For the first time for as long as I can remember, I have flu like symptoms. But my rapid COVID 19 and Influenza tests remain negative, and I have no fever. I have spent the last three months vaccinating persons living in homeless and transient housing situations agains COVID 19. And the last three weeks vaccinating kids ages 5-17 against COVID 19, which requires a lot more hand holding and close contact than vaccinating adults.

I believe I contracted this virus from my daughter (also COVID vaccinated but not yet boosted) who works in retail and has the same symptoms but she is also negative for COVID 19. We aren’t wearing masks at home as my entire family is vaccinated, and I got my Moderna booster three weeks ago.

Why am I posting this? Because I received my first COVID in vaccines January and February 2021, and despite my vaccinating thousands of New Yorkers ((yes, really, I’ve lost count), from all walks of life in pop ups and the Javits Center where we administered 10K per day at its acme, I have not had a sniffle. And I worked hospital inpatient services in Brooklyn from March through June 2020, at the worst time of the COVID 19 pandemic. We may not have had vaccines, but they gave us adequate PPE, including N 95 masks, impermeable gowns, and face shields.

I may not be feeling too great right now, but I don’t have COVID (nor have I ever had COVID antibodies). Wearing masks and getting vaccines during a life threatening pandemic with a virus so dangerous and virulent are not political statements. They are common sense. And just like vaccines, they work.