First Moderna vaccine on P.E.I.
Residents at Summerside long-term care homes express excitement to receive the Moderna vaccine
SUMMERSIDE – Doreen Wooder did not hesitate to become part of history.
The 86-year-old resident at the Wedgewood Manor in Summerside became the first Prince Edward Island resident to receive the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 on Friday.
“I was glad to get it,” Wooder told The Guardian in a phone interview. “I felt it would really be a benefit to me.
“(P.E.I. chief public health officer Dr.) Heather Morrison has been terrific with all the news about it and things she suggested. I really felt it was something I should do. So, I went and had it done.”
Wooder understands that not everybody will be able to receive a vaccine due to medical conditions but encourages anyone who can get a COVID-19 vaccine to do so.
“You will be safe-guarding yourself, you could be safeguarding somebody else,” said Wooder.
Over 150 vaccines were administered to residents at the Wedgewood Manor and Summerset Manor in Summerside. Staff who did not receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Charlottetown last month received the Moderna one Friday.
Moderna vaccines were also given to residents at Gillis Lodge in Belfast on Friday. The number of vaccines administered there was unavailable at the deadline time.
SENSE OF RELIEF
Wooder said she did not mind receiving the needle as she knew it was something she needed to do. Wooder said there is a sense of relief knowing that she has received the first part of the vaccine.
The second part – the booster – will be administered in four weeks.
Gayle Lamont, administrator for the Wedgewood Manor, Summerset Manor and Stewart Memorial Home in Tyne Valley, said there was almost 100-per-cent compliance. A couple of residents could not receive the vaccine on Friday, and they will receive it on another day.
The Public Health nursing team ran the clinics and performed the injections.
“This is a new practice for us because, typically, our own nursing team would deliver any kind of vaccinations for flu shots,” said Lamont. “We were delighted to have the Public Health nursing team come in and support this.”
Stewart Memorial Home residents are scheduled to receive the Moderna vaccine next week.
Although she made history, it was just a normal day for Wooder. After receiving the injection, Wooder ate breakfast and then went back to her room to read for about half an hour. She then laid down for a rest.
Lamont noted there were no signs of any side effects from the Moderna vaccine, as of Friday afternoon.
EXCITEMENT
Lamont said there was no shortage of excitement amongst residents. She said because residents don’t have to wear masks, their smiles told the story.
“It was wondering to see all the faces smiling,” said Lamont, who added that, as of Friday afternoon, there were no signs of a single side effect from the vaccine. “Their thumbs were up, and a couple of residents were calling their families to let them know they had their vaccine and how well it went, and they felt great. They were putting their thumbs up and highfiving people. They were very enthusiastic and were the best ambassadors I have ever seen for the importance of taking the vaccination. They certainly seem to believe this is going to help them get back to some normalcy.”