Journalist Nathan Vass one of first Australians to get COVID vaccine in New York

After I received COVID vaccine dose number 128,217,029 in the US I felt invincible, I felt cool and I felt safe, writes Nathan Vass.

After I received COVID vaccine dose number 128,217,029 in the US yesterday I felt invincible.

“Congratulations!” the young checkout worker ­exclaimed when she saw the badge on my Cronulla Sharks hoodie declaring #IGotTheShotNYC. “That’s so cool.” And I felt cool. I felt safe.

Nathan Vass gets his COVID-19 jab in New York.

Nathan Vass’s COVID jab badge.

Indeed, an hour earlier, as I sat at the back of a hall in the Bronx in a 15-minute waiting room with others who’d just had the shot to see if we would have negative reactions, a man to my right said to me: “Congratulations, man. We’ve got it.” I smiled.

A woman in front of me cried. They were tears of ­relief. When I got home, my son said: “Dad, that’s great. Good on you.”

It felt like a life-changing experience had taken place.

“It”, of course, is the jab.

Most New Yorkers still wear masks in outdoor settings. Picture: Cindy Ord/Getty Images

It is being rolled out so fast in the US now that it’s expec­ted everyone who wants a dose will have an appointment scheduled by May.

People are lying, cheating and begging to get the shot.

For once, I felt lucky to be in my mid-50s — it meant I was eligible for the jab (I got the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine).

After the trauma of the past 12 months in America, getting vaccinated has ­become something of a reward and badge of honour in this nation which has experienced nearly 30 million cases — way more than the entire population of Australia — and a ghastly 543,933 deaths.

And counting.

That’s about 100,000 more than the number of people who live in the ACT. Dead.

Of course, we who live in New York probably fear the virus more than anyone.

This was, for quite a long time, the COVID capital of the world.

The Javits Center Covid-19 vaccination site in New York City this week. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

So you can understand why, on the black market, people are reportedly paying $1000 for a jab and $200 for a fake vaccination certificate.

Luckily, if you do get past the gatekeepers, it’s free.

It’s challenging to register to get the vaccination, even if you qualify, but workers at the jab hubs are desperate to get you through.

“You need to tell me you work in a hospital or a fast food restaurant,” a young woman was told when she couldn’t show adequate ­credentials.

Then she got the shot.

There are people in this city who have not left their apartments in a year. They are terrified of COVID.

People are scrambling to get COVID-19 vaccinations in New York city, where some citizen have barely left their apartments in a year. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

People drive in double masks with their windows up.

Just about everyone ­crosses the road when they see you coming towards them.

The sight of thousands of maskless people in football stadiums in Australia is truly shocking on this side of the world.

There are riots in Miami because the government is trying to tell young people not to celebrate spring break.

For some people (me), the jab does leave you with a sore arm and aching body.

And last night I got a serious case of the chills.

But many people experience no reactions at all and it’s a tiny price to pay for peace of mind as America ­regains its confidence.