Dutchie Mathison said she felt like she won the lottery when she received her first vaccine shot on March 16.
The 82-year-old senior found out she was eligible the day before, and said that she was surprised at how fast she received her shot.
“I thought when I phoned, I might be lucky if I had a shot by the end of March. Well, I had got one in six hours,” Mathison said. “I am so grateful … I want to wear a sign on my back that says, ‘I got the shot.’”
Mathison received her vaccination at the facility next to Mission Memorial Hospital, and described the staff as “totally organized, totally friendly, and caring.”
She said she phoned Fraser Health, got an appointment within five minutes for that same day, filled out paperwork for two minutes, got her first shot 10 minutes after that, waited another 30 minutes, “and that was it.” Now she just needs one more shot in July to finish the process.
She was given an immunization record card from Fraser Health, and said she’s going to make copies.
The original card will stay in her passport for when she’s able to travel again.
“I’m going to go down to staples and I’m going to print about five more. And I’m going to have them laminated,” Mathison said. “As soon as the airplanes start to fly again, I will be flying off to Australia.”
She said she’s going to continue to wear her mask in the meantime.
Mathison said her senior friends are excited to get the shot, and added that in her experience, it’s mostly younger people who are against getting vaccinated.
“Some younger folks will say, ‘Oh, you got the shot. You know you don’t need to, it’s just a virus, it’s just the flu,’” she said. “I know my vulnerability status, and I do love to live, so I was not being silly.
“Over 500,000 people have died in the U.S. Think about that if you don’t want to wear a mask.”
She said she doesn’t bother arguing with people, and that everybody has a choice to get the shot. Last week, she was able to go out and celebrate her daughter in-law’s birthday.
I haven’t seen her for months and months,” Mathison said. “So we’re going out tonight for a wonderful dinner.”
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