A Nanaimo senior who was born during the Spanish flu pandemic is about to get his first dose of vaccine during another pandemic more than 100 years later.
Victor Osborne, 102, was on the phone early Monday morning to ensure he was in line for some of the first COVID-19 immunizations available to seniors 90-plus. His appointment is scheduled for Monday, March 15, in the afternoon.
Osborne said he started calling the Island Health vaccination appointment number about two minutes before the lines opened at 7 a.m.
香蕉视频直播淚 was two and a half hours on the phone香蕉视频直播ο憬妒悠抵辈 Osborne said. 香蕉视频直播淚 was sure they were going to take me in that day. I finally got through. I was dialling that number. It was lousy. I finally got someone to answer.香蕉视频直播�
Osborne isn香蕉视频直播檛 a stranger to new vaccines. He was 16 and serving aboard the Royal Navy香蕉视频直播檚 HMS Hood in the mid-1930s when he saw a post asking for volunteers for trials to test the effects of poison gas, which involved exposure to skin of the trial participant香蕉视频直播檚 arms, and for the trial of the influenza A vaccine. Influenza A, according to information from the Mayo Clinic, is a sub type of H1N1, the virus responsible for the Spanish flu pandemic.
香蕉视频直播淚 was on board the battle cruiser Hood as a boy seaman,香蕉视频直播� Osborne said. 香蕉视频直播淚 saw the notice up on the notice board 香蕉视频直播� this is about 1934 or 香蕉视频直播�35 香蕉视频直播� and then following the notice there was another note [that read] if you went for this poison gas test on one arm and another poison gas test on the other arm, each test would get five days香蕉视频直播� leave, so naturally, I wanted to go home on leave.香蕉视频直播�
So Osborne volunteered for the trials.
香蕉视频直播淲ell, lo and behold, I got the bloody flu and I wound up in the naval hospital for 10 days and it was really violent,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 was looking at the pictures on the wall in the hospital and it just looked like mud.香蕉视频直播�
To add insult to injury, when Osborne returned to his ship and reported to his duty officer, he was denied his leave, in spite of being in the hospital for 10 days.
香蕉视频直播淗e said you were absent from place of duty. You香蕉视频直播檙e not going to get any leave,香蕉视频直播� Osborne said.
Osborne transferred off HMS Hood to a New Zealand ship in 1937, about three years before it was sunk by the German battleship Bismarck during the Battle of the Denmark Strait in May 1941.
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As for getting the shot against COVID-19, Osborne said he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 have any concerns.
香蕉视频直播淚 feel OK,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚n the navy we get lots of shots. Yellow fever, you name it, but we didn香蕉视频直播檛 have any choice and we had to take medication against malaria when I was out in Burma. You didn香蕉视频直播檛 have any choice. They just did you whenever they wanted to.香蕉视频直播�
Once again, Osborne found out he won香蕉视频直播檛 have a choice about which vaccine he香蕉视频直播檒l be inoculated with.
香蕉视频直播淚 told them when I was speaking to them yesterday, 香蕉视频直播楧o you mind giving me that one shot? I香蕉视频直播檝e been waiting this long and I香蕉视频直播檇 like to live a bit longer,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 he said. 香蕉视频直播淸They said], 香蕉视频直播楴o, you香蕉视频直播檒l have to take whatever they give you.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
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