Photo owned by Sarah G… (cc)
Further to my previous post I headed out to Tallaght Hospital one Monday morning (a day off) to get my vaccination against swine flu. I had taken the day off because Nipper 1.0’s school was closed so he was with me. I had left Nipper 2.0 in the crèche much to his disgust.
When I arrived at the centre, the fact that I had booked online made no difference so I wonder why the heck they bothered making online booking available? I filled out a form, read a booklet, handed the form in and the woman in her Stop Swine Flu t-shirt (the whole team were wearing these bright red tees) asked me, pointing at Nipper 1.0, “Do you want to get him done too?” After the prior refusal to “do” Nipper 2.0 this really gave me a pain. I didn’t get Nipper 1.0 done as I just didn’t think it was fair to spring it on him without warning. Turned out I was right (mother’s intuition?) as he came down with a severe chest infection at the time which he is only getting over.
We were then directed to sit in a waiting area. The red be-tshirted team had no system, not even a book of raffle tickets, so it was every man, woman and child for themselves. It was crazy and people (already nervous about injections) were getting very antsy. I also question the logic of dragging us all into the hospital in a big crowd if there really is an epidemic.
This week I’m getting my booster (maybe today while I’m in the Coombe but I’m not holding my breathe). The Nippers are going to a clinic off Cork St. When I rang to make my appointment for my booster I asked them could I go to the clinic on Cork St. too as it’s just down the road. The very nice lady I spoke to agreed that it would make more sense but it was the wrong area. I do think it’s all very rigid, making decisions on a geographic basis especially when a clinic on Cork st. is patently closer to us in D12 than the clinic in Tallaght. The mind boggles. I’m not sure but I think the reason Himself is taking the Nippers to Cork st. is because he went online to book and as I previously pointed out there is not indication on the site as to which area one belongs. It’s completely self-sorting.
And in case you are wondering the vaccination doesn’t hurt a bit 🙂