By Cody Mello-Klein | cmelloklein@alextimes.com
Residents and staff at Goodwin House Alexandria, an elder care facility that provides independent and assisted living, were among the first in the city to receive the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday.
In partnership with CVS, which, along with Wallgreens, is administering the vaccine in long-term care facilities around the state, Goodwin House was able to provide the initial dose of the vaccine to more than 300 residents and staff. A second dose of the vaccine will be administered to those who received the vaccine this week on Jan. 19.
On Tuesday, Goodwin House prioritized nursing home residents and staff who regularly interact with residents in those areas of care. This is in line with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Health. Due to the amount of doses Goodwin House had access to the long-term care facility was also able to vaccinate select assisted living residents who were deemed at high risk for the coronavirus.
Certified nursing assistant Momah Wolapaye was the first to receive the vaccine on Tuesday, and although he was in and out of the clinic in only a few minutes, he was greeted with much fanfare from staff. Cheers went up and cameras snapped as Goodwin House celebrated a significant milestone in the pandemic, which has resulted in significant physical and mental health risks for residents.
