get the shot!