covid 19-its like the hunger games

COVID 19-ITS LIKE THE HUNGER GAMES 

the other day when we were on our computers and our laptop searching everywhere for a covid 19 vaccine for my 80+year old mother in law and my wife she and me
my wife she turned to me and said

you know this is like the hunger games
i thought about it
well
i guess i have to agree with her

i realize you cant sit around and wait for the system to work and for the vaccines to just come to you
i must say its not fair to those who dont have the digital knowledge to figure this out
luckily for us 
we do

along with articles on alzheimers disease and kidney disease i read several articles every day on covid 19
so i generally know whats happening in the covid 19 world
as a physician i am able to sort through the false information thats thrown out there

im just glad im not on the front lines fighting it

so in searching for vaccines i signed up for several websites that notify us if vaccines are available
the state the county the local hospital the local large clinic in town pharmacies etc
when you start looking for a vaccine you realize how screwed up all of this is 
luckily it seems starting in march in california it is going to be streamlined some

even though we are giving 1,600,000 shots a day in the us
thats much better than it was but it needs to be more

none of these are available around here right now

the biggest obstacle besides an inefficient delivery system is the lack of vaccines
luckily again the numbers of vaccines available will increase soon 

so
i decided i couldnt wait 1 to 2 to 3 months as that was too long to wait
although covid infection numbers are dropping around here 
i know from my reading and listening to the experts that we are about to possibly hit that dreaded fourth bump of cases that may be caused by the variants or new strains
this fourth bump will be the worst one so far

we may be about to see the lull before the storm

we are at 484,000 so far that have died because of covid 19
i can only imagine how high that number will be after the fourth bump
some say 600,000+

i already see some states removing mask mandates
their numbers will be worst because of this 

so i felt like things are going to get bad
its time to do the hunger games thing
so
i aggressively online began searching for vaccines for us
i really wasnt having a lot of luck
just this week this area got notice that those over 65 could start getting them
the catcher though was
well
we dont have vaccines to give

then about 2 weeks ago we got a notice from a medical center about an hours drive north of here that they were giving over 75 year olds their shots
my mother in law got hers and is due for number 2 in few days

then 
last thursday on my email popped a notice from ucla

here is your ticket to get your covid 19 shot
i see a private neurologist at ucla and am in the alzheimers research study for the biogen aducanumab
so 
i qualify to get the vaccine via ucla
so
i signed up for last saturday

i asked can my wife she get hers also
no she is  not a patient

so 
i called the alzheimers research team to see if they could help
no we have no control on the vaccines they are giving

however
they said
here is a link to a pharmacy chain that just got some vaccines and will be scheduling them soon

i went directly to the link
my wife she is now signed up tomorrow to get her vaccine at a pharmacy an hours drive away in the next county
i think we were able to get her a slot since not many folks knew about it
now the slots are all filled up 

interesting is that when i went directly to the pharmacy website there was no link about the vaccines becoming available

i think it was fate that got us to the link early

i did feel like i was in the hunger games
it shouldnt be this way 

on saturday as we were driving to ucla in the morning for our 2 hours commute
its about 3 hours during the week
i thought about how people probably felt in the 1950s traveling to get their polio vaccine 
a virus polio that had been infecting folks for years especially in the summers
what a relief they must have felt to have gotten that sugar cube for polio
a disease that has since disappeared from the us

thats the only way we can really make this covid 19 to go away
if were all get vaccinated

for those who could take the vaccine but dont you arent doing your part to make our country safe

i thought
just think in about a week
i will be over 50% safe from getting the covid 19 then in three weeks after i get my second shot that number will be up to 95%
i also so far will be protected from the new strains of the virus 
the ones that will cause that fourth bump

i will be safe then my wife she will be safe then mr hudson will be safer since he will be in the last of the ones to get vaccinated

we have shared our link to the vaccine to others that are in the high risk group

the hunger games for sure 

as i entered the ucla medical center i paused for a second to let what all what this means to soak in 


as i sat down i asked the nurse 
now you arent learning how to give shots are you
i knew i didnt want a medical student to give mine
since
i know about see one do one or in some cases never seen one but do one
she said no im a rn in gi you know where they do colonoscopies
that shut me 
i told her though no im good for ten years


i got my shot but didnt get this sticker but i plan on getting one to wear every day to advertise to others hoping they will do their civic duty and get theirs
no i didnt break out in hives or itch or get short of breath 
no ididnt fall over dead

after i scheduled my second shot we left to make our trip home
the almost 5 hours spent traveling in the car were worth it all
we partially won the battle today



i have made copies of this vaccine card and put in on my cellphone
it will be also laminated and left in my wallet

it will be a passport in the future probably to get on airplanes buses trains concerts sporting events amusement parks hospitals clinics jobs schools colleges research studies and more 

not sure what those that dont have one will do 

i did my civic duty 
i hopefully protected myself and protected anyone i get around especially mr hudson from getting this awful highly contagious virus that has devastated us

do your part
get vaccinated
protect others

i still will
wear my mask double mask sometimes
keep my distance from others 
avoid gatherings
avoid travel

be safe
encourage others to do the same
do your civic duty 

the organicgreen doctor