Sheridan Aged Care residents receive first COVID-19 vaccine

Apr 9, 2021

THE residents of Kyabram District Health Service (KDHS) Sheridan Aged Care took their first step towards normalcy on April 8, having received their long-awaited first COVID-19 vaccination.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Thirty-four out of 38 Sheridan residents elected to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, with 96-year-old Joyce Amery first in line.

“I was a bit nervous beforehand, but it didn’t even hurt. Like a little prick,” Joyce said.

“I’m glad it’s over, though.”

After receiving their shot, each resident was put under precautionary observation for 15 minutes to check for any complications.

KDHS infection control coordinator Helen Backway said the only likely side effects to the vaccine were slight pain in the arm, lethargy and general aches and pains.

“Our staff are trained to pick up on any side effects that are detrimental to their health and we had a briefing with the vaccinators from Goulburn Valley Health before they commenced that enlightened us on what to expect,” she said.

“We’re expecting it to be like a herd immunity so those who elected to not get the vaccine won’t have to distance themselves from other residents or anything like that.

“If we get an outbreak, we’d obviously have to risk assess and see how we managed those who weren’t vaccinated.”

Sheridan nurse unit manager Harman Dhanesar said everyone in the organisation was relieved that staff and residents were on their way to full immunity from the COVID-19 virus.

“I think they were all looking forward to it. Our residents have seen that our staff have commenced vaccinations so they felt more comfortable,” she said.

“We also held a residents’ forum just to go through whether they had any questions or concerns. We talked it out and went through potential after effects and they got a lot out of it.

“It’s been hard over the past year because our residents were less able to socialise and not able to physically see their family members.

“Even though they enjoyed communicating with them through technology, it’s not something they are used to. Not seeing their grandkids was especially hard for them.”

Those who receive the AstraZeneca vaccine are required to get a second shot after 12 weeks.