COVID-19 Vaccinations Roll Out at Uniting

Residents at Uniting’s aged care services have become some of the first Australians to receive the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19. First in line yesterday, were residents at Uniting Mirinjani, the residential aged care service in Weston, ACT.

It’s believed 86-year-old Judy Baker was the first aged care resident in the ACT to receive a vaccination at 11.15am.

She said she was excited and had no concerns at all getting the vaccine.

"I would recommend that everybody gets the vaccine to keep us all safe – that's the main priority,” said Ms Baker.

“I’d like to thank all the Uniting staff – the ones that we see every day who look after us and the ones that we don’t see often, like the ones in the kitchen and the cleaners,” said Ms Baker.

70-year-old resident Brian Black also volunteered and felt very privileged to be given the vaccine so early.

“I can’t wait to tell all my friends that I was number five in the ACT to receive the vaccine!” said Mr Black.

Service Manager at Uniting Mirinjani, Sharon Kickett said it was a historic occasion and the day was being met with much excitement by staff and residents alike.

“The residents were all very positive about receiving them. They were all lining up to get it done and we had a really quick uptake of consent. One resident said to me, they just wanted to have their life back to normal,” said Ms Kickett.

At Uniting Banks Lodge in Peakhurst, NSW, Service Manager, Kitty Ng was thrilled to be part of history.

“It’s exciting to be at one of the first vaccination sites in Australia. It’s been difficult for all of us over the past year and the vaccination is a big step towards normality again.”

The roll-out at Uniting comes a day after two aged care residents from Uniting Mullauna, Blacktown, Laurel Gray and Paul Russell, and two long-serving registered nurses at Uniting, Marilyn Jolly and Margaret Strahan, volunteered to be among the first 20 people to receive the vaccine at Castle Hill Medical Centre, along with Prime Minister, Scott Morrison.

Chief Executive of Uniting NSW.ACT, Tracey Burton, said COVID-19 has severely disrupted vulnerable people’s lives and she hoped the vaccine is the start of a new beginning.

“It’s been an exceptionally difficult year for older and vulnerable Australians and those who care for them.

“While this is far from the end of COVID-19, and we still need to maintain all COVID protocols, we are finally on track to more normal lives.”

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