Earlier this week, I heard my mom talking on the phone. When she ended the call, she turned around to me and told me that she made a vaccine appointment for me. I was extremely surprised because she was on the phone for 20 minutes at most, and she already got me an appointment. I thought that the people giving out the vaccine at this place must be super organized. My mom told me that the person on the phone said that I could go by myself to get the vaccine and that she just had to sign a consent form. We filled out the consent form, verified that I was going online, and collected all the documents that were listed on the site.
On Wednesday, I grabbed all of the things that I needed and drove to Quiet Waters Park by myself to get my vaccine. It was a short drive from where I live, which was nice. I drove through the entrance and rolled down my window to have a person tell me to follow the cones on the street. I rolled the window back up, and followed all of the cones for a good two minutes or so until I reached a line of cars in front of a group of volunteers. One of them came over to me and I rolled my window down, they gave me an information sheet on the Pfizer vaccine with which I proceeded to put in the passenger seat of my car and never look at it again. They also asked for my name to make sure I made an appointment to be there. I rolled my window back up and moved forward in the line of cars. After another set of two minutes, I had to roll down my window again for these two women who looked at me like I was doing something wrong. They walked up the car and asked me how old I was. I said I was 17, and one of them said "I think you need a parent with you" but my mom told me that the person on the phone said that I didn't need a parent, so that's what I said to them. They looked at each other skeptically but then walked back to where they were before. I waited in the line of cars for around ten more minutes until a volunteer who did not look like he wanted to be there at all wrote the number 10 with window paint on my window, then he pointed to a little tent that had the number 10 on it. I drove up to the tent and rolled down my window again. The nurse at the tent looked at me and raised her eyebrows.
"How old are you?" she asked me. I said I was 17. She asked for my license, and I gave it to her. She said I needed a parent with me to give consent. I then explained to her that the person on the phone said to my mom that I only needed the consent form, and handed her the form. She walked away and brought back with her a man and then she asked him if I was allowed to be here without a parent and he said no. HUH? Then he said and I quote:
"You can come back tomorrow any time you want," I asked if I needed to register again for the appointment and he said "You don't need to since you already registered for today" So the next day I drove back there with my mom. We got to the first volunteer, and he wouldn't let us through.
"Sorry, you need an appointment," he said. I felt like screaming at him. He had to bring in his boss and we had to explain everything that happened yesterday. WE HAD TO DO THIS WITH EVERY SINGLE VOLUNTEER THAT WE TALKED TO. can't these people get walkie-talkies or something? I'm not trying to sound ungrateful because these people stood outside in Florida weather for free to make sure that people are getting their vaccines, but come on! anyway, I got my vaccine and my arm is currently sore. But at least I'm halfway protected from covid. I am not excited to go back there.
me and my vaccine card
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