Ryan and I recently got our COVID vaccine shots and I thought it would be helpful to share our experience, tips on where to get a COVID vaccine appointment in Chicago, how to secure the appointment faster, and how to prepare for it. Before you read through the below, a little disclosure that everyone’s experience is different, and what worked for me, might not work for you.
And if you are still in search of a vaccine for yourself or a loved one, follow me on Instagram as I try to share appointment openings on my stories as I see them. I’ve been able to secure a few appointments for several family members, so if you aren’t having any luck and need help, DM on Instagram, and I can try and give you a personal heads up as I see them.
WHERE TO GET A COVID VACCINE IN CHICAGO
Ok, before I share my personal experience with getting the vaccine, here are the sites that I’ve been regularly checking for appointments:
- Chicago: https://www.zocdoc.com/vaccine?stateCode=il (they have a number of states, so if you’re not in Illinois, you can still use this link to see if your state is participating). You have to answer a few short questions before accessing the availability list. I keep the tab open and just randomly refresh it during the day for appointments.
- Chicago Suburbs: vaccine.cookcountyil.gov – what is great about this site is that once you “apply” (i.e., answer some questions and enter in your info), they send you texts and emails with future dates/times that they will be releasing vaccine appointments. Note, they do tell you which vaccine you’ll get PRIOR to signing up – you can select which you want based on location.
- Anywhere: Walgreens, CVS, Jewel Osco (Albertson’s), Mariano’s
TIPS ON HOW TO GET A COVID VACCINE APPOINTMENT
- Sign up for the sites. I know it seems like an extra step and can be overwhelming, but I promise it is worth it. Like I mentioned above, the Chicago Suburbs link texts and emails you well BEFORE they release the appointments, so you know what time you need to jump online. For Zocdoc, you can sign up to receive notifications when vaccines become available.
- Keep the tabs open. Once you sign-up on the sites and answer the questions, keep the tabs open and just continue refreshing them periodically throughout the day. I found the most success with checking the Zocdoc link in the mornings – they release batches of time slots then – and then also randomly refreshing it throughout the day for any cancelations (I’ve found 1-2 last-minute openings daily doing this).
- Have the right info. If you’re booking for someone in your family, make sure you have their first and last name, date of birth, phone number, email, address, and type of insurance (i.e., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, PPO – Zocdoc, and retail/pharmacy stores require this in particular). You don’t need the insurance number or any of that information, just the insurance name.
- Try booking on your phone. I’m not claiming that this works better than a desktop computer, but I will say I had the links up both on my desktop and my phone and had the most success securing appointments via phone. Also, some of the vaccine sites include a phone number so you can call to get an appointment set up if you aren’t able to access the website via a desktop or phone.
- Be patient (I know, easier said than done). Getting an appointment takes patience and can definitely be overwhelming and even emotional. I was trying to get my dad an appointment a few weeks ago and every time I got to the timeslot page, the browser would keep spinning until it timed out. I started to get a mini panic attack that there wasn’t going to be a vaccine available for him (which of course isn’t true), but it really does mess with your head. Almost felt like a weird hunger games scenario. We were persistent and kept trying and thankfully, my husband was able to secure him a slot so don’t give up, you will get one!
MY EXPERIENCE: GETTING THE COVID VACCINE
Ok, so you’ve got yourself an appointment (YAY!! CONGRATS 😊), now what? I’m sure your nervous-excited and just ready to get this over with. Here is my experience and the questions I had:
- When we got to the vaccination site, they asked for my driver’s license, insurance card (if I had one), and had me fill out a questionnaire that had the same questions as the vaccine sign-up websites (i.e., have you experienced any symptoms, been exposed to COVID in the last 14 days, have you had COVID in the past, any allergic reactions to the vaccine, etc.).
- Then, they scheduled my second vaccine appointment before I got the first shot. The upcoming date was written on my vaccination card, which they gave to me to hold on to.
- The nurse confirmed my name/date, wrote down the type of vaccine I was receiving on my vaccination card, and autographed it. She asked if I typically have any reactions to shots and then gave me the shot. It didn’t hurt, just felt like a normal flu shot (a little pinch).
- After I got the shot they had me wait 15 minutes to make sure I didn’t have any reactions and then I went home. The whole process lasted 20-30 minutes at most.
- For the second vaccine, it was the same process.
OUR EXPERIENCE: HOW WE FELT
Ok, so let me preface this by saying that everyone reacts to the vaccine differently. I’ve had numerous conversations with people of different ages who have gotten it and each one had a different experience. Please keep that in mind as you’re reading through the below. Also want to note that I’m sharing our honest experience not to scare anyone away, but to let you know that if you’re feeling similar symptoms, it’s 100% normal!
First vaccine
For the first vaccine (we got Moderna), Ryan and I both felt fine overall, just had a very sore arm for about 2-3 days. So if you feel like your arm is so sore that you can barely lift it, don’t worry, it’s normal and will go away. One of my sisters also got Moderna (first shot so far), and she felt a little nauseous and had a sore arm. My mom also got Moderna (first shot so far) and said she felt fine.
My other sister and my dad both received the Pfizer vaccine. My sister said she felt nauseous and my dad (who has only had the first shot so far) said he had sore muscles, was tired, and felt a little nauseous.
Second vaccine
For the second vaccine, Ryan and I both felt fine right after, just had a very sore arm (similar to the first shot). About 12 hours later (we got the shot at 10 a.m.), we were getting ready for bed and I wasn’t feeling anything out of the ordinary, just had bad muscle aches. I took Tylenol and went to bed. Felt fine during the night but did wake up around 4 a.m. and had to take another dose of Tylenol because the muscle aches were uncomfortable. I woke up and felt fine. Ryan had a bit of a different experience. He had muscle aches, chills, a slight fever and night sweats during the night and woke up a bit stuffy. He took Tylenol before bed (he waited to take it until right before bed) and again after breakfast and started to feel better in the evening.
Ryan’s cousin and his fiancé, who received both doses of the Moderna vaccine, also had varied reactions. He felt fine, while his fiancé felt really nauseous. My friend who received Moderna felt fine for both doses, while her husband had flu-like symptoms (a slight fever, chills, cold) that went away within 24 hours.
My sister who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine did not experience any symptoms with the second dose. She said she had a bit of a headache, but it went away after she took Tylenol.
COVID VACCINE PREPARATION TIPS
- Drink lots of water beforehand. As I mentioned above, Ryan’s cousin’s fiancé felt nauseous after receiving the second dose, while he felt fine. He said that he drank a lot of water before his shot, while she didn’t have that much. After I heard that, I made sure I was staying on top of my water throughout the day. I had a Liquid IV beforehand (if you’re bad at drinking water like I am, this is a lifesaver – you can get 25% off with this link. I like the lemon-lime and acai berry flavors.) and also a glass with it once we got home, and then I chugged water throughout the day. I feel like that contributed to me feeling okay with the second one. I also recommend eating a snack before the shots.
- Wear a zip-up. More so relevant if it’s still cold where you live when you get the shot, but the shot goes in your arm so it’s obviously easier! Check out my recent fashion finds here, if you’re looking for inspo!
- Don’t wait to take the Tylenol. First off, make sure you have Tylenol on hand, instead of Advil (that is what doctors recommend to take), and secondly, once you start feeling muscle aches take the Tylenol to help combat it faster. Ryan waited until right before bed because he didn’t want to wake up in the middle of the night for a second dose and in retrospect, said he should have taken it earlier because he was tossing and turning until it kicked in.
- Hold on to & take a picture of your vaccination card. Don’t throw this out because you might need it in the future for flights/various activities. I recommend also snapping a picture of it (not to post on social – they give you stickers for that 😊), but in case you need to access it for something and don’t have the physical card on you.
