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Mercy Place Dandenong resident Beryl O’Neil thought all her birthdays had come at once when she received her second Covid vaccine dose on her 91st birthday.
“It’s the best birthday present I could’ve had,” she said.
Beryl was among 83 residents and 22 staff members that received their second jab at the aged care home on 18 March following her initial dose three weeks earlier.
“I was very happy to be given the vaccination,” she said. “And it didn’t hurt one bit either.”
The inoculation arrived after an awful and anxious 2020 in which 13 residents and eight staff were infected by Covid-19 in August. Three of those residents died with the virus.
At times, visitors were banned and residents were confined to their rooms at the peak of the crisis.
Tamara Kassis was grateful that her grandfather and Mercy Place resident Fawzi Fazaa was also among the first in Australia to get a second dose.
“We’ve been very careful with our Jido (grandfather) throughout the pandemic,” she said.
“It’s such a relief that he’s now had his vaccinations.
“As a precaution, we haven’t taken him on outings from Mercy Place Dandenong since he had surgery last year.
“But now, we can go back to going out for our regular trips to local cafes for coffee and catching up as a whole family at Easter time.”
Mercy Place Dandenong service manager Ralf Pelz, who also had his second shot on Thursday, said that spirits were high.
“I think that for many of our residents, having the vaccination was not only a relief, but it was also a cause for celebration,” Mr Pelz said.
“The mood was definitely upbeat. The past 12 months have taken a toll on our residents and staff.
“While we have made every effort to keep our residents active, engaged and entertained within our home and grounds, feeling confident to go out into our community and to mix with a broader network of friends and family will be wonderful for everyone.”
Mercy Place Dandenong has had direct access to Mercy Health’s infection control and clinical expertise throughout the pandemic.
On 18 March, a Mercy Health team oversaw the vaccinations, which were administered by Aspen Medical.
