Receiving My First Dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine with CF

Every Thursday, I tried to tune into Ohio’s Governor, Mike Dewine's press conference to the public about COVID-19 updates. Mostly, I was looking for hope of when I could expect to be eligible for a COVID vaccine. Patiently waiting while sheltering at home isn't so easy as I watched people much younger and healthier than me receiving a vaccine mostly due to their jobs.

Finally a few days before February 15, it was confirmed that people with certain high-risk conditions would be eligible. Cystic fibrosis was specifically on the list and we celebrated the hope of some sense of normalcy!

In this article, I’ll share my experience of scheduling and receiving my first dose of the Moderna vaccine as a person living with CF.

Scheduling an appointment

Now to only get an appointment…

In Ohio, scheduling a COVID vaccine appointment through the retail pharmacies takes pure luck and consistency searching the many websites. After hours and hours of searching, I managed to schedule one at a local pharmacy only to have it canceled a few days later because I wasn’t 65. When I called the pharmacy to ask why it was canceled, they had no idea because, starting the 15th, they would be serving the high-risk population as well.

I hung up the phone angry and frustrated that my appointment was canceled because the pharmacies were not up to date on the policies. A few days later, the same thing happened again at another pharmacy. What the heck is going on! Lastly, the following day, due to the winter storm that had rocked the country, another appointment of mine was rescheduled for a month later.

At this point, I was beyond aggravated. Why weren’t the pharmacies as up to date as the public that so badly wanted to be vaccinated? Why was it this hard to receive a vaccine that would protect my life? I desperately began looking for another appointment at the same time a local news station contacted me to talk about my experience as a woman with CF attempting to get vaccinated.

Sharing my story on the news

Sharing the story of how frustrating the vaccine roll-out had been for someone with a high-risk condition was never my intention. However, when the opportunity arose, I felt it was important to speak and advocate for people in my position, especially those with CF.

I was able to give two interviews about my experience and what I had learned while scheduling appointments. Speaking about the frustration, time, and resources needed to just schedule an appointment, I said there needed to be clearer communication among the health departments and retail pharmacies.

Receiving my vaccine (yay!)

The morning after the news interview aired, the local pharmacy director reached out to me to discuss what happened and offer an apology. They agreed I was eligible for my previously scheduled appointments and they were wrongfully canceled. He wanted to make it right and get me vaccinated ASAP.

Twenty minutes later, the pharmacy director called me back and said there was an extra dose available at the local pharmacy for me if I could get there before noon. I hopped in my car in the middle of a snowstorm and drove to the pharmacy.

Receiving my first Moderna vaccine felt like a monumental moment after what we can only call a difficult year of hiding in our house. The vaccination itself felt really similar to a flu shot. Afterward, my arm was sore but I felt fine otherwise--just happy to be on the road to some level of protection from COVID. My second dose was automatically scheduled for 28 days later.

I know that many people with CF in the US and worldwide are eagerly waiting to receive their vaccine. People with CF should be a high-priority population. I can only hope more and more are able to receive their vaccines and regain some sense of normalcy moving forward this year.

Have you received a COVID vaccine yet? How was your experience? Share with us below!