Quebec residents in a long-term care facility (CHSLD) who have already received their COVID-19 vaccination say so far they are happy with the rollout and are looking forward to life returning to normal.
Health experts caution, however, that normal is still a long way off yet.
The inoculations started late Monday morning at the Maimonides Geriatrics Centre in Côte Saint-Luc, a Montreal suburb, after two boxes of 975 phials were delivered. By the end of the day, the Quebec health ministry said 148 people at the home, including five employees, were vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
While the vaccine requires two doses about three weeks apart, residents who got their first shots say the process was simple.
“Thirty seconds,” said Mendy Fellig via a video chat online. “Seriously! They come inside your room they check your arm, they ask you two questions, they swab your hand, they give you the shot and that’s it.”
A week ago even those who wanted the vaccine, like Fellig, had questions. But on Tuesday he claimed he’s had no serious side effects since getting the injection.
“My face flushed for a few minutes,” he shrugged “and a half-hour later I was back to normal.”
Beverly Spanier, another resident, said she hasn’t had major side effects either and she isn’t worried.
“My arm is a bit sore which is normal for a flu vaccination,” she explained during a phone interview. “So I think it’s probably the norm. I don’t have a fever. I seem to be functioning.”
She pointed out, though, that she does have one concern — what happens if someone close to her gets the virus?
“Then here we go again — it’s a risk to me,” she stressed. “Will I get the second shot?”
Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at McGill University, Jörg Fritz, noted that there is immunity after the first shot, but not right away.
“Well it takes about a week or two to build up a decent immune response,” he told Global News.
Quebec officials expect another 2,000 phials in three weeks to administer the second dose. But Spanier thinks authorities should’ve used the first shipment for both shots for fewer people, instead of gambling on getting the second shipment in time.
According to Spanier, the residence is still doing COVID-19 tests.
“They gave us a test again today because they say that’s what they’re going to keep doing,” she said.
Continued testing, as well as continued use of social distancing, handwashing and mask-wearing, are important, health officials say, since even those who are vaccinated may still transmit the virus.
“I still would keep up the precaution of wearing a mask,” Fritz said, at least until a greater amount of people have gotten the vaccine.
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