If you’re one of the many Wisconsinites on a waitlist for the COVID-19 vaccine, you might be wondering what will happen after you finally nab an appointment.
Of course, that will depend partly on where you go, but some elements of the process will probably be similar.
Bob Warning received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.
He’s a courier for FedEx Express and he’s older than 65. Full disclosure, he’s also the father-in-law of Ben Meyer, one of WXPR’s reporters.
Through word of mouth, Warning found out about registering for the vaccine with Oneida County’s Public Health Department.
Days later, he had an appointment and was told to arrive at a church between 5 and 6 p.m.
When he arrived, they gave him a beeper, like they would at a restaurant, and he waited in his car for it to go off.
“When the beeper went off, I went inside the building and it was a very smooth process,” he said.
After receiving the vaccine, he waited for 15 minutes in a cordoned-off space, six feet away from other people.
Warning said this was called “COVID jail,” but he said don’t be worried by the misnomer.
Volunteers strolled through the area to make sure everyone was doing well.
During this wait time, Warning said the people around him were overjoyed.
The woman next to him was near tears.
“She was so excited,” he observed. “She said, ‘this might be the opportunity for me to see my grandkids.’ She said she hadn’t seen them since last year.”
Warning said other people were so happy they were dancing.
For him, getting the vaccine is an opportunity to return to normal.
After he gets the second dose, he plans to reconnect with family and friends, and go out to dinner.
