Video: "I am so relieved": Recipients of COVID-19 vaccine share their reactions
Jan 30, 2021 05:57AM ● By EditorWatch the WDIO-TV Report here
By Emily Ness of WDIO-TV - January 29, 2021
St. Luke’s is working to vaccinate essential workers and patients 75 and older at their new COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic, located at 915 E. 1st Street in Duluth.
They say patients are being contacted randomly to ensure the vaccine is distributed fairly—adding that the hospital is aiming to fill 400 appointments for the vaccine per day.
On Friday, WDIO spoke to front line workers and recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine about their efforts.
92-year-old Esther Linden of Duluth shared how she came to receive the vaccine and what it means to her.
“Someone canceled and they asked me if I could come right down and here I am,” Linden said. “I am so relieved.”
In addition to relief, Linden said she felt hopeful about life post-pandemic when she would be able to socialize with family and friends again.
“I haven’t been out of my house,” Linden said. “Looking forward to socialization again because it’s the longest I’ve ever been in my home in my whole life.”
Linden wasn’t the only vaccine recipient longing for life post-pandemic Friday. Lexie Chambers, a volunteer at St. Luke’s, came to the clinic to receive her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“It feels really good. Honestly, I feel like it’s been a long time coming and I’m really excited,” Chambers said.
Now that she has received it, Chambers said he hopes to visit her father for the first time in a long time.
“My dad lives in Florida, so to be able to go see him will be super nice,” Linden said.
In total, St. Luke’s has administered about 5,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine so far. Aaron Tetzlaff, HR Generalist for St. Luke’s, weighed in on being part of the effort.
“We were talking the other day about how we’re going to be able to tell our kids that we were involved in this pandemic and the response and getting people back to work and back on their feet and it’s just great,” Tetzlaff said.
St. Luke's said that once vaccination appointments are offered to all patients 75 and older, they will begin randomly scheduling appointments for patients 65 and older.
To see the original story and read related reporting, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website. https://www.wdio.com/duluth-minnesota-news/st-lukes-provides-update-on-vaccination-effort-/5994896/?...
