The weirdest places to get a COVID vaccine
When the COVID-19 vaccine arrived last year, we barely batted an eye at all the strange places we were expected to sit and get jabbed in the arm. A baseball stadium? Cool! A grocery store? I'll bring my shopping list! Sure, it was a little weird, but we were living in weird times, and waiting inside the hallways of your local middle school was a small price to pay in exchange for the protection of the vaccine. Today, like many things we found odd in 2020 and 2021, vaccination sites are just a part of everyday life.
Here are the most mysterious, miserable, and mundane places people have been vaccinated so far:
1. At Dracula's castle
Transylvania's Bran Castle is a national monument and landmark known to tourists as "Dracula's castle." While there's no evidence that Dracula author Bram Stoker based his lead character's abode on this residence, it's still cool to say you got pricked by something other than vampire fangs there.
2. Under the watchful eye of the Museum of Natural History whale
You may never get to live out your wildest Night at the Museum fantasies, but getting boosted under the largest known animal to have lived on Earth still grants you impressive bragging rights.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
3. In empty malls and abandoned department stores
Many Americans reported returning to their withering local mall or the hollowed out carcasses of department stores ravaged by the retail apocalypse for their shots. People have been vaccinated in a forgotten Lord and Taylor, an empty Best Buy, and a former Pier 1 Imports. TikTok user and blogger Lauren Haden, who is a friend, waited in line for her booster in the empty shell of Victoria's Secret, complete with mirrored ceilings and, inexplicably, cardboard Minion cutouts.
4. At a theme park
The general public was ushered into the empty lots of theme parks across the country, from Magic Mountain to Disneyland to Six Flags for a few months in early 2021. Originally closed in response to the pandemic, those parks have re-opened, with Disneyland closing its vaccination site and, ironically, not requiring park guests to show proof of vaccination.
5. At an endearing local community space
Move over local libraries and swimming pools, the Italian Cultural Centre of Vancouver has seized the moment to educate an influx of non-Italians on the soothing properties of simmering marinara. Mmm... just like nana used to make it!
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
6. In a drug store, with background music
Lots of Americans are getting vaxxed at their neighborhood pharmacy, so it's hard to say that the experience is unique. But there is a certain je ne sais quoi to getting vaxxed in fluorescent lighting, at the end of the makeup aisle, jamming to a 2000s hit.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
7. In a club
People have reported getting their shots in all types of clubs, even strip clubs, but this tweet makes Berlin sound like the place to be. America, it's been real! I'm moving to Germany to untz untz untz while I get my vax.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Topics COVID-19
Elizabeth is a digital culture reporter covering the internet's influence on self-expression, fashion, and fandom. Her work explores how technology shapes our identities, communities, and emotions. Before joining Mashable, Elizabeth spent six years in tech. Her reporting can be found in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, TIME, and Teen Vogue. Follow her on Instagram here.
