South Orange-Maplewood Healthcare Heroes Begin Getting Vaccinated – TAPinto.net
MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — SOMA’s healthcare workers have begun getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine is currently available to healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities. Dan Cohen, a member of the South Orange Rescue Squad, was vaccinated at the former Sears store in the Livingston Mall, a vaccination site being run by Essex County.
“I wanted to get it the first chance I could get,” said Cohen, adding that almost every member of SORS has received their first dose or has an appointment to do so. “We’ve seen what COVID can do up close. Nobody wants that to happen to them or their families.”
According to Cohen, the number of COVID-19 calls has gone down since March and April but during his shifts they have still been getting three or four per week.
Michele and Jeff Strumeier, South Orange residents, volunteered at the Essex County College vaccination center in Newark also being run by the county. Volunteers are eligible for vaccination, so they both received their first shots early this week. Michele said they decided to volunteer after seeing Village President Sheena Collum posting online that Essex County was looking for volunteers. She is a retail worker who regularly comes into contact with customers.
“The opportunity to get the vaccine early was a gift,” said Michele. “I encourage people to volunteer and people should not be afraid to get the vaccine.”
Of the Strumeiers’ adult children, two are teachers and one is a non-patient-facing employee at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Michele is hoping that their kids will be able to get the vaccine soon as they are all essential employees.
Cohen and both the Strumeiers received the Moderna vaccine, which requires they get the second dose after 28 days. They all reported no side effects or symptoms in the few days since they have been vaccinated. Both Cohen and Michele said the vaccine hurt less than their annual flu shots.
NYU Langone nurses Jackie Eagle and Diana Cohen both received the Pfizer vaccine through the hospital and will be getting the second dose after 21 days. Eagle, an oncology nurse and South Orange resident, and Cohen, an ICU nurse originally from Maplewood, both say their coworkers are equally glad to get the vaccine. Both women said they had no symptoms and the only side effect they experienced was a sore arm afterwards.
Eagle said she was eager to be vaccinated because of how deadly the virus can be.
“I recommend everyone get it unless their doctor suggests otherwise. The benefit outweighs the risk,” said Eagle.
After treating COVID patients in the ICU from April to July, Diana Cohen was intent on getting the vaccine. She did not have qualms about the quick turnaround time for the vaccine.
“Most of the time, time is a factor because of money — but for this project they had unlimited funding. There was no red tape,” said Cohen.
Vaccine distribution is still limited to those in Tier 1A. By the end of 2020 South Orange has had over 400 cases and Maplewood over 700. To see if you are eligible for vaccination, check essexcovid.org.
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