What to Expect at a Hudson Valley COVID Vaccine Site

Feeling anxious before your COVID vaccine? Here's what to expect.

Everything about the COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful. The lockdowns, the constantly changing rules, the unknown; it's brought added stress to everyone's world. Now as the pandemic is hopefully winding down, there's some new stress that comes with the COVID-19 vaccine.

From getting an appointment to making sure you have all your paperwork, it's stressful. So once you finally secure your appointment, you might be unsure of what to expect on the actual day of your vaccine. Now that I've been fortunate enough to receive both doses of the COVID vaccine, I hope to pass along some useful insight.

I was vaccinated at a COVID vaccine site run by Orange County. I went to the SUNY Orange campus in Newburgh for both doses of my vaccine. A state-run site could run a little differently than a county site, and I'm sure all sites have slight variations. At my vaccine site, there was signage everywhere and people constantly directing you where to go.

I was instructed to have all my paperwork ready before I entered the building. This included my appointment registration ticket that was emailed to me prior to the appointment, which can either be electronic or printed. I also had to have my photo ID and any other qualifying paperwork that proved my eligibility for the vaccine, like a letter from my doctor. At the county-run site, there was also a consent form that can be filled out previously or at the site.

Once I was in the building, I was checked in by showing my registration ticket and photo ID. For my first and second dose, I filled the consent form out on site. After handing in my form, I was instructed where to go for my vaccine. I stood in line for a total of five minutes before being directed to where to sit to get vaccinated. As I was called over, I asked a few questions about how I'm eligible for the vaccine, any medications I'm taking, and a few other medical questions. Once that was all set, I was vaccinated and told to wait in the resting area for 15 minutes. After that, all done and free to go!

If nothing else, I hope this brings you some stress release as you get ready for your COVID vaccine.