Yet another case of not what you know but who you know.
This is in relation to getting the jab against Covid-19. I am now in one of the groups that has been “called” to make an appointment to bet the jab, however when I got onto the appropriate page on the web, I discovered that all the “massive” vaccination centres were way outside my town. I also know that my local CAP is a vaccination centre, but that didn’t figure in the list that I was able to access.
On asking a swimming friend if he had been vaccinated and evincing some surprise when he answered in the affirmative, I was encouraged to ignore the web site that I had been directed towards and go instead to a telephone number for the Generalitat and “let them sort it all out”.
As this was the first working day since his advice I, with Toni’s help, have done as he suggested and I have been assured that I will be contacted “today” with details of the centre that I can access. I have faith that they will do as they say. I can be touchingly innocent sometimes! But we will see.
The weather, which has been particularly bloody for over a month, is generally better today, with the sun doing its best to convince doubters that the month is actually May and not November.
I mark the start of Real Summer with my first immersion in the communal pool. Although the young Viral Assassins of next door have thrown themselves into the glacial waters on a number of occasions, I do not think that authentic humans will follow them for some time – bearing in mind that there has to be hot weather for a week or so to allow the body of water in our pool to heat up a little and lose its more heart failure inducing qualities.
I am still uncertain about our foray to Terrassa the day after tomorrow for the first Family Occasion for over a year – the first time that the two of us will have been outside our area and visiting other people.
This is a foretaste of the freedom (or should that be “freedom”) that will develop over the next few months. I do share a desire to get back to normality, but
- - Dramatic break -
Just had a telephone call and now have an appointment for 3pm on Saturday to have my first injection. It is not here in Castelldefels, but in a Massive Vaccination Centre in Cornellà, which is one of the places that I passed through day after day when I was teaching in Barcelona. It is now a case of finding out exactly where the centre is and being prepared to Make A Day Of It, to celebrate the start of my protection against Covid!
- - Dramatic break -
No sooner had we had lunch than there was a phone call from my local CAP asking if I wanted to have the jab and could I make it to the CAP within 30 minutes. Hysterically saying, “YES!” to everything, I got on my bike and sped off.
Although I had thoughtfully brought my collapsible shooting stick with me, I had no time to use it as I was ushered, immediately I arrived in the CAP, into a deserted injection room and, barely had I got one arm out of my coat and my T-shirt rolled up, than a doctor appeared and I had the shot post haste.
To my utter delight (apart from having the shot) it turned out that the vaccine that I had been given was the Johnson & Johnson Jenssen Jab – a single dose vaccine! I’m done!
Putting all the circumstances together: time; deserted rooms; instant reception; speed of delivery – it seems fairly clear that the telephone call I had was one that was part of a procedure to try and ensure that all available doses were used. I suspect that my “instant” vaccination was using up an end-of-surgery dose: either it went into my arm or the bin.
But I don’t care. I have, at long last, been vaccinated and I can now start counting the days to optimum protection – which is about a month.
And I don’t have the inconvenience of finding time for a second jab!
Hooray!
