Happy Vaccination Day: A Mother's Story
On May 10, adolescents ages 12 and up became the next group of Americans eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Harbor Care Health and Wellness Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center that ensures every community member can access high-quality health care services, even if uninsured, is one of the few provides in the region able to provide this vaccination to youth. We caught up with Carrie, who recently took her son to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Harbor Care.
Bill, who hates needles, fell into a friendly chat with
Nurse Sue.
Hi! My name is Carrie, and my family and I live in Nashua. If you’ve been wondering whether or not to get your kids vaccinated against COVID-19, perhaps reading our story will help you decide.
For us, vaccination against COVID-19 has been a family thing: my husband and I both received our COVID-19 vaccinations as soon as they became available. Then, when the CDC announced that everyone aged 16 and above could get vaccinated, my college-age stepdaughter was first in line. Soon, our 15-year-old son Bill was the only one in the family who wasn’t protected from the virus.
As you can guess, being the only one in the household who wasn’t vaccinated was not a popular option for a teen. The unfairness of watching his older sister visit with her friends and go on dates, when he couldn’t, was a lively topic around the dinner table. This is why, when the CDC said that anyone age 12 or older could get vaccinated against COVID-19, we jumped on NH VINI and got Bill registered.
I understand that some people are on the fence about vaccinating their children against COVID-19. In the past we heard that children catch and transmit COVID-19 at much lower rates than their older relatives. We also heard that younger people on average have fewer / less traumatic symptoms if they do come down with this virus. This seemed true in the past; however, research now shows that the COVID-19 variants spreading around the world are far more contagious than the original virus. New data from current hotspots shows that young people and even children are now vulnerable in a way they weren’t before.
Moreover, reinfection rates are showing that those who have previously recovered from COVID-19 can catch it again – which indicates that the longed-for goal of herd immunity may not be possible. Most importantly, we recognize that these COVID-19 mutations cannot multiply and spread if people are not catching the virus in the first place.
Afterward, we relaxed for 15 minutes, while the nurses monitored for allergic reactions.
It seems that we need as many people as possible to get vaccinated in order to not only stay safe ourselves, but finally end this pandemic on a worldwide scale. Our family decided to get our teen vaccinated as soon as possible.
Luckily, every Thursday from 1 to 5 PM, Harbor Care hosts a COVID-19 vaccination clinic that is open to the public. We registered through the New Hampshire VINI, and then called Harbor Care at 603-821-7788 to let them know we were attending that day.
Bill was first in line as Nurse Maureen signed him in. A steady flow of people moved through the doors, and waited patiently for their turn. Everyone seemed happy, relaxed, and friendly.
Bill, who hates needles, fell into a friendly chat with Nurse Sue, and received his shot with a smile. Afterward, we relaxed in the waiting room for fifteen minutes, while the nurses monitored for allergic reactions. A staff person offered bottled water, mini hand sanitizers, and offered entry into a free raffle.
Other kids, age 12 and older, were in the crowd with one or two of their parents. Children under the age of 18 need the permission of a parent or guardian in order to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The nurses made sure that the kids received only the Pfizer vaccine, which is the only one approved by the CDC for minors.
After our fifteen minutes passed with no allergic reaction, Nurse Jenna gave us the okay. We returned home, finished up some overdue homework, and started dinner. Bill never experienced any side-effects from his first vaccination, and felt great the next day. We are scheduled to return in three weeks for Bill’s second injection of Pfizer vaccine. Soon, he will be fully protected from COVID-19.
For more information about Harbor Care’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics, please call 603-821-7788 or visit our events page.