Orléans Star
Published: Friday, December 4, 2009

Getting the H1N1 shot

If you haven’t had your shot yet, it is still your best defence against getting H1N1 and even though some folks believe the second wave of the pandemic is subsiding, why take the chance?

Especially when you consider we have another three or four months to go in our flu season and the third wave will likely hit us during this time period.

Here is the acount of our family’s experience on November 27:

7:27 a.m.: Wake up, shower, shave, bio break and get dressed. Out of the house at 7:53 a.m. and off to Timmie’s for a coffee and bagel.

8:11 a.m.: Arrival at Shenkman Arts Centre for bracelet collection, only 28 folks in front of me. At 8:35 a.m. the public health team shows up, a few quick announcements and by 8:46 a.m. bracelets 61041, 61042 and 6043 are around my wrist. By this time there are still less than 100 people behind me.

The bracelets look like paper versions of all-inclusive resort bands, but I digress. Things went so fast I haven’t even finished my coffee yet. And they have forms on site so you don’t have to print them from the web.

Back home by 9:04 a.m. and my family forms are filled out by 9:18 a.m., we’re all set for our 1:45 return to the client service centre. Off to work.

After a productive few hours at the office, I depart at 1:11 p.m. to get the family and then head for the clinic. Family retrieved at 1:38 p.m. and securely parked on Centrum Boulevard by 1:48 p.m., where we are ushered in to wait in the client centre theatre.

1:49 to 1:54 p.m.: A little girl is running on stage entertaining us. At 1:55 p.m. the security lady tells everyone, no running allowed please, control your kids. I just rolled my eyes, she’s a kid, let her be one.

1:56 p.m.: First tranche of numbers called, ending in 020 and below. I settle into my 900- page sci-fi novel but not for long as our numbers are called at 2:02 p.m. and up to the second floor we go to wait in another area.

We are asked to confirm that our forms are signed and we have health cards with us. I feel like I’m boarding a cruise ship.

At 2:14 p.m. it’s up to the third floor: showtime! By 2:20 p.m., data entry is done and by 2:21 p.m. young Christine has asked me a few questions and the needle is in my arm. There is a crying kid beside me and my funny face doesn’t seem to help. Thankfully, my career path is not in daycare.

By 2:27 p.m., my family is all done and off to the waiting area. Printouts confirming our shots spit out a minute later and by 2:42 p.m. our 15 minutes of waiting is up, no adverse reactions and home we go.

So don’t delay, get your shot today.  

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Comments can be sent to Walter Robinson at orleansouttakes@transcontinental.ca.