Winnipeg woman shares story of relief, hope following COVID-19 vaccine

As the province continues to overcome hurdles to continue doling out vaccines, more and more Manitobans are breathing a sigh of relief for the first time in a long time.

Jean Gendron received her vaccine earlier this month. She says she was overwhelmed with feelings of relief and hope when she sat down in the pharmacist’s chair.

“As I was waiting for a pharmacist to come just all of a sudden, I started crying and I couldn’t stop,” Gendron said. “And it was this huge feeling of relief that just came over me, knowing that I was about to go through a life-altering process.”

“The pharmacist came out and I started to apologize for crying and she just said you aren’t the first person sitting in that chair who’s cried,” she added. “It was amazing, it really was after the year of worrying and wondering to just finally have some hope.”

Gendron also says she was planning on retiring at some point this year, which was also something that weighed heavy on her.

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“My mom worked for the federal government, as I do, and she got sick before her retirement and she never got to enjoy her retirement,” Gendron said. “So that’s something that’s always kind of been in the back of my mind for the last year because I have underlying health conditions — was family history going to repeat itself? And when I got that shot I realized no, it’s not going to.

“It just really is an amazing feeling, all from just one little prick in your arm.”

Public health officials say the province reached a milestone over the weekend, with more than 10 per cent of Manitobans 18 and older now having received at least one dose of the vaccine.

The province also says that so far 173,548 doses of vaccine have been administered, including 118,605 first doses and 54,943 second doses.