2,160

I helped set a new record yesterday! I got my first Pfizer yesterday, along with 2,159 other Cook County residents. 2,160! Woo woo! By contrast, the community college makes 540 appointments every day, so 2,160 vaccinations is quite an accomplishment.

Unfortunately, it took 3 hours.

The problem wasn't with the County or the National Guard. Troops converted an empty Kmart store into a vaccination center and then handled crowd control and registration. They did everything except put needles in arms, and they did it all with kindness and grace. 

The problem was with us. 20,000 appointments (almost 10 days worth) came available on Sunday at noon. People had to wait so long to book an appointment that they clicked "yes" to whatever time came up ... whether they could get off work or not. Then everyone showed up at lunchtime.

Uh-oh.

No one with an appointment* will be turned away. After all, the goal is to get as many shots into as many arms as possible. So I understand it. I get all of it.

I am part of history. I'm taking it all in. This is, hopefully, a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I want to learn from it.

 

*In Illinois, you must be in an approved group to get an appointment. I'm 1b -- under 65, but with an underlying condition.