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JI reporter takes the needle: Navy veteran Tim Leininger gets the 2nd vaccine shot

Journal Inquirer - 3/23/2021

Mar. 23—NEWINGTON — It's been over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the country and social distancing became a household term. But over the past couple of months, the vaccine rollout has given a glimmer of hope to Americans hoping to return to some sense of normalcy.

Saturday, I went to the VA Medical Clinic in Newington for my second Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination.

A U.S. Navy veteran, I served most of my four years onboard the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) based out of Norfolk, Virginia.

My first shot was on Feb. 27 when I received a phone call from the VA telling me the hospital was conducting a walk-in vaccination clinic and asked if I was available to come in.

I told the person on the phone that only people 55 and older were eligible to receive the vaccination, and didn't think I was eligible because I'm 43. But, I learned, the VA was taking anyone 40 and older, so I went ahead and received my first shot that day.

"We were really strategic with rolling out the vaccine," Kimberly Roy, a nurse manager at the VA hospital, said. "We started with the older population. We started with 75 and older and co-morbidities. When we exhausted that list, we moved down the age group. Now we can open it up to any age."

Pamela Redmond, VA public affairs officer, said that about 22,000 of the more than 50,000 veterans who have VA health care in Connecticut have received at least their first vaccination.

Roy said the VA has also been participating in community events, doing vaccination clinics in communities throughout the state.

"A lot of times veterans do come in and they're on the fence," she said. "They've done a lot of research and try to convince themselves whether or not they want to do it. We talk to them. We give them the science behind it and 9 times out of 10 times they make the decision to get the vaccine. Returning to normalcy usually convinces them to get it. If they have children, elderly family members at home, I think that really helps them know to protect themselves and those around them and helps convince them to get the vaccine."

The VA has been dispensing both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and if someone prefers one over the other, they can request it, Roy said.

The process at the VA was efficient and thorough.

I was questioned twice about whether I had been showing symptoms of COVID-19 or had traveled out of state before being assigned to a nurse who asked the same questions. She then proceeded to administer the vaccination shot, after which I sat down in a large, open, and socially distanced area with other people who had received their vaccinations for observation for the next 15 minutes in case I experienced any side effects.

According to documents provided by the VA, side effects that can occur from the vaccine include injection site pain, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, injection site swelling, injection site redness, nausea, feeling unwell, swollen lymph nodes, rash, itching, hives, or swelling in the face. Severe side effects include difficulty breathing, swelling of face and throat, a fast heartbeat, a bad rash, or dizziness and weakness.

On the days I received doses, my routine was the same — except for one thing, breakfast. Before receiving my first shot, I hadn't had any breakfast and within the first few minutes after receiving it, experienced a bit of lightheadedness. After explaining to the nurse my condition, she asked when I last had water, which had been at least an hour. She offered some water and soon after drinking it, I felt well enough to go home. The only other side effect that occurred was five hours later, when my arm in which I received the shot grew exceptionally sore, making it difficult to lift over my head.

Before my second shot, I had breakfast beforehand and kept a bottle of water in my car that I drank before entering the hospital. After the second vaccination, there wasn't any lightheadedness, but I did feel a slight scratchiness at the back of my throat.

Susan Zapatka, a nurse practitioner at the VA, kept me on observation for an extra 15 minutes while taking my blood pressure and checking my heart rate. She also observed me for symptoms of allergic reaction like swelling of the lips and around the eyes.

"The VA system ... they have a well-organized machine," Zapatka said. "You are coming in and you are being watched. We had a patient who we had here for two hours that we monitored."

About five hours after I got home, soreness in my arm returned, but it wasn't as severe as the first shot. Then a new side effect occurred — fatigue.

I grew exhausted relatively quickly. And over the first couple of nights, I was in bed a couple hours earlier than normal.

When receiving the vaccine, everyone gets a CDC card that documents your vaccinations.

Zapatka said to laminate the card or put it in a plastic bag and keep it in a safe spot with other important documents such as a passport.

Fellow veterans who got their vaccinations Saturday said they felt encouraged and that they look forward to returning to a more normal life.

Veteran Mary Muzzulin of North Haven said, "I want to get back to normal as soon as possible. I'm trying to stay home and work on projects. I may go out down the road, but I'm not going to be the first person to go to the bar."

Veteran Katie Syphers of Stafford said, "I think everybody should get vaccinated and I'm hoping kids are the next ones. I have three little ones. I'm a germophobe, so I'm OK with the mask wearing and the washing of hands, but it does give me a little more sense of 'OK I can get up and go now.'"

JI reporter Joe Chaisson contributed to this article.

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