‘Thanks for giving me my life back.’ SLO woman writes a love letter to COVID vaccine

Dear Coronavirus Vaccine,

Thanks for giving me my life back.

I know I still have to wear a mask, practice social distancing and scrub my hands for months to come. But recently receiving my second dose let me see light at the end of a very long tunnel. And how welcome that ray of light is!

In fact, you made me feel giddy. I couldn’t wait for the appointment day to arrive. I was dressed long before we had to leave. I checked — and rechecked — the necessary paperwork, making sure I had everything we needed.

Believe me, I was ready, waiting and eager!

Friends and family members getting their shots were equally excited.

We texted each other in a flurry: “When do you get your second dose?” “Good luck with your shot!” And “How are you feeling today?”

It’s no wonder we’re walking on air.

This has been a year with little to celebrate. Our sequestered lives have been punctuated by funerals we couldn’t attend, gatherings we had to cancel, weddings that were dramatically scaled back and family vacations we had to scrap.

There are too many new babies who haven’t met their grandparents and hugs that haven’t been felt.

I’m certainly not wallowing in self-pity. My situation is enviable by any standard. I’ve been able to sequester on acreage. I don’t work in a crowded plant nor do I have children to educate at home.

I’m simply one of billions of people whose life screeched to a halt in March 2020, then watched nervously as the coronavirus pandemic ran roughshod around the globe.

I’ve felt the virus creep ever closer, claiming the lives of one of my elderly uncles and a neighbor, while infecting another uncle and several friends.

Now that nervousness can abate, thanks to your arrival.

I can’t help but think back to a similar situation where a vaccine changed the course of my life.

I was 8 years old in 1961 when the Sabin polio vaccine became available and signified the end of one of the most terrifying diseases in modern times.

Polio cases were at an all-time high in the early 1950s, causing more than 15,000 cases of paralysis in the U.S. each year.

I recall standing in a long line with my parents and siblings to receive a sugar cube coated with polio vaccine.

I was too young to understand the gravitas of the occasion. But it’s seared indelibly in my brain.

I wish my parents were alive so I could ask them how they felt about finally being able to protect their young family. I can only imagine their sense of relief.

Let’s be honest, coronavirus vaccine, you did make my arm sore.

For 24 hours I felt like I’d been punched squarely in my deltoid. Plus, I felt a bit achy and stiff. But those were only confirmations that I’d received my second dose.

Big hugs to all who made you possible, including scientists, manufacturers, truck drivers and medical personnel. But mostly, thanks, coronavirus vaccine, for giving me my life back.

Gratefully yours,

Linda