Older adults receive, hopefully, the vaccine against COVID-19: “I feel very well”

When Algeria Maldonado González began to hear about the development of the vaccine against COVID-19 a few months ago, she did not imagine that in Puerto Rico she would be one of the first residents of long-term care homes to receive the drug that marks the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

“I’ve already been vaccinated, thank God I’m fine, there are no traces, I didn’t feel dizzy at all, just a little and it didn’t hurt, I feel super good”, said the 76-year-old woman in statements to The new day. “I expected later (the vaccine), because seeing other (health) conditions that have appeared in the world, at least this vaccine I think has advanced a lot,” he said.

Algeria was one of 45 residents of the Casa Blanca Retirement Home in Río Piedras, aged between 60 and 102, to receive the vaccine administered by staff at Walgreeens, one of two pharmacy chains that have contracts with the federal government is responsible for vaccinating residents and staff of these facilities on the island and in the rest of the United States.

Another who received the vaccine was 84-year-old Eugenio Ramón Font. While waiting for the appropriate 15 minutes of observation to elapse after vaccination, Eugenio said he felt “Perfectly fine”, at the same time calling on citizens to be vaccinated against COVID-19. “To all who can put it, I think it’s fabulous.”

Of those residents, 14 older adults with beds were also vaccinated. In addition, at the White House, 35 staff members were vaccinated, including doctors and professional service contractors, such as social workers.

Initiating vaccinations in long-term care homes is a relief and a hope for the administrators and carers of these facilities. The elderly population, especially those who are institutionalized or living in one of these centers, are the most vulnerable population group to the disease and the highest risk of death due to health complications caused by SARS-CoV infection. -2, you know about the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

For Raymond Martínez Jiménez, a home administrator, today is a historic day, expected in March, when the World Health Organization declared a pandemic and family visits to nursing homes were canceled.

“I feel happy, proud of Puerto Rico, the geriatric area of ​​Puerto Rico, the houses have done a great job”He said that the impact of COVID-19 on long-term care homes on the island was lower than that reported in other parts of the world, including the rest of the United States.

However, Martínez stressed that this vaccination process does not yet translate into a return to normality in these homes, including family visits, a process that has been emotionally difficult for both residents and their families. .

“Since March we have been locked up here, the elderly have no visitors, what they have are daily video calls and photos that we send to their families. They are very calm, but they want to hug their elders “, he recounted.

But that face-to-face hug doesn’t have one more time. Elderly adults vaccinated today begin an observation period, at the same time as they should receive the second dose. Walgreens administers the Moderna vaccine, the second to receive an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so the second dose would be given 28 days after the first.

“Family members know that everything will be a process. We need to be more confident than ever, this is a process. I understand that Puerto Rico, the elderly and households will not be the same as before so fast, we will go little by little. “Martinez said.

The logistical process before the day of vaccination was not without difficulties either. The administrator reported that not all households have technological facilities or technical skills to quickly comply with documentation requirements. Among these barriers is language, because in digital platforms where information must be added, the content is in English. However, he assured that Walgreens staff is helping home managers comply with the process.

For the administration of the vaccine, Walgreens sends a multidisciplinary house, which in the case of Casa Blanca consisted of two pharmacists, two technicians and a manager responsible for logistics. During the visit, this environment complied with rigorous prevention and safety measures as part of the established protocol. “We plan to vaccinate about 50 centers a week,” said Liza Davila, the manager who oversaw the home operation at the White House today. In total, they will visit 1,114 long-term care homes across the island.

Algeria urged other older adults and the general public not to be “afraid”. “They should be positive, as soon as they can get the vaccine, that I get it, I think it’s for our own good and so we’re calmer,” he said.

Earlier, the president of the Association of Long-Term Care Center Owners, Juanita Aponte, hoped that vaccinations in these facilities would be carried out as soon as possible, in order to avoid more infections and deaths.

“With great hope that the process will be agile and that they will reach homes quickly, so that there is no need to regret the loss of life”Aponte said in statements to this environment.

Aponte indicated that the number of older adults in long-term care homes who died due to COVID-19 reached 154 last week, as well as outbreaks in 62 of these facilities. “It simply came to our notice then. It’s sad, that’s why we call for being very agile (in vaccination), that’s life expectancy. “, stressed the.

He said deaths and outbreaks increased after the Thanksgiving weekend. In one long-term care home alone, there are currently 36 positive cases, the president said.

Eileen Ortega, Puerto Rico’s director of operations for Walgreens, explained that by adding the number of seniors, health professionals and staff providing services in long-term care centers, the chain plans to vaccinate about 50,000 people. Walgreens expects to receive the second half of the doses it will take today. The order in which the centers are visited will depend on the incidence of infections in the municipality or region and the number of residents and staff.

“It was a very extensive planning, but we already have all the staff ready. This is our commitment to achieve the goal of affecting them all. Our pharmacists and pharmacy technicians do this never-before-experienced work for the good of all in Puerto Rico, ”Ortega said.