Here’s to the Vaccinators [OPINION]

The last time I was at the VF Outlet on Faunce Corner Road in Dartmouth, it was to buy up a bunch of flannel shirts and warm clothes last fall. I am glad I did, for it was a chilly winter with a bit more snow than we've become accustomed to in recent years.

Since that visit, the VF Outlet has gone out of business and has been repurposed, albeit temporarily, as a mass vaccination site. It felt a bit odd to sit where once I stood sifting through racks of jeans for a new pair of Wranglers. But there I was, Seat  No. 13, waiting for the technician to give me my COVID-19 vaccine. Seat No. 13? Yikes!

Seated yards from what once were the dressing rooms, I was acutely aware of the historic nature of the moment. At 63 years old, I was a part of the pandemic generation. My grandchildren will read about the COVID-19 pandemic and how folks lined up to get vaccinated against "the silent killer."

Thanks to Operation Warp Speed, I was preparing to receive a vaccination developed and approved in record time to fend off a virus that no one had heard of a little over a year ago. I am a part of history, as are many of you.

I was impressed by the orderly fashion in which it all played out before me. When things run that smoothly and appear routine, it is without a doubt a credit to the folks who are running the show. Here's to the dedicated folks staffing the vaccination site at the VF Outlet and sites just like it all over the country.

Thank you for making what could have been a stressful situation as stress-free and pleasurable as possible.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.