Annette’s vaccination story

This is the first in a series of stories from Union members about getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

My vaccination journey is one that is built on love and with a sense of duty. When the vaccination rollout began, it was not a question of if I will get vaccinated, it was a question of when and how soon I can get vaccinated. Well, yesterday it happened. I received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine.

I moved through the process swiftly and without incident, but getting an appointment was not easy. My best friend, who is in the medical field, was the chief architect in securing my appointment. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not have received my vaccine this soon without her making it happen. And let’s be honest, the barrage of red tape one has to cut through just to get a vaccination appointment is beyond outrageous and often biased.

A few days before my appointment, a dear friend was turned away at a vaccination facility. He had all of the credentials that the state of Maryland required. However, his assigned vaccination location added a “new item” to the checklist, a doctor’s note or letter from one’s employer. Since my friend’s encounter, this issue has been highlighted on the local news and is being “looked into”. Because of this experience, I became fearful that I would be subjected to similar treatment. Thankfully, this was not the case for me, but with the African American and minority communities being the most disproportionately impacted by this pandemic, how could anyone in this demographic be turned away?

The answer is obvious: no one should be turned away. Thankfully, I am happy to report that my friend secured another vaccination appointment, in a different location, and today he received his first vaccination. It stands to reason that we are all afraid and crave to do what is best for us and our loved ones, so, I encourage all of us to dive into the wells of our soul and demonstrate to one another love, kindness, and empathy. The struggle has no doubt been great; certainly, the road ahead will present some curves. But together, and only together, we will conquer it all.