A Family Trip to the Pharmacy
A quick report on getting a Covid booster in France.
This afternoon, me, Ben Blair, Oscar, Betty, and Flora June, went to the pharmacy to get a Covid vaccine booster. This had been on my to do list for awhile, but I accidentally kept putting it off because I wasn’t sure where to access them in my town these days.
But this morning, I had a doctor’s appointment to renew my Wellbutrin prescription and my allergy prescription, and I asked the doctor about getting a booster. I thought she might be able to give me one right there in the office, but she told me the best place to get one is currently the pharmacy.
After the doctor’s appointment, Ben Blair and I dropped by the pharmacy to pick up my meds, and we asked if they had covid vaccines available, and they did! So we told them we would be back with our kids in the afternoon (once Flora June was home from school and music lessons).
Because we have a Carte Vitale, which is the card you carry for the French healthcare program, the vaccinations were free. But we asked how much they would be if our cards weren’t current, or if we didn’t have Carte Vitale at all, and we were told the price would be 7.50 euros (that’s about $8 dollars).
We all got the shot in our non-dominant upper arm — Ben Blair’s a lefty, so his was in his right arm, the rest of us had the shot in our left arm. Six hours later, no one is experiencing any side effects. We’ll see how we feel in the morning.
I did not think to ask what version of the vaccine we were getting — or if it’s targeted to a particular strain, but I might drop by again tomorrow to ask, just because I’m curious. But whatever the version, I’m so grateful to receive a booster, and I’m happy it was smooth and easy to get. In hindsight, I’m embarrassed I unintentionally put it off.
I recently read that Covid numbers are rising in France right now, so I’m happy for any option to help fend off (or lessen) an infection.
How about you? Do you pay attention to Covid news these days? Are boosters available/affordable where you live? Have you been recently boosted?
That’s all for now. I hope you’re having a lovely day.
kisses,
Gabrielle
I'll admit that when I first saw the headline that the US wasn't recommending boosters anymore my initial thought was "oh ok! Maybe we're kind of out of the woods then?!" and .5 seconds later I remembered that we've appointed incompetent toddlers to most government roles now so we can no longer put any stock in our public health recommendations. truly frightening.
And a good reminder to seek out a booster next time I can. (If my health insurance is even able to offer these still)
Have you gotten your Shingles vaccine yet? I got it last year at the same time as one of the boosters, and I was down on the count for 3 days, BUT I am so grateful for both. Shingles is no joke, and I am happy to avoid it.