A shot in the arm

I dropped into my doctor's surgery on the way to work today, to see about making an appointment to get my travel vaccinations.

"How long until you go? Six weeks, did you say?" The receptionist looked horrified. "Oh, well, we'd better get you in to see the nurse as soon as possible. How about now? We've had a cancellation."

Long live the NHS. Within minutes the nurse was scanning various online resources to figure out all the jabs I  needed. Happily, I've had several of them for previous trips, but, even so, it's a fair old list. She had a few in the fridge and gave me one in each arm to get things going. Hepatitis B and Japanese Encephalitis. I broke into an immediate hot sweat. I've no idea really whether it was the contents of the vials or the thought of it. Anyway, after a ropey few hours, I was fine by lunchtime.

I've to go back next Monday for rabies (well, the vaccination against it, I should say) and the second batch of one of the others. And then more the Monday after that. Some of these run as courses of several shots, all needing different intervals. I'll have to work out how I'm getting the last two shots, as one is due while I'm in Ireland for Christmas and the other after I'll have moved to Cumbria.

Maybe next time I'm in I'll ask about a vaccine against bureaucracy...