Flu Shot - Parisian Style!

I had a bit more adventure than expected when I went to get my flu shot.  In French, it's called an "injection grippal."  The pharmacies were advertising flu shots, so I thought I should take the opportunity.  I was pleased to discover that, even though I have no French health insurance, the cost was only 6 euros.

When I asked the pharmacist if they had flu shots, he turned wordlessly and walked to a cabinet, grabbed a blue and white box covered in pharmaceutical market speak, just big enough to hold a syringe, and came back to the cash register.  He set it on the counter and started ringing me up.  I hesitated a bit, and looked at him and the other pharmacist and asked (in French), "Umm - who's responsible for doing the injection?"  The answer came back from both at once: "Vous!"  I grimaced and said "Oh boy."  They laughed a little.

So, I went home, set the box on my office desk, and left it there for a while.  I considered all sorts of alternatives.  Jennifer certainly didn't want to be involved!  She was lucky, she got her shot at the office.  Eventually, I got up the nerve and did it myself.  It was all over in a few seconds.  

I put the empty syringe back in its box, put the box back in the little plastic bag from the pharmacy, and all that went into the regular trash bag.  I hoped no one would ever be stuck by it.  Which led me to thinking about all those kids walking around in trash heaps in Brazil and Bangaldesh.  But, that's a whole other story.