'I feel like a miracle is happening': Long-term care residents in Quebec waiting eagerly for vaccine

The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to reach Quebec will be dispatched in the coming hours to the Maimonides Geriatric Centre, where residents and staff have been struggling to contain a deadly outbreak for the past month.

Staff at the long-term care centre in Cte Saint-Luc havebeen ready to administer the vaccine for several days, health officials said on Sunday. Around 95 per cent of theresidents have already agreed to get the shot, includingRabbi Ronnie Cahana.

"I feel like a miracle is happening," Cahana, 67, said in an interview from his bed at Maimonides. "I feel I have the obligation to help bring an end to this horrible scourge."

His daughter,KitraCahana, called the vaccine an "answer to our prayers." Her father hasn'tbeen outside since March because of the pandemic, she said.

Quebec man among 1st to receive COVID-19 vaccine on Monday

4 years ago

Duration 7:22

Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, who lives in a long-term care home in Quebec, will be one of the first Canadians to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. His daughter, Kitra Cahana, says the vaccine is the answe

Fifteenresidents atMaimonidesdied of COVID-19 this fall. The centre was forced to transfer 20 COVID-19 patients to Montreal hospitals last month when its "hot-zone" for infected residents became overcrowded.

UPS flights carrying shipments ofthe vaccine areexpected to arrive in Canada on Sunday night, with more flights to followin the days to come, said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, head of logistics at the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Joyce Shanks, whose father has been a resident atMaimonides for five years, said she's happy things are moving forward so fast.

"We are part of history being made.We are protecting our loved ones that's pretty exciting."

Shanks said she's hopeful that soon, she'll get to reunite with her 81-year-old father.

"The most exciting thing [is] that I can hug him in about six weeks. And obviously, we still take tons of precautions.That's exciting to be able to say in six weeks that my dad made it through the pandemic."

First in line

Quebec should receive around 4,000 doses this week.On Sunday, Quebec recorded one of its worstdays in terms of new cases, posting 1,994 more infections and 33 more deaths.

The first batch for Quebec will be divided betweenMaimonides and a long-term home in Quebec City,the CHSLD St-Antoine.

Health officials there have already identified the resident who will be first in line when the vaccine arrives:89-year-oldGisle Lvesque.

"They chose me. Oh yes!"Lvesquesaid when she was told she'd be receiving the vaccine.

Staff atSt-Antoine are in the process of securing consent from residents, or their legal guardians, to administer the vaccine. So far only two have refused, for health reasons, officials said Sunday.

As is the case atMaimonides, priority will be given to residents, then staff.

Lucie Tremblay, director of nursing at the regional health authority for Montreal Centre-West,told CBC that the arrival of the vaccine is a huge relief.

"We're so glad that we are finally going to be able to have a concrete means to protect our residents. Everybody is very excited to know that we are going to be able to use this tool in the very near future," she said.

She said health-care workers are ready to hit the ground running as soon as possible.

"If everything goes according to plan, if we receive the vaccines on time, we should be able to start the vaccinations on Tuesday morning."