Have you felt vaccine envy? Are you ashamed to admit it? Let’s face it, envy isn’t a great feeling. And if you’re like me, the added layer of guilt for feeling it in the first place only makes it worse. Bad bad bad.
It’s not pretty.
I’ll admit I’ve had twinges of it over the past few weeks. The first was when someone on my husband’s Facebook feed, who is healthy and in their 40s, announced their vaccination to a flurry of “Likes.” Braggart. The second was when someone in my office submitted a leave slip, going out of their way in the “optional comments” to say it was for a vaccine appointment. Show-off. But within two seconds of that green reflex, I felt shame when I remembered their underlying medical condition. I replied with a sincere congratulatory note.
And then, a good surprise!
The same day I sent that congratulatory note, my husband received an email from the Virginia Department of Health. After months of hearing nothing, and wondering if a registration list even existed . . . boom goes the dynamite! I’m happy to report that he got his one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine today.
My husband has a serious underlying medical condition, so the fact that his immune system is now learning to recognize and fight those nasty little Covid spike proteins (thanks to a modified version of the common cold) is a tremendous relief to me. And it’s perfect timing. I’m headed to the Maskless State of Texas for two weeks to be with my parents. By the time I return, my husband should be well on his way to “robust” protection.
What’s the lesson?
Whenever you feel the envy creeping in, remind yourself to be grateful for every newly vaccinated person, even if it’s the social media braggadocio who seems to be cutting in line. Because the more people who are vaccinated, the faster we’ll reach herd immunity. Moo. And the faster we reach herd immunity, the sooner we can return to our happy places. Aloha.
