As of this writing, I’ve administered 214 COVID vaccines. I’ve had the opportunity to vaccinate through a hospital in my area where health care workers and volunteers are eligible. The latter group includes some senior citizens who have been volunteering for decades at the hospital.
I’ve vaccinated several people over 90; two people on supplemental oxygen – one who had just come from chemotherapy; one person who shared my birthday; multiple who are immigrants from Vietnam, Iran, and Mexico; one who had recently lost both her mother-in-law and mother to COVID; and someone who told me her only past allergic response had been to her husband.
If you have the opportunity and skill set, I highly recommend vaccinating. It is the most satisfying volunteer experience I’ve had. People are so grateful, and the mood is so celebratory. I’ve had my photo taken several times, and the hospital has music playing in the background. It feels like I’m at a bar mitzvah (without the food).
Here’s a piece on medical students who have joined the vaccination effort.
