She has since received her second dose.
*This interview was initially conducted in Spanish and has been translated to English.
Verywell Health: You originally were hesitant to get the vaccinewhat changed your mind?
Courtesy of María Josefa Gutiérrez
Maria Josefa Gutierrez:At first, I said I wasnt going to get vaccinated.
I didnt want to be the first.
I would say, No!
Im not going to be a guinea pig!
So we started looking to see where I could secure an appointment.
And I made up my mind.
Because of my age, it would be difficult to overcome [COVID-19].
But honestly, after so much time spent in this pandemic, Ive started to loosen my precautions.
I used to clean everything when I got home from the supermarket.
I washed everything with detergent and I wiped everything down with a Lysol wipe.
I used to even wipe down my brothers cigar boxes.
I stopped doing this little by little.
Because you get tired of doing all these measures.
Verywell Health: How did you go about securing your vaccine appointment?
They tried for a long time and couldnt secure anything.
Until one day they sent a link with a phone number so my sister and I could call.
I went and received the vaccine without any difficulties at Jackson Hospital.
We had called many different numbers before and each time there were no available appointments.
I had even added myself to a waitlist but they never got around to reaching out to me.
Verywell Health: What was getting vaccinated like?
Tell me about that day.
Maria Josefa Gutierrez:The experience was excellent for me.
It really surprised me.
First of all, what shocked me was how organized it was.
I compare it to visiting Disney World.
That level of organization that surprises someone on their first trip to Disneyit was like that.
There were so many people working and so many people guiding you.
They registered me on a computer, then they sent me where I needed to go.
I had no delays; the process was quick.
I arrived around 11:17 a.m. because my appointment was at 11:30 a.m. And by 11:35 a.m.
I was already leaving the site.
It barely took 20 minutes.
Verywell Health: Did you experience any symptoms?
Maria Josefa Gutierrez:Nothing, nothing, nothing.
It was as if they didnt inject me with anything.
I didnt feel discomfort in my arm, and I didnt experience any pain or fever.
I was surprised because I know some peoples arms hurt after the vaccine.
But I experienced absolutely nothingnot in the 10 minutes I waited there and not the next day.
Verywell Health: Do you think your life will start to go back to normal now that youre vaccinated?
Its maddening, especially for people like us who shouldnt go out.
Last Sunday we were able to go outwe went to see the sunrise on the beach with our family.
We can go to open-air places like the beach, but you cant do the same thingeverySunday.
I havent gone to a restaurant since March 2020 when I went to Cheesecake Factory.
Im very old and I get bored here.
All we do is watch soap opera after soap opera.
Verywell Health: What are you doing to stay healthy?
I drink all my vitamins.
Verywell Health: Any advice for someone considering getting vaccinated?
Maria Josefa Gutierrez:Well, I do not fear the vaccine.
I trust in it and everyone, my friends and family, recommended I get it.
Im very happy that I received it because so far I have not had any problems.
Look, if it turns out to not be that effective, we will see.
But at least, I didnt experience any symptoms which is what I was afraid of more than anything.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID Data Tracker.
