I’m not what doctors and nurses might call “an easy stick.” Much like a wide swath of the population, needles give me the willies.

The nurses at my great-uncle’s general practice in Wamego used to flip coins to see who would have to assist him giving me my childhood vaccines.

But that was 40 years and one pandemic ago. I’ve toughened up since then.

Last month I started calling around to see if there were any COVID-19 vaccine emergency lists that I could join. While I wasn’t quite in the group currently getting doses, I was hoping I could help by joining a list of people they could call at the last minute if a dose was going to be wasted. To my surprise, the Ford County Health Department told me that I qualified.

So, on a lunch hour on a Thursday, I drove down to the practically empty county office, filled out a form, and got the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine. No tears, no pain.

Look, I’m not a doctor. I’m not here to tell you to get a shot or not get a shot. You’ve likely already made up your minds, and that’s not for me to judge.

But, you see, I want to return to in-person events as quickly and as safely as possible. It’s vitally important to our state’s economy.

Regularly scheduled programming

Venues, organizers, local health departments and corporate lawyers are looking at vaccine numbers when gauging event planning. Now that our state has opened up vaccines to all adults over age 18, it’s much easier to get a shot. As of March 31, 27.5% of Kansans have at least one dose of vaccine, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. As that number rises, event hosts can feel more assured of public safety, and that the public themselves will feel confident enough to return to large events.

That’s reality, not politics.

I want to wander down a crowded midway at the state fair this fall, gorging on a Pronto Pup without a mask. I want to see our restaurants serving Kansas beef back at full dinner capacity. I want to see full museums, full concert halls and full exhibitions that draw tourism dollars to our rural communities. The 2020 season’s closings were a real punch to the pocketbooks of those musicians, vendors, venues and others who rely on crowds for their income. Many are hanging on by a thread.

So, I’ll brave a shot if it’ll get me to see my favorite band in concert anytime soon.

Ask your doctor

Now, I want to be very clear here — I am not your doctor. You have to do what you feel is right in your own circumstances. I highly encourage you to talk to your trusted family physicians and your county health officials, and listen to their advice.

Whatever you decide, I sure hope I get to see you this summer as we start to get out and about safely again. Be sure to follow Kansas Farmer on Facebook, where I’ll share events that are cropping up around the state this spring and summer. Participate when and how you feel safest and most comfortable, of course.

Maybe I’ll see you April 10 at the Kansas State Fair Food & Tunes event at the fairgrounds in Hutchinson. It will feature music from local Kansas talent, starting at 11 a.m., as well as many of your favorite fair foods from the regular Kansas State Fair food vendors — all of whom were particularly hit hard by the 2020 pandemic. Look for details at kansasstatefair.com.