Ellis Mair here, and today we’re talking about vaccines. I’m sharing my experience so that other ATs in Philadelphia and PA at large can get the ball rolling. There are a lot of questions surrounding the vaccine and health care workers, like “when, where, and how?”

The short answers are: now, as close to you as possible, and through Rite Aid and Penn State Health. 

I wanted to share my COVID-19 vaccination experience with you. Philadelphia is still working through Phase 1A of the vaccination rollout and is vaccinating healthcare workers in the city. All healthcare workers–one’s that are doing COVID testing, working in school and industrial settings, those that will soon be returning to treating athletes in emergency situations; its tough to assess vitals from 6-feet. In case you were wondering, this absolutely means you.  

I made my appointment at a Rite Aid and was vaccinated on Tuesday.  I believe I got very lucky because booking an appointment through their website (linked here) for me was very easy.  I was able to schedule both my first and second dose without any difficulty.  However, since then the booking site has been flooded with requests and very few available appointments. 

I arrived at the pharmacy at my scheduled time and handed the pharmacist my driver’s license, insurance information and completed waiver. The pharmacist processed the order and took me back to the vaccination room. The injection was quick and easy. I returned to the waiting area for 15 minutes to ensure there was no anaphylactic reaction and then drove home. That evening I did experience a mild headache and a sore throat but they subsided by bedtime. Since my appointment, I have had very mild soreness at the injection site and have experienced no other symptoms.  

We are collecting and distributing information about vaccinations in areas across the country as it becomes available. If you know of a vaccination resource in your community or would like to share your experience with other athletic trainers, send us a note at contactus@go4ellis.com. Feel free to share you vaccination selfie too.

– K. Ellis F. Mair, EdM, ATC

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