VACCINATED!

 March 13th.

1 year ago today, I wrote my first 'COVID-19' post. And today, I was vaccinated. I am beyond grateful. Immersed in thought on the way home from the Fergus clinic, which is outstanding by the way, I reflected on life before and after COVID-19. There will be an after and the very full, very efficient mass vaccination clinic I was in today is proof of that. Vaccines are pouring in by the millions and with the extension of the time between doses, we will be able to get the majority of Canadians immunized by the summer. One dose. My next vaccine is booked the first week of July. I can tell by the distinct ache in my arm and this mild headache that this first dose is doing it's job. That miraculous mRNA that pokes human cells to make spike proteins has just entered my cells at the injection site. With lightening speed that mRNA has entered my cells and instructed my genetic material to make spike proteins which have lined up on the outside of my cells. My immune system has seen the spike protein. T cells absorbed the spike protein as soon as the first spike protein-coated cell died ( human cells are in a constant cycle of birth, activity and death with new cells replacing the dead cells constantly). My T cells have stimulated my B cells and my B cells are responding by making antibodies that are specifically created to kill the spike proteins. Right now, at this moment, this precise second, I have antibodies that will recognize COVID-19 as foreign and kill the virus before it can infect me. And tomorrow I will have more antibodies and the next day more until about 9 days from now when I will have enough antibodies to kill millions of viruses. And that's the ticket out of this thing. Not now. But after each of us has had 2 doses we will be free of the deadly consequences of COVID-19. It may still circulate and it may still infect for years to come but we will not become seriously ill. We will not be hospitalized and we will not die. To get there, 70 % of us need to be immunized. I think more than 70 % of Canadians will step up. Today there were almost 1500 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario. This may be the start of a third wave. This time, almost 40 % of new cases are caused by variant strains mostly the UK variant. The vaccines we have work against the UK variant. But this is a very tricky time. I can walk outside with my aching arm and my new antibodies but I cannot take off my mask. I cannot plan an indoor gathering with other immunized people. I cannot hug. I cannot get close. My mask is my best friend and your mask is your best friend. Until 70 % have been vaccinated we cannot change the way we are living. There may be some loosening of restrictions in the coming month or so but not if we climb to a third wave. Be diligent and safe. A shout out to scientists, researchers, governments, community leaders, healthcare workers, public health, thousands of volunteers and all the intelligence and organization that has gone into these mass vaccination clinics. We have come so far. Grabbing a tylenol now. I tend to react to vaccines but this time, with every ache and pain, I will be so grateful. Anne-Marie Please share. The Dawson research team that is recruiting study participants for the phase III study of the Canadian Medicago vaccine that uses plant-based technology, is looking for about 80 more participants. Thank you to those of you who signed up. This vaccine is looking like it may be more effective than the Pfizer vaccine I received today. If it looks like you may not be lining up for a vaccine until phase 3 which will likely be late May or June, this is an option. Please reach out to these folks with any questions you have about this vaccine and the study. This is the link: dawsonclinicalresearch.com THANK YOU SCIENCE!!!! Anne-Marie Please share.

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