Trenton Health And Rehab begins vaccination process

By Crystal Burns

 

Through a federal partnership with CVS, Trenton Health And Rehabilitation has begun the COVID-19 vaccination process.

Casey Elliott, director of nursing, said a CVS pharmacist began administering the shots to Trenton Health And Rehab staff members at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30. Early that afternoon, she said residents were scheduled to begin receiving the first of the two-dose vaccine.

“We hope this will help mitigate people contracting and bringing [COVID-19] into the facility,” Elliott said.

In about 28 days, a CVS pharmacist will come back to the facility to administer the second doses to those vaccinated Dec. 30 and give first doses to those unable to receive the vaccination then.

To help residents and their families make decisions about the vaccine, Elliott said that Jasmine Heron, social worker at Trenton Health And Rehab, worked diligently to contact residents’ family members and give them as much information as possible. They then consented to or declined the vaccine.

The company has not mandated that staff members take the vaccine, but they are being encouraged, said Elliott, who received her first shot in the morning.

“Do it to protect yourself and your family,” she said. “If you’re in health care, do it to protect the people you’re taking care of.”

Amanda Newell, administrator of Harlan Morris, a St. John’s Community Services Retirement Community, in Trenton said residents and staff members there were vaccinated last week.

“We took everyone over to the health department last Wednesday, carload by carload, until they were completed,” Newell said. “We only had a couple people who opted out of getting it.”