The Langley Lodge, site of one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in a B.C. care home, announced this week that it has completed vaccinating almost all its residents with two doses.
“We immunized 117 residents with their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine,” a statement from the Lodge said on Monday, Feb. 22.
READ ALSO: LETTER: Former Langley Lodge staffer praises seniors facility
In addition, a few new residents to the residence received their first dose of the vaccine. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for COVID-19 require two shots, several weeks apart, for full effect.
There were nine “immunizers” on site for the rollout, including five nurses on staff for the Lodge, a pharmacist, and three Fraser Health staffers who were sent to join the team.
The whole second-round of shots took less than three hours.
“This will bring an end to the worry and fear of 2020, and create hope for a better year in 2021,” the Lodge statement said.
We are pleased to share with everyone that we have now immunized 117 residents with their 2nd dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Completion of our COVID-19 immunization campaign is a historical achievement for Langley Lodge., and one we are very proud of.https://t.co/kQdkWzwg4J
— Langley Lodge (@LangleyLodge) February 22, 2021
Although the vast majority of the residents have been vaccinated, pandemic protocols won’t come to an end, as COVID-19 continues to spread in the community. That means limits on family visits.
“We remain optimistic for that day when we can once again open the doors completely to families and visitors,” Langley Lodge announced.
The spring outbreak sickened 51 of the Lodge’s approximately 140 residents, and 25 of those infected died.
READ ALSO: Langley Lodge shows ‘solidarity’ by visiting staff of B.C.’s largest COVID-19 care-home outbreak
Fraser Health sent additional staff to help control the outbreak, and eventually took control of the response directly.
For a time, it was the worst outbreak in terms of deaths in B.C., but other care homes have since seen even higher death tolls during the second wave in the fall.
Long term care home residents in Fraser Health started receiving first doses of the vaccine in late December.
Supplies of vaccine have been erratic through late January and early February, which held back the vaccination campaign, but by the end of January, first-shot vaccinations had been completed in all B.C. senior care homes.
More vaccines began arriving in larger amounts last week and those shipments of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine are expected to continue.