As a student employee in California, I recently became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination, and I got my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine this past Wednesday. Below are five tips I have for getting your COVID-19 vaccine in LA County:
- Check the MyTurn website frequently
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They are always adding new appointment slots on the website. I made a habit of checking every hour and was able to get an appointment easily!
- Print out your appointment confirmation and any supporting documents you might need at the vaccination site
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This way, everything is already ready-to-go, and you don’t have to worry about handing anybody your phone. As a student employee, I also had a letter of eligibility from the University’s hiring office and my most recent pay stub to present.
- Bring proof of residence if you don’t have LA County on your driver’s license or ID
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I’m from Northern California, and the roommate I went with is from Oklahoma, so when we showed the people checking us in our IDs, they asked for proof of residency in LA County. Someone at your vaccination site may or may not ask you this, so it’s just better to be prepared. We showed them our lease, but a recent rent payment would work too.
- Dress in layers
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You need easy access to your arm for the actual vaccination. However, many of the vaccination sites are largely outdoors. We waited in line outside before getting our vaccine and had to wait 15 minutes in an outdoors holding area after (while they monitored us to make sure we didn’t have any adverse reactions). You definitely don’t want to be too cold.
- Take care of yourself and give yourself some grace
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Make sure to stay hydrated and rested. Also, everyone reacts to the vaccine differently — give yourself some grace as your immune system does its thing. Just do the best you can.
Good luck to you all!