No one loves a queue jumper.

Queue jumping has reached a whole new level with the H1N1 outbreak/pandemic/hysteria. Yes, I’m going there, even after promising not to. With some provinces (ahem Alberta) promising not to prioritize and then running out and closing all vaccination clinics and other provinces having day-long waits at their clinics, it is a bit of chaos and mayhem. After health care workers have been trying to convince the public of the importance and safety of the shot, they are now having to tell their patients that they are not high risk and can wait a little longer.

That is why the outrage over queue jumping; professional athletes have been given H1N1 shots before high priority individuals. When there is a limited number of vaccinations to go around people are bound to be upset when a non-priority individual gets it ahead of someone else.

Which is why I’m reluctant to admit that I’ve been vaccinated. I’m not a child or a senior. I’m not pregnant and don’t have any respiratory problems. Yes, I work closely with the public in a health care-related setting, but it is an eye clinic not a medical clinic. I was not even sure if I wanted to get vaccinated: I don’t think that I am personally at high risk of the flu. I am careful about washing my hands and try to eat healthily and get enough sleep. However, each season a bug does circulate the office and takes out a number of people.

So why did I get it? I went to my travel doctor for a followup from our trip to Kenya and he, unprompted, asked me if I’d been vaccinated yet. I said I was not high priority. He gave me a vaccination.

I guess that makes me a queue-jumper. Sorry all of you high-priority people, but my doctor gave me an H1N1 vaccination ahead of you. How do I feel about it? I am glad not to have to be overly-cautious at work any more. I am happy I didn’t have to line up for hours to get vaccinated. I think I probably could have waited a few weeks until it was open season for vaccination. But now it is done and I have a sore arm to prove it.