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Workers and residents at St. Paul nursing home gratefully roll up sleeves for COVID-19 vaccine

New Harmony Care Center in St. Paul vaccinated a majority of its workers and staff on Monday

ST PAUL, Minn. — Three days after Christmas, Diane Jacobson unwrapped her upper arm to accept her best present.

“I wanted to be one of the first,” the resident of New Harmony Care Center said.

At 8 a.m., Jacobson was indeed among the first at her St. Paul nursing home to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

“I think it’s going to be great,” the 74-year-old said.

Over the next hour, 46 of New Harmony’s 53 residents opted for vaccination.

Sixty of New Harmony’s 103 employees chose to receive the vaccine.

Melissa Stone, a registered nurse, was one of them.

“I need to keep our residents safe and this is a good step in doing so,” Stone reasoned.

Nine hours after her shot, Stone reported some minor soreness in her arm. 

Jacobson said she felt nothing unusual, which seemed to be the norm at New Harmony.

“The Moderna vaccination requires frequent monitoring after the administration, so we went room to room administering and then we kind of backtracked to make sure those residents were okay,” Stone said.

Any complications? 

“Not a one. Not one complaint,” Stone continued.

Merilee Johnson, New Harmony’s interim administrator, said vaccination will continue to be voluntary. 

“I relate it to the flu shot too,” Johnson said. “There are just some people who are just adamant they are not getting a flu shot. Everyone comes to the table with their own story.”

Those who received the vaccine will get their second, and final, shot 28 days after the first.

Johnson said New Harmony will then wait for guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health before easing COVID-related restrictions.

Jacobson looks forward to socializing as communal meals return. But there’s an even bigger factor in her enthusiasm for the vaccine.  

“Seeing my family,” she says. “That mostly - getting to see them all together.”

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