An interesting week - Third Wave and first vaccination

 by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

 in Cape Town, South Africa

 

It is my middlest sister's birthday today. My sister J and I went to Kirstenbosch on Monday. To admire the ginkgo turning gold. Discovered there is a tiny tree in the Conservatory, a second tree accompanying the one I went to see in the Fossil Garden, and a fourth above the Dell near Pearson's Grave (If you seek his monument, look around you). We needed a morning together to step out of time, to chat, to breathe, to be.

 

Ginkgo golden leaf
Ginkgo golden leaf

The Ungardener has rheumatoid arthritis. Thanks to two immune-suppressing drugs he can hike each week, instead of sitting in a wheelchair. We have been warned that South Africa was heading for the Third Wave. 60% of new surge cases are in Gauteng (Johannesburg area), but 10% are in our Western Cape. Scare stories about vaccine supplies made us nervous.

 

Ginkgo in the Fossil Garden surrounded by bonsais
Ginkgo in the Fossil Garden
surrounded by bonsais

We are 'socially responsible older people'. About half of the over sixties have registered for vaccination. We waited, politely, for seven weeks to get an appointment. Nothing.

 

Discovery our medical aid insisted that we must register with them as well. Nothing again. What vaccines they have are being offered to captains of industry at their Sandton office.

 

Golden ginkgo leaf
Golden ginkgo leaf

Some of his hikers went for walkin vaccinations. We grumbled about queue jumpers. But on Tuesday we lost patience. Drove half an hour across the city to Mitchells Plain (never seen so many white people here before). Vaccination site is behind an electric fence at the Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital. The actual wards are redbrick cottages set among rolling lawns, built in the sixties perhaps.

 

Ginkgo gold against blue sky
Ginkgo gold against blue sky

They are using a community hall (why is it within the grounds of a psychiatric hospital??) But ideal for repurposing. Large hall, big doors open to the Cape's kind winter weather. A wide covered verandah to line up rows of socially distanced chairs for the queue. 15 vaccination stations so the queue moves smartly.

 

Golden ginkgo leaf
Golden ginkgo leaf

On Tuesday I was number 166 and it took us an hour, including the 15 minutes observation.

 

Ginkgo above the cycads in the Dell
Ginkgo above the cycads in the Dell

Worried about my sister J who is 10 years older than me and lives 'alone' in a retirement home. On Thursday Cape Town was shrouded in dense fog, all day. We took her. Number 234. With loadshedding, so laptops were down and data recorded manually. An hour and a half for her.

 

Ginkgo with cycads
Ginkgo with cycads

On Friday we took our friend S. In the afternoon. QE2 treatment. Straight in. NO queue at all. (And those two early mornings wipe me out!)

 

Golden ginkgo leaf
Golden ginkgo leaf

We will continue particularly carefully for two weeks till the antibodies kick in and we have 80% protection. Wear masks when we are with other (unvaccinated) people. Only 2% have been done. Still a million medical workers registered and waiting.

 

Hadeda keeping a wary eye on us
Hadeda keeping a wary eye on us

Hoping that my oldest sister B gets hers on Tuesday. Imagine. We could talk face to face. Without masks. Haven't seen her since before lockdown! UPDATE - my immediate over sixties circle is all done!

 

Hadeda with rosy iridescent shoulders
Hadeda with rosy iridescent shoulders

A golden ginkgo leaf lies by my laptop as a solace in interesting times. Next post will be books.

 

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Comments

  1. Thank you for describing your vaccine experience. I read a BBC article about the problems SA had--Astra Zeneca version rejected, then the J&J delay. Making everything more difficult. Sorry your country is struggling with this. Did you get the J&J? I'm happy you were able to get yours, and hope the Ungardener and your eldest sister will soon be able to.

    Here I am ashamed how many people in my country are simply too lazy to go get the vaccine, when it is readily available and is free. There are some anti-vaxxers, but there are also a good number of people simply not bothering. I don't understand it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We got Pfizer. But the J&J batch has to be destroyed, as it was contaminated at the original supplier. Then we wait, for a fresh and usable delivery. That was intended for schoolteachers in the next round.

      The Ungardener and I were done together last Tuesday. My sister is invited for hers on Thursday!

      Delete
  2. I'm sorry you've had such an awful time arranging your vaccination. We went through some of the same frustration reserving appointments here but that was back in February so it's begun to slide into the depths of my memory but I do recall how anxious and upset I was, checking different locations for openings at all times of day and night. It was like playing a game of whack-a-mole - reservation openings popped up with some regularity but, either by the time we got wind of them or before we completed the online data collection process, the appointments were gone. If you've got a 2-dose regime, I hope appointment #2 goes much more smoothly. That was the case here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We will need a second dose, but I am happy if more people get their first dose = more herd immunity. We can wait.

      Delete
  3. Good for you, helping other to get their vaccinations, and I'm glad you got yours, too. I couldn't get mine until late, as well, because other subgroups were called up first. So glad to be fully vaccinated for a few weeks now.

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  4. Dear Diana,
    ginkgo trees are so wonderful in fall. Love the colour. As you know we are close to summer here in the north and I really enjoy it. Good to read you've got your vaccination. Corona infections are down right at the moment in Austria. So hopefully a higher part of the population will get vaccinated soon.
    Wish you all my best and cross my fingers for your family members
    Elisabeth

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  5. Wonderful news about getting your vaccine! I've been fully vaccinated for about six weeks now, and it's been wonderful. I hugged my family again, and started back to traveling. It's just plain glorious!

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  6. We are so lucky her in Wales - everyone I know over a certain age has been double jabbed. I had the Astra Zeneca but the husband had the Pfizer. I felt a bit cheated as I just had a drive-through jab at a football stadium, but at least we are done for now.
    Will you be needing the two vaccinations for fullest protection? If so I hope it is easier next time.
    I find it hard to believe a civilised country like South Africa has had such difficulties. I hope things improve for you soon.
    As for the ginkgos, I love them - so ancient - and we even have one small avenue which has the squishy fruit all over the ground every year, although most ginkgos grown publicly are male, I believe.
    All the best :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes we need a second one.

      The first batch of vaccine, was too close to its expiry date, and also not effective against the variant first identified in South Africa.

      Then J&J sent us a contaminated batch. Those were intended for teachers, and they will start this Wednesday with the fresh delivery.

      Delete
  7. So good that you are all getting the vaccine. It is amazing to be able to see friends and family again and to feel a little more normal.
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  8. So happy to hear that you were able to get your first vaccine. I have been fully vaccinated for over four months and am grateful for that. I still mask up when I am out because too many people are not getting vaccinated and walking through stores without masks. I do love being able to hug family again. xo Laura

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  9. As of today I am also fully vaccinated. I hope my sister will still recognize me after 19 months :-)

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  10. I am planning a trip to see family in a few weeks; I haven't seen any of them in person in more than 18 months. Thank goodness for Zoom! Because vaccinations have been so readily available in most of the US, only one sister is not vaccinated, but that is because she is mistrustful of the vaccines. Things are slowly returning to normal here, but I'm wary about the spread of the Delta variant in parts of the country where vaccination rates are low. We're not out of the woods yet.

    ReplyDelete