Over this weekend I got my final and second dose of Moderna. I live in Ottawa but was fortunate to be vaccinated on my reserve in Kitigian-Zibi Anishinabeg, which is an hour north of Ottawa. I got my first dose in March. It was well-organized and run by many nurses and staff from my reserve so that was incredible to see in itself. We were given our first dose in the Community Hall.

My brother and I getting our first dose at the Community Hall in March!

My mom getting her second dose through the Wabano clinic in Ottawa!

My brother and sister-in-law in the drive-thru clinic at KZ!

About 2 months later we were called to get our second dose but this time in a drive thru format, which I think went even better. Being in your own car made the process quicker and more comfortable. With the appointments well-organized I did not wait long at all. I even laughed when I saw that my cousin was in front of me getting his shot and my other cousin was to the left of me getting hers. It felt good to see familiar faces from a distance and being back on the reserve once again.

When you start to see your family getting their vaccines there’s a sense of hope and relief, as it is starting to feel like the end of this pandemic is near. Slowly but surely we will get there!

How has your experience been so far with vaccinations in Ottawa or beyond? If you got a vaccine on-reserve, what was the process like?