Alma Stewart, 92, is a resident at Peoples Park Tower in Moncton. She’s been following news of vaccines arriving in the province and across the globe, but worries about the contagiousness of COVID-19 variants.
Spending much of the past year isolated from people outside the facility has been difficult for her and many others.
“I’m not an indoor person,” she told Global News, “and we have to stay in and that drives me crazy.”
Her son and daughter are even more eager to get her vaccinated, so they can visit her without fear of unknowingly transmitting the virus and putting her at risk.
“I have an appointment for the 24th,” she says. “It’s all set up.”
Stewart won’t even have to leave the building for her appointment because the Medicine Shoppe, the in-house pharmacy, will be administering immunizations.
The New Brunswick government announced Thursday people 85 and older can now contact pharmacies to book vaccination appointments.
In the Moncton area, the vaccines will arrive on March 23.
The New Brunswick Senior Citizens Federation admits there are some concerns about accessibility for that age demographic.
“I do have some concerns especially the people in the rural areas,” Alphonse Dionne, the federation’s president says. “But you know most areas have pharmacies. So as long as it’s at all pharmacies, to me that’s acceptable.”
The province says vaccines will be available at “nearly every pharmacy” across the province. Overall, Dionne says pharmacies make the most sense.
“I think that’s a great idea,” he says.
Currently in Canada there are four approved vaccines, although the AstraZeneca shot is not recommended for use in seniors.
Andrew Drover, the pharmacist and owner of Harrisville Pharmacy in Moncton, received his vaccination Friday to help keep people protected when he starts administering the shots.
As for Stewart, she’s looking forward to being able to socialize again — without masks and physical distancing — sometime soon.
“I can’t wait,” she says.
- A ‘zombie’ virus is raging among raccoons. What to know
- Ultra-processed food tied to higher risk of early death, study finds. What to avoid
- N.S. couple felt they won ‘doctor lottery’ after years on wait-list. Now they’re back on it
- Panera to remove ‘Charged Sips’ drink from Canada amid wrongful death lawsuits
Comments