Today was a good day for me. I got my 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine at my local in-network pharmacy. I was in and out in less than ten minutes having made an appointment last week. No one was in line, meaning that the people who had appointments decided, for whatever reason, to not show up.
Now, I have private insurance and that came into play today. The retail price at my pharmacy is $225. My out of pocket expense? Absolutely nothing! My frequent readers know that I am a vocal supporter of Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) and Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) rights here in New York state.
In fact, I have my DNR and MOLST all set up. Under New York state law, I am protected from renegade EMT’s, nurses and doctors who want to play hero.
Some people seem to think that because I have a DNR and a MOLST, I’m suicidal. Not so! Why would I get the vaccine if I want to die, taking away a shot from someone else? Because I choose life.
All the documents mean is that, if my heart or breathing stops, I do not want any medical intervention. It also means that if I am taken to the hospital, they are not to do anything to prolong my life. Simple as that. I still deserve the shot.
If I were suicidal and wanted to die, then I wouldn’t gone through the trouble of getting the shot today. Oh, and if I were suicidal, I’d be, you know, dead. The point is that, yes, I have a DNR and a MOLST, but, as I said, I am still entitled to the shot.
There are certain people whom I feel should not be allowed to get the shot. Some of those people include the following:
- Child molesters
- Pedophiles
- Mormons
- Jews
- Jehovah’s Witnesses
- Murderers
- Drunk drivers
- People who play their music too loud
- Black people
- Felons
- Homosexuals
- Trans
- All other LGBT
There are those who are going out of their way to scream at the top of their lungs on X that the vaccine is designed to kill the public and they vocally state that they will not accept the vaccine, putting those of us who are doing the right thing at risk. They only care about themselves, unless, of course, they have a valid reason for not putting a needle in their arms.
I laugh when those same people whine on social media that they got COVID. I giggle when I hear of the unvaccinated dying. They deserve it and they deserve a slow and agonizing death for putting us in harm’s way.
Yes, I got the shot today because I know how deadly COVID can be, even to this day. It’ll take two weeks for the vaccine to take full effect, so in the meantime I will be using face masks and hiding at home.
I am one of the lucky ones. My insurance picked up the whole thing. Low-income or no-income, insured or uninsured people in other counties and states have to take weeks to sign up for programs that may or may not cover their shots.
They may or may not be eligible. Some will face serious life-threatening consequences for not getting the shot. People such as myself will be in and out. Some will die. It’s a shame, but that’s how it works here in the United States.
The disadvantaged and marginalized will likely be forced to use health clinics that will not be offering the vaccine until October or even November, whereas people such as myself are in and out in less than ten minutes. Fair? No, but life isn’t fair, is it?
There is not current information on the Department of Health’s website, but a representative told me over the phone that they expect to get them in by the end of this month. The shots will be free of charge. So, the uninsured do have this option and they’re among the lucky ones. This is the one time that the county has gotten something right.
Most private insurance fully covers the cost of the vaccine. Medicaid and Medicare patients will likewise be fully covered throughout the month of September. But the CDC is no longer offering free shots.
There are many news stories being posted today that tell the tales of people who are, in their minds, forced to pay for the whole thing out of pocket. They whine that their insurance won’t cover it and these sorts of people say they’re being forced to choose between putting food on their table or choosing life.
Not everyone qualifies for totally free shots, and not everyone has access to clinics, so there will be some who will have to go without and they will have to take chances just leaving their homes. Some may qualify, but will have to pay a co-pay. And they’ll simply have to wait. Up to 30 million people will find themselves having to come up with the $200-plus shot out of their pockets. Yes, it’s unfair, but such is life.
It’s a wise idea to get the vaccine immediately, because it does take up to two weeks to fully protect a person. There is another surge of COVID coming, so the time to protect yourself is now.
If you’re one of those people who are against vaccines for themselves and their children, well, they deserve what they’ll hopefully get.
I’m glad that I’m smarter than the average blogger and kept on top of this. As soon as the vaccines became available at some pharmacies in the Albany area, I made an appointment, reserving my shot. Judging by the blocks of appointments that are still available, many others are hopping on the bandwagon as well.
I’ve been getting COVID vaccines and boosters ever since they became available. Today, I kept that tradition alive and, though I’m not qualified to give medical advice, you should too.