On Jan. 16, Mercy marked a truly remarkable milestone in our fight against the coronavirus. Our Mercy caregivers were privileged to give the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to those 70 and older in our community.
The excitement of the staff assembled at Mercy Family Medicine’s Three Springs clinic was palpable as they awaited the arrival of the very first vaccine recipients. In March, when the pandemic made its way to Colorado and the number of ill began to grow, the promise of a viable vaccine seemed a distant fantasy. But, just before the new year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Both are mRNA vaccines which teach cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside the human body. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects individuals from getting infected if the real virus enters their bodies.
One of the very first individuals to receive the vaccine at Mercy, was Durango resident Randy Falkenhagen.
“Though I’ve been hesitant about shots in general throughout my life, I had no hesitancy about getting this vaccine,” Randy said. “I didn’t feel a thing and it feels really good to get the shot.”
Throughout the pandemic he and his wife have followed the recommend safety measures of wearing masks, social distancing and frequent handwashing. Limiting their exposure to the disease meant limiting gatherings and interactions with others. To combat the isolation this can create, over the summer, his neighborhood held weekly gatherings on their driveway and grassy areas. This allowed them to maintain the recommended 6 feet of distance while still spending time together.
Randy and his wife feel very fortunate to live in Durango where they can easily visit the outdoors to enjoy hikes and other activities.
“We are so fortunate to have had the outdoors to help us survive the pandemic,” Randy said.
After receiving the second dose of the vaccine and waiting the recommended two weeks to achieve full immunity, Randy and his wife look forward to traveling again while continuing to follow the COVID-19 safety recommendations.
“We’ve missed traveling,” Randy said. “We feel with the vaccine we can travel and be around more people.”
At the Jan. 16 vaccine clinic, Randy also took the time to express his gratitude to our Mercy caregivers sharing: “We’ve found the people who work at Mercy to be really nice. Durango is lucky to have this hospital.”
We are so grateful to celebrate this milestone with Randy and so many others in the communities we are so proud to serve!
Interested in learning more about the vaccines and how you can receive one at Mercy? Please visit https://www.centura.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information.
If you are a Centura Health patient, you will receive an invitation when it is your time to receive the vaccine through MyCenturaHealth, our patient portal. This process will be randomized and equitable based on weekly vaccine allocation from the state. If you do not have a MyCenturaHealth account, you may sign up to receive the vaccine using the “Vaccine Notification Sign-Up” button located on the website above.
