-Christine, Nikita, Theresa, Matt, Ben, Maurice, Morgan, Kat
The discovery of vaccination against COVID-19 has given us a lot of hope. In the United States, vaccinations are distributed by two pharmaceutical companies: Moderna and Pfizer. Both require two doses. The only difference is that you have to wait 28 days between two shots for Moderna and 21 days for Pfizer. Maryland is distributing vaccinations from both companies. About 10 percent of Marylanders have received at least the first dose of vaccine.
The vaccine is being distributed in phases. Right now, we are in Phase 1C which includes adults between the ages of 65-74, front line workers, lab employees, essential workers, healthcare employees, people living in assisted living, nurses, government workers, etc. You can schedule your appointment by calling 410-396-4454, Monday - Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, or you can also visit https://www.marylandvax.org/. If you live in Baltimore County, you can go to https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/c268c6f40463480baae69154b7845ffd and put yourself on the Baltimore County COVID-19 Vaccine Registry so you can get vaccinated when COVID-19 vaccines are available to you. Vaccinations are being distributed in hospitals, pharmacies, local government offices and mass vaccination sites such as BCCC and Baltimore Convention Center. An additional mass vaccination site will open in mid-February at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Other locations in Western Maryland, Southern Maryland and on the Eastern Shore are being finalized.
Accessing these vaccinations has been challenging for our members at the clubhouse. Access to reliable transportation is one of the barriers. For Christine, she has barriers with transportation and it has been hard to schedule an appointment of choice. In addition to that, it has been hard to schedule an appointment. Theresa shares, “Donna and I were on the phone for 30 minutes only to find out that the pharmacy did not even have a wait list”.
Common side effects include fevers, chills, tiredness, headaches, and soreness in the arms as per the CDC website. It is very important to take care of yourself on the day you get vaccinated. Having plenty of fluid and rest, helped Nikita feel better.
Navigating COVID-19 vaccinations is a tricky process especially as things have been changing rapidly. The best way for the clubhouse to remain effective would be by sharing new information as we find them. Researching resources in the community for our members to schedule appointments and navigate transportation is another way to help our members. For example, ride services such as Uber and Lyft provide free rides.
With all of this information, we are hopeful that we can slowly start to have a more vibrant clubhouse community and ensure health and safety for everyone.
