Once Skeptical, Woman ‘Really Excited’ to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine
Shandra Martinez
| 3 min read
Toni Hartke admits she had reservations about getting a COVID-19 vaccination. She figured she would wait to see how it worked for other people. But when she had an opportunity to be among the first in her circle of family and friends to get the vaccine, she couldn’t pass up her shot. Now she is telling others about her positive experience. In January, she received Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, which is given in two doses, 21 days apart. “I was really excited once I got it, but I thought it was pretty ironic that I would be the one that would get it when everybody else is trying to,” Hartke who is 72-years-old said, adding that she was impressed with the process from start to finish. “I think that my apprehension was ill-placed,” she said. “There were none of these side effects that I always worried about before. And so, there was no reason for me to have worried.”
Seamless Process
Working through Trinity Health was a seamless process, Hartke said. When she received the email for an appointment in January, she was able to confirm it through her My Chart web page. She had a choice of two days and several locations. She chose the closest and pre-registered. An email and text reminder were sent to her. Once she arrived, she received a packet with information to read.
She was asked a couple of questions and given a card following the first shot. After receiving the vaccination, she waited 15 minutes before leaving, in case there were side effects. She was reminded to continue to wear a mask and social distance after receiving the vaccine as it took effect — and to protect others who haven’t been vaccinated yet. “I got my sticker that said that I had been vaccinated, which I didn't think would mean anything, but it really did,” said Hartke. “I took a picture of the sticker and sent that to my friends that were sort of like me, that weren't thinking about going in. I said, ‘Do it.’” With both shots, she had stiffness at the site of the injection, but it faded the next day. A day after receiving the second shot, she experienced a headache and queasiness that lasted 24 hours. She isn’t sure if it was related to the vaccine or driving in a car for a long time. “So, within the two days, everything has been fine. I feel great,” said Hartke. “And I would recommend that everybody get the vaccine when they have the opportunity because I now feel, even though I know I still have to be careful and all that, I just feel this new sense of ‘OK, I've done it,’ and I'm not as worried about passing this on to someone else or even getting it myself.” Related:
- CDC: What You Can Do Once You Receive Your COVID Vaccine
- COVID-19 Vaccines: Get the Facts
- COVID-19: What You Need to Know
Photo credit: Getty
