Yesterday I joined the ranks of fully vaccinated (both doses) Canadians, and have never been happier to be poked with a needle!

Ted’s second Pfizer dose is currently scheduled for August 23rd, but will likely be moved up as vaccines continue to roll into Canada in larger numbers. Because Canada does not have laboratories capable of producing the Covid19 vaccines, our government signed contracts with multiple companies, in multiple countries, for WAY more doses than our population warranted, in order to hopefully take advantage of whichever vaccine was widely available first. There were some initial glitches in supply (and into-arm delivery) logistics, but the original goal of a fully vaccinated populace by September now seems quite possible.

I received the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, taking my doctor’s advice back in March to accept whatever was offered first. Realistically, I’ve never asked what brand of annual flu vaccine or tetanus shot I’m being given, and only know about the pneumonia vaccine options because I received both (one at 50, the other at 65), so I put my trust in my doctor’s hands.

So now comes the challenge of returning to “normal”. By the end of this month, most of our family and friends will have had both doses, which means that 2 weeks after that we’ll have attained immunity from the worst consequences of this virus. What I’m looking forward to most is the first dinner with friends. It’s been a very long 15 months of being “socially bubbled” with only our youngest son’s family (babysitting has been one of the allowable exceptions, even during “stay at home” orders) since our return from San Antonio in March 2020. That first dinner is going to merit a bottle of wine nicer than what I’ve been drinking by myself.

We’re all still masking in public places, and provincial restrictions on indoor dining and personal care services will not be fully lifted until well into July. Caution continues to be the national byword, but optimism is growing each day, along with the hours of summer sunshine.

The countdown to our January 2022 world cruise (207 more days !) looks more and more like a sure thing with each passing day and each new national vaccination update.

If you’re curious, as of today (June 17, 2021) 70.13% of Canadians over the age of 12 are partially vaccinated; 9.17% are fully vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Canada – Canada.ca Even at just one dose, protection from serious cases of the virus is significant. The percentages climb daily, and we’re especially encouraged that there are not huge discrepancies between provinces.

Things are looking up. Before long, we’ll be back on the road, on the sea, in the air, exploring the world again.