On the one hand, our vaccine effort has kind of sucked; on the other hand, at least nobody's getting the flu

But it seems like wearing masks during flu season is a good way to avoid it. Probably reduces summer cold too!

I am seen by primary care at Boston Medical Center. While seeing a specialist there on Monday for a routine visit I inquired about their roll-out of the vaccine. I am a registered user of their patient-doctor communication system and had received an email saying they would soon have it to give out about 2 weeks ago.

To my surprise the doctor looked in the computer and said they had started already, and would flag me as eligible (I was, due to age and co-morbidity for this phase). He gave me papers and sent me to another floor and stated if it was too crowded to go home and call their own special inside number they have for patients to get the vaccine and set up an appointment that way. They are spacing them 10-mins apart since they need to record details and go through a Q&A.

I arrived where the distribution was being given in the same building and there were only 2 in front of me so I stayed and got my first shot. This was completely unexpected but the opportunity presented itself.

I did not have to deal with the state web site or call center. The hospital had me in their system and had their own internal process to make it happen. On my way out I also had to schedule the follow-up for the second shot in one month. I had a range of dates and times to choose from.

When I got home a robo call came in from the hospital telling us that we were eligible (based on medical history in their system) and to call their inside number to make the appointment. My wife is now set to get her first shot while there for a routine appointment in a week from now. Two birds with one stone so to speak.

By the time my wife gets in for her first injection they will have 2 sites on campus for distribution running and they expect to roll out a 3rd soon, also on campus.

So people that are seen with any regularity by their doctor, or with some regularity at a hospital clinic should contact them to see what their plans are. It may be as hassle-free as we experienced.

As to side effects there were none. I sat and chatted with hospital staff while waiting the required 15-20 minute period to see if you have a reaction. There were no lingering effects that day. The following morning I had some achiness in the injection site and by day 3 nothing was evident. The allergic reactions are usually due to the solution used to convey the medication, so if you have not had a reaction to injections in the past it is generally unlikely that you will with this.

Also the TV scenes we are watching seem to show them using a rather large needle. In fact what I experienced was a rather small one that they use for general injections and things like flu shots. I frankly didn't even feel it.

So for us, we did not, nor will we experience any of these hassles that are being reported on TV and in other news sites. Maybe this is because we see a doctor with regularity? Maybe it is because they can locate us in their system easier? We don't know but we wish others well in this endeavor. For us it was and is a walk-in experience and very well-organized.

than indoors, where you can get infected by sharing air with hundreds of other people.

(How messed up is it that so many of these mass vaccination sites are indoors?)