Hope for a brighter future starts with the COVID-19 vaccine

The end of the pandemic is in sight. But this is the time to double-down on protecting ourselves and others.

I received my first dose of the Moderna vaccine last week. I was surprised how nervous and excited I felt while I waited to be ushered into an exam room to get my vaccination. I’ve never felt so thrilled about getting a shot!

After the injection, I sat in the long hallway at The Everett Clinic in Mill Creek and waited 15 minutes while a nurse walked up and down the hall to monitor us for any allergic reactions. I was impressed by how well the vaccination clinic ran.

For the first time within the last year, I could imagine the end of the pandemic as millions of the world’s citizens receive their COVID-19 vaccination. My hope for a brighter future soared.

My kids told me they breathed a sigh of relief when I mentioned I was receiving my first dose. “We were worried about you, Dad,” my youngest daughter said. She called me right after my shot to ask me how I was doing. It never occurred to me that my adult daughters would worry about me. As their dad, it was always my job to be concerned about them. It was a surprise to think that they might fret about me.

I’m community-minded, so I signed up with the Center for Disease Control’s website to monitor reactions to the vaccine (vsafe.cdc.gov). This smartphone-based tool allows you to report reactions, provides personalized health check-ins after you receive your vaccination, and reminds you to get your second dose. Participation not only helps me, but it provides a database to further monitor the impact of the vaccines. So far, so good — only a mildly sore arm and a little fatigue. Otherwise, I’m fine.

It’s been a long year filled with uncertainty, worry, fatigue and loss. I read about the hospitals in California, filled to capacity, and imagine the anxiety of family members who wait to hear about their sick relatives. I worry about my daughter and her family who live in California. What would happen if she and her husband got sick? Who would take care of our grandchildren?

As more of us receive the vaccine, we will all experience less worry about our families and friends spread across the country.

We’ve all been in this same, leaky boat for so many months. The end is in sight. But this is the time to double-down on protecting ourselves and others.

When your turn comes up, please schedule a vaccination. If you have questions, log onto www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/vaccine to learn more. Don’t let fear or mistrust keep you from contributing to your own health and to the well-being of our community.

Paul Schoenfeld is a clinical psychologist at The Everett Clinic. His Family Talk blog can be found at www.everettclinic.com/health-wellness-library.html.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.