Long-term facility’s residents, staff get Moderna vaccine
AllCare Pharmacy administered the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to residents and staff at Somerset Senior Living at Canyon Springs on Tuesday in hopes to get back to “normal” living after the lonely year at- risk residents have had.
Angela Tart, Somerset’s interim administrator, said out of the facility’s 42 residents, she anticipates 38-40 will get vaccinated initially, and out of about 80 employees, about half will get vaccinated initially.
When the pharmacy returns in one month to give those who got it
Tuesday their required second dose of the vaccine, Tart said the first dose will again be offered to those who didn’t get it.
The Sentinel-Record was not permitted inside the facility on Tuesday due to safety precautions for residents, but two staff members received their vaccinations outside and offered post-vaccination comment.
Dena Coleman, the facility’s marketing director, said it was a “good” experience.
“I feel pretty normal — no, I’m very thrilled, actually, because as most people know, often the flu shot is actually a little bit painful; I actually did not feel anything,” Coleman said.
Coleman said she chose to get the vaccination mostly for herself, but also in an effort to protect Somerset residents and her own loved ones. Going into it, she said she did not have any concerns.
“I believe in science, and so we follow what’s recommended,” Coleman said.
Natriell Gant, an LPN at the facility, said she felt “just fine” after getting
the vaccine, and said she chose to in order to protect the residents and consumers she works with, as well as to get back to normalcy as soon as possible by stopping the spread of the virus.
Gant said she had concerns “because it’s something new, but like I said I want to go back to being able to travel and you know get back to normalcy as possible.”
“It puts my mind at ease that we can protect (the residents) and also protect ourselves,” she said.
Tart said there was “a little bit” of push back from some staff about getting the vaccine.
“I think that as (other staff and residents) start to get it, though, and they feel a little bit more comfortable with it, then I think more of them will want to,” she said.
“If they don’t take the vaccine they have to continue to wear their mask when they’re at work, at all times. When the people that have received the vaccine, the two rounds of it, will likely not have to. I don’t know if that’s for sure yet, but we’re kind of just feeling this out as we go along.”
The facility will follow the instructions given to them by the Office of Long- term Care and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention post- vaccine, in regard to whether masks will continue to be required, Tart said.
“It’s been very difficult, not only for residents, but for staff,” she said. “Our residents haven’t had an opportunity to really see their loved ones, and especially through the holiday season that’s been extremely difficult. We have some that have been able to come to the windows and visit, but it’s just — I think it’s been a very lonely time for them, so we’ve tried to do the best we can to make up for that with the staff here.
“And the staff as well, it adds a lot more to the workload, especially those who are working a COVID unit, and you know have the potential to expose themselves or take it home to loved ones, so it’s certainly been a challenging time, but I’m super proud of this facility and the staff and, you know, the way everybody has really worked together to deal with it.”
The vaccine has been made available to long-term care residents through Phase 1 of the Arkansas Department of Health’s
COVID-19 vaccination program. Phase 1, which began Dec.
14, initially vaccinated specific health care workers before transitioning to include the long- term care residents and workers.
“In Phase 1 limited doses will be available and focus will be on vaccinating high priority groups,” the ADH said in a notice issued on Dec. 15. In Phase 2, a “large number” of doses will be available allowing the general population to be vaccinated. In Phase 3, enough doses will be available “for all persons needing vaccination and there will be a shift to providing COVID-19 as a routine vaccination.”
“There are no definite dates for transition between phases,” the notice said, “or even within the separate portions of a phase, as the transition depends on vaccine supply and whether those in the current phase have been sufficiently vaccinated.
“During Phase 1, when limited doses are available, it will be necessary to focus vaccination efforts on key population groups to increase early impact on the course of the pandemic.”