Since Pfizer and Moderna had their COVID-19 vaccines approved, people have been trying hard to get one or the other. But that has proven to be no easy task, even for older people like myself who were put toward the front of the line. A call to my family physician’s office brought a recorded message saying “we do not currently have any COVID vaccine available.” The state and county health departments had similar discouraging messages posted on their respective websites. Local pharmacies were no help either. The best I could do was get on a waiting list at The Ohio State University’s Wexner Center.

An article in the Columbus Dispatch made it clear I wasn’t the only one having trouble scheduling my COVID shot: “Often, central Ohioans said they spent hours on end, sometimes over several days or weeks, to schedule a vaccination.” What I needed was a tip, a cancellation, or just plain luck to move from the waiting list to an actual vaccine appointment.  That tip came in the form of a phone call from good friend Ann Ottobre, who had already gotten her first shot. She told me that by clicking on the right options on the Wexner Center MyChart portal, I would be taken to a listing of unfilled vaccine appointment slots, from which I could choose.

I took Ann’s advice and lo and behold, suddenly there were twenty or more appointment options on February 16 and 17 in front of me. My first choice — 4:30 pm on the 16th — was denied. But my second choice of 6:00 pm that same day went through. It seemed surprisingly easy at first. However, the more I thought about it, the more it became clear that like so many other things in life, getting a vaccine depends a lot on who you know.

I understood I would be getting the vaccine at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center, a familiar place. Still, there were other things I didn’t know.  Would congested traffic be a problem near the “Schott”? Would I have to wait long before actually getting the vaccine put into my arm? Could I make an appointment for my second shot right after getting the first? As it turned out, no problems of any size arose.

As I approached the Schott at about 5:45 pm on the 16th, warmly-clad attendants guided me into the parking lot closest to the Schott itself.  Once parked, I followed signs that sent me toward the vaccination station at the northeast end of the building. I put on two masks — a disposable mask with a permanent mask on top — and entered. Inside, an attendant asked me to reverse the position  of the two masks. I wasn’t sure why that mattered, but I complied without argument. After that, things moved along quickly. I gave my name to a woman behind a counter that ordinarily would have been used to sell refreshments during sports events. The woman confirmed my appointment and told me I’d be getting the Pfizer vaccine. Then she gave me my CDC vaccination record card, a little piece of card stock that will likely have great importance for a long time to come.

From the counter, I moved into a line of people waiting for their shots. I say a line, but in fact, there were only three or four people ahead of me. Coming at around the dinner hour may have saved me from a longer wait. Within two minutes, I found myself seated at a long table. Other tables with patients ran parallel to mine and amidst all of them, an assortment of medical staff scurried about, performing different tasks. After signing some forms — I believe they were waiver and financial responsibility forms, but to be honest, I didn’t read them closely — I received my shot. The nurse who gave it to me did a fine job; I barely felt anything. Then came a 15-minute wait. This was necessary to assure I didn’t have any negative reactions to the vaccine. While I waited, a woman pushed a portable desk and laptop over to me and set up an appointment for my second shot at 5:15 pm on March 9. When 15 minutes elapsed, a digital stopwatch next to me buzzed and I was on my way home. I passed up a chance to have my photo taken with a life-size model of a masked Brutus Buckeye. Maybe next time.

Overall, getting my first COVID vaccine was not an unpleasant experience. I now can breathe a little easier, knowing I have a level of protection against this virus I didn’t have before. Of course, the battle isn’t over. There’s still that second shot. And I still have to worry about friends and loved ones who haven’t yet gotten the first.