I have never been afraid of shots - not in the arm, not in the ass, not even multiple shots in my head (I was drunk when I had that though). I love it when nurses tell you that a particular shot might hurt a little and I can act as if I didn't feel a thing. Nurses get turned on by how cool I am with shots. I'm sure.
For this trip to Africa, I had to take Hepatitis A, Polio, Typhoid and Yellow fever. The first three were easy. Then came Yellow fever. Before they give you this vaccine, you have to sign a paper that you're aware of the potential side effects - such as inflammation of multiple organs including the brain.
One in a million dies within three days after getting this shot.
I tried to visualize how small the risk was by imagining a revolver with one single bullet in a million-chamber cylinder - but all I saw was a very big gun. And I know crossing a street in NYC is probably equally dangerous, but this was like waiting to cross and when the light switches to green, Dr. Death throws a diagram in your face and whispers the odds of you dying within 5 seconds. Maybe you don't have to cross that street after all. Or the Atlantic for that matter.
This nurse was not impressed. I panicked but I did it - signed the paper and took the needle.
Afterwards, I bought a lottery ticket and felt a lot better. I'm always convinced that I'll hit the jackpot. Always. And the odds that I'll both win the jackpot and die from that vaccination...
It's just not going to happen.
For this trip to Africa, I had to take Hepatitis A, Polio, Typhoid and Yellow fever. The first three were easy. Then came Yellow fever. Before they give you this vaccine, you have to sign a paper that you're aware of the potential side effects - such as inflammation of multiple organs including the brain.
One in a million dies within three days after getting this shot.
I tried to visualize how small the risk was by imagining a revolver with one single bullet in a million-chamber cylinder - but all I saw was a very big gun. And I know crossing a street in NYC is probably equally dangerous, but this was like waiting to cross and when the light switches to green, Dr. Death throws a diagram in your face and whispers the odds of you dying within 5 seconds. Maybe you don't have to cross that street after all. Or the Atlantic for that matter.
This nurse was not impressed. I panicked but I did it - signed the paper and took the needle.
Afterwards, I bought a lottery ticket and felt a lot better. I'm always convinced that I'll hit the jackpot. Always. And the odds that I'll both win the jackpot and die from that vaccination...
It's just not going to happen.
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