Liz Ellison is an RN and critical care nurse at a local hospital in Columbia. She spoke about what it’s like for her – personally – as she prepares to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
She received the first dose of the vaccine last Thursday afternoon – just hours after our conversation.
Missouri Health Talks gathers Missourians’ stories of access to healthcare in their own words. You can view more conversations at missourihealthtalks.org.
Liz Ellison: July got busy. August was busy, and we have just stayed very busy and very full since, really, this summer.
And to me, that was the turning point of, “Okay. It's here, and not just as it here in the United States, but it's here in mid-Missouri,” and so fast forward to present days – sort of around, you know, September, October, November – there's this vaccine that we're talking about.
And so while we're sort of waiting and watching, bracing ourselves – knowing that the surge has come and will come will continue to come – the vaccine has been for us sort of this lifeboat, this lifeline of, “Okay, we know this is going to be bad, and we have all of these plans in place in order to take care of patients, take care of staff, do the right thing, [and] have the supplies that we need in order to do our job, but also there is a beacon of hope.”
And so, I think from like a mental standpoint, it's a lot easier for me to do my day-to-day work knowing that there is an end in sight, and it's coming, and now finally – it feels like it's here.
And just like a lot of other people, I'm really excited. This is huge. We have been battling and dealing with this pandemic, and with the virus since what February, March, and this is a really big step in the right direction.
It doesn't mean that everything is going to go back to normal with the wave of a vaccine syringe, but I think that this is a huge step that will get us moving forward, and I'm really honored and excited that it's being offered to healthcare workers first.
I'm really excited to get it myself. I'm excited for when it becomes available for my family and friends – because that is really what's going to change the tide – and how the pandemic is gonna hopefully resolve in 2021.
And so, there's sort of a renewed energy of, “Okay, if we can get through this winter, if we can get ourselves vaccinated, and then eventually get the community vaccinated – then this current fatigue can be alleviated.”
I’ve had really good reception, especially for my family and close friends, regarding the vaccine. And I think with a lot of health care families out there’s just a constant kind of anxiety and worry about if they're going to be okay and if they're going to bring the vaccine or the virus home to, you know, for themselves or to their families.
And so, I think that in general, families and loved ones are hopefully and also excited that the fatigue of this pandemic is going to be over soon, and that's gives us all a little bit of renewed hope and energy.
