The day the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the statement that anyone sixteen and older could receive the COVID-19 vaccine, I jumped at the opportunity to become one of the now-eligible students at Fossil Ridge High School to get the shot.

At first, finding an available appointment was nearly impossible since most pharmacies were booking quickly. After days of refreshing on various vaccination provider’s websites, I finally found an opening at the Safeway pharmacy near my house.

If you are still a minor, they do request a signed consent form from a parent or guardian. Based on my understanding of the process, as well as my knowledge of how vaccination appointments had gone with the people around me, I did not think they would need a parent visible at the time of injection, but they did. I called my dad and got him out of his work meeting so he could accompany me as I received my dose.

Since I am only 16, I did have to receive the Pfizer vaccine. There are two doses of this shot, the second one being three weeks after the first. My final shot will be on May 4, 2021.

After waiting in the waiting room for only a few minutes, the pharmacist came back with a bucket of vaccines, ready to go. My doctor was thoughtful enough to distract me during the shot and ask me about my hobbies and why I love them, which was sweet of her. I honestly didn’t even feel the needle going in. In my opinion, it hurt much less than any other shot I have had before.

The pain in my arm began almost immediately, and as I was walking around Safeway with my dad, my shoulder lost most of its mobility. If you are unaware, it is suggested that you stay in the building for 15 minutes after the injection to make sure no one has any negative reactions.

Once I got home, I became exhausted and took a nap before my dance practice. When I woke up, I was a little dizzy but still had to attend my dance clinic. The sharp arm movements caused some pain in my injection site, but moving your arm is the best way for a sore shot to heal quicker.

Gina Curtis, a Junior at Fossil, has received both her first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine already. As a kid’s summer camp counselor, she is considered an essential worker and was cleared for the vaccine weeks ago. She also had some soreness in her arm the day after her first dose, which is a common symptom, and she was quite nauseous the day after her second dose as well.

An anonymous senior who also recently got their COVID-19 vaccine, stated that his “second dose took a toll on [him].” This is a known side effect of specifically the second dose of Pfizer since it is increasingly building your immunity.

Taking this responsibility into your own hands is a completely personal decision. The idea that life is slowly getting back to normal is comforting, and it made me feel nostalgic of how my life has felt in the past. I encourage everyone to receive whichever vaccine they can in order to get our lives moving in the right direction once again.