Squirts in the Nose

Everything is categorized. In the recent vaccination categories for the H1N1 flu strain, I fell into the category of 2 - 49. In that category, I received the nasal mist. Probably the most benign experience of the vaccinations I have had that I can recall.

Honestly, I will likely continue to line up for flu shots or mists as I get older. I don't like being ill and I don't want to get anyone else sick if I can prevent that. Plus I will get tetanus boosters and any other boosters that I may need. I am offering my experiences in memory order (not necessarily in chronological order) with the delivery systems of the vaccines which has evolved over the years. I realize there is great disagreement out there about vaccines. I am not debating that on this post.

Lining up at school for different vaccination was the norm in my school world back in the late 60's and early 70's. We lined up in the gym. The nurses were by the tables and we just stood in line. I can remember the discussion amongst our little group in line of why were their mattresses by the shot area. The answer came via seeing one of the 'big' boys fainted dead away when he received his shot. But nary a word was said to the kid. He was older and it just was one of the facts that you store in your memory.( Plus he was older and bigger and would have kicked the crap out of us had we even thought about teasing him.) I cannot recall seeing anyone faint except in the movies or tv up until then. Yes, fainting when getting shots is a reality for some and none of us questions the mattresses again.

One time I ate a sugar cube with medicine dropped into it but when that was exactly is fuzzy. I am thinking again that was in school in line again.

I remember lining up for an air gun type vaccination. They told you to relax and not tense up. Okay that was easier said than done. I have a vague recollection of a slight bump in the arm later but other than that - it must have delivered the necessary coverage. I am not entirely sure what that shot was for. But that only happened with one vaccination.

What I can remember getting vaccines for were polio, rubella, tetanus, smallpox when I was younger. I still have my smallpox vaccination mark on my arm. I have had tetanus boosters over the years. Stepping on nail necessitated that. In the last year, I have had flu shots and hepatitis vaccinations. All of these vaccines were needle delivered.

I vaguely remember suffering from mumps so I don't believe I received that vaccine. I can remember the discussion of only have them on 'one side'. But for recent employment, I had to have a mumps tither test. That test just confirmed that I had indeed had mumps sometime in the last 47 years. ( In the odd fact/memory category - I can also remember the discussion of feeding me a pickle to make certain it was mumps. Can anyone shed any 'wives tale' light on that concept? Perhaps I was just delirious - but that item always pops up in the mumps memory category.)

Since I am on the medical memory topic, I also remember getting a strep throat swab test when I was in elementary school and even into junior high. The nurse would come to the class room and swab everyone of us with those q-tip-like swabs with the long handles. She would write our names on the paper container and if we tested positive, our parents would get notified and that usually meant a trip to the doctor. Only draw back to the tests besides gagging was we didn't want to be in line with one classmate that would gag and then upchuck after each test. If memory serves me right - she got to go the nurses office for her test later on. (Funny thing - that classmate is in the medical field as a career.) If I had a sore throat between tests, I can remember being able to go to the nurse and get a swab test done. But that only was up until junior high. Don't ever remember having to line up or get swab test in high school. (Late 70's for those of you who are counting.) Just had to throw this paragraph in there.

Vaccination deliver categories in my forty plus years experience have been sugar cube, needles, air gun, nasal mist. I just simply wanted to relate my experiences because I just found the changes interesting and this way my kids who read the Blurbs may store this info if they need it in the future. Plus there might be folks out there who had similar experiences back in the day so to speak.