The COVID-19 immunization of residents of long-term care and retirement homes in Simcoe Muskoka is now underway.
The local health unit says the vaccinations started yesterday in long-term care homes following the recent decision by the provincial government that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can be safely moved to the homes.
Retirement home residents will start getting their vaccine next week.
Through a pilot immunization program on Monday, 111 residents from Victoria Village Manor in Barrie and 67 residents at Oak Terrace Long-Term Care Home in Orillia received the vaccine.
Eighty-year-old Pat Sinclair, a former nurse, became the region’s first long-term care resident to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday at Barrie’s Victoria Village Manor.
Public health nurses and registered practical nurses from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, including (LtoR) Penni Sisak, Kim Lafreniere, Denise Lacroix, Shawna Frolick and Charlotte Knegt (front), as well as Shelley Murphy, Pharmacy Manager, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (right) were a part of the COVID-19 vaccination of residents of the Oak Terrace Long Term Care in Orillia on Monday.