Good to be patient when making an appointment for an RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccination

Over the years, as a result of what I’ve learned from people that I’ve met along the way, I’ve become strongly focused on evidence-based decision making with regard to matters concerned with health and well-being – and with regard to other matters.

As a writer and blogger, I’m very keen to assess the evidence, no matter what the topic at hand may be. In this regard, I ensure that factual information which is shared has been verified and corroborated.

Evidence – in particular, how it is gathered, analyzed, and communicated – is of abiding interest for me. This is the case whether we are speaking of news events, accounts of history, or predictions about what the future holds for democracy in the years ahead. This applies as well when we are speaking about vaccinations.

As a result of my interest in evidence, and my interest in decision making based upon it, I’m up to date on my Covid vaccinations, and have also had my flu shot in addition to a pneumococcal vaccination.

As a result of making a large number of online appointments in recent years, I’m used to turning up for an appointment and getting a vaccination (or, as in one case, two vaccinations, one after the other) at a clinic. Sometimes I turn up at a clinic close to where I live; at other times I travel to an available clinic elsewhere in Southwestern Ontario.

Recently, however, I turned up at a clinic after making an online appointment – and then learned the RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccination that I was planning to get was not in stock, that day.

That surprised me hugely, as I was so used to turning up at the appointed time and then getting vaccinated without delay.

In this case, I went home and two days later I got a phone call from the pharmacy, asking if I could arrive at a specified time later that day. I arrived at the appointed hour and got my vaccination. Good to have the task completed.

I’m now aware that on occasion there may be a delay in getting a vaccination given a lack of supply. All that’s required is patience.