COVID Vaccine: Seniors, Staff At Walnut Creek Nursing Home Receive First Shot
WALNUT CREEK (KPIX 5) -- One East Bay nursing home took a big step forward in the fight against the coronavirus Tuesday as residents and staff at a Walnut Creek facility received their first COVID vaccinations.
The first dose of the vaccine was being administered to seniors at Viamonte in Walnut Creek. It is one of the first senior living facilities in the Bay Area to roll out the vaccines to all residents.
The priority was to get front-line health care workers vaccinated first, then move on to seniors who are in these types of community living situations.
Health care experts say they're particularly at risk due to the fact that they can have severe complications from contracting COVID.
The residents KPIX talked with who'd just received their vaccines said it gives them hope going into 2021.
"It's a real gift and I feel really blessed and grateful that we have this opportunity," said resident Ray Greenleaf.
"I feel hopeful about 2021, most importantly about being able to hug my family and friends and socialize with them again," said Viamonte resident Victoria Greenleaf.
Viamonte partnered with John Muir Health to provide the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to residents and staff.
As more doses of the COVID vaccine arrive in the Bay Area, more of these types of facilities will be able to vaccinate their residents and hopefully see the number of new infections start to drop.