Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health has officially begun its COVID-19 vaccine rollout with the first shots administered on Wednesday morning.
Programs manager of Shelburne Long-Term Care Sarah Ricci was the first in line to get vaccinated with the Pfizer shot at public health’s head office in Guelph on Chancellors Way.
The facility was hit hard by an outbreak last spring that resulted in at least 20 deaths among residents.
“It was difficult but we had huge support from our community, our families and our staff,” Ricci said after receiving her shot.
As of Wednesday, Ricci said the facility is reporting no confirmed cases of the disease.
She was one of five employees of the home to receive a shot as public health planned to launch its mass rollout on Thursday.
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Ricci said she was excited to find out that she would be among the first to get a vaccine in the region.
“We were raring to go and get this done so we can lead the way for everybody else,” she said.
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As public health administered the first few doses, it plans to begin its mass rollout on Thursday with 250 appointments scheduled for health-care workers.
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Over 250 appointments are scheduled for Friday as well with the goal of administering 500 shots per day by next week.
Medical officer of health Dr. Nicola Mercer said they expect to receive 1,950 doses each week for the next three weeks.
“That will help,” Mercer said on Wednesday following Ricci’s vaccination.
She added that they will also be receiving 3,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine sometime next week.
While the Pfizer vaccine will stay in the freezers at public health’s office on Chancellor’s Way, the Moderna vaccine will be distributed.
“Moderna will be taken into our long-term care and high-risk retirement homes and provided in those locations,” Mercer said.
The focus for the rest of January is getting the vaccine to staff and residents in long-term care, Mercer added.
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“We have seen people die in long-term care and retirement homes, staff and residents, and we want to prevent that,” Mercer said.
“Today is just a step forward to try and protect that population.”
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