Story and photos by Robert Drake
John A. Drake, Sr. of Harvest originally balked at taking the COVID vaccine. Like many others he’d heard about all the alleged side effects; some legitimate, some unvalidated, so naturally he was a bit uncertain. This is a man who has lived for one hundred and two years and is more than familiar with situations throughout history where African Americans have been used as “experiments” in medical testing. Having been born in the year of the last most severe pandemic(The Spanish Flu of 1918) the Coronavirus has touched home.
Along with that, he is also an avid viewer of television news, and has followed the features in which medical professionals have encouraged senior members of the community to get inoculated. His century plus years on this earth also equally reminded him of the success of ground-breaking lifesaving medicines which has saved lives over his lifetime. “I decided to take their advice,” he said.
With that Mr. Drake acquiesced that it may be to his benefit to get the shot. Wednesday February 17, Mr. Drake along with his chief caregiver (daughter Eulasteen Drake Abernathy and her husband Larry Abernathy,) made their way to the Jaycees Building at John Hunt Park and each took their turns under the needle. Mrs. Abernathy has been more than diligent in keeping her father’s home surroundings “germ free,” practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and keeping things disinfected and clean to the utmost level. Being the trooper he is, Drake “claimed” that he didn’t even feel the injection of the hypodermic syringe even asking after it was over, “Did they take it?” Whether or not he was being genuine, or if it was part of his old soldier façade, he came through with flying colors, stating he felt none of the usual effects of soreness or stiffness that generally follow a vaccination.
Mr. Drake hopes his vaccine will encourage other older citizens, particularly African Americans, and African Americans in general, to get the vaccine as soon as it is made available. This simple act, he believes, will be an example for others to be good stewards of their health.
