Vaccine recipients see shot as path back to normal

Eliza Thomas couldn’t help but tear up when it was her mother’s turn to take a seat in the plastic chair, roll up a sleeve of her choice and receive her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

It was a moment the duo waited nearly 11 months for.

They’ve hunkered down in their home, canceled holiday celebrations with other family members and made the difficult decision to scrap their mother-daughter road trip to the Oregon Coast — an event in which they recognized the risk far outweighed the reward.

At 85 years old, Thomas’ mother, Anne Sorte, is one of thousands of seniors who have been deemed “high risk” for experiencing adverse complications from the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And as many have come to witness since the pandemic began, an adverse complication for the delicate senior population can be deadly.

In Flathead County alone, outbreaks have claimed the lives of dozens of individuals residing in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, despite efforts by facility staff and medical personnel to halt the spread of the virus and treat those suffering from it.

But it’s Thomas who has been tasked with looking out for the health and well-being of Sorte, who lives at home with her and her family. It is a responsibility, Thomas said, that has weighed heavy on her, and it’s a load that was lightened at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Thursday as they both were administered their first dose of the vaccine, along with hundreds of other high-risk individuals.

“I’m not sure if it was the constant stress of last year or all of the hoping we have done heading into this new year, but when the health department called to schedule our vaccine appointment, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief,” Thomas said as she placed a “I got my COVID-19 vaccine!” sticker on her shirt. “For almost a year we have watched over her [Sorte] and tried our best to keep her safe. Now it feels like we can start getting to normal mom-and-daughter things.”

The vaccine isn’t a time machine, though. It doesn’t give its recipients a second 2020 free of virus-related setbacks and disappointments. But for the thousands that have called the Flathead City-County Health Department in recent weeks, eager to receive a vaccine, it offers hope.

“This is their way out. This really is the start of their path back to a normal life and every person here I think realizes that,” Health Officer Joe Russell said as he watched those with vaccination appointments filter in and out of the Flathead County Fairgrounds Expo Building. “It’s incredible to see so many people chomping at the bit to get a shot. That gives the rest of us hope, too.”

THURSDAY MARKED the third day individuals who fall into Phase 1B of the state vaccine distribution plan could be immunized with the first dose of their dual-dose vaccine. The tier includes persons ages 70 and older, American Indians and other people of color and those ages 16 to 69 with high-risk medical conditions such as cancer, heart conditions or chronic kidney disease.

On that particular day, the health department had scheduled 440 Flathead County residents to be vaccinated. One by one, they arrived at the fairgrounds for their appointments and were ushered through a seamless three-step process.

Upon entering the building, individuals are asked to take a seat at a sanitized table along the left side of the building and fill out paperwork detailing their medical histories — documents Russell said will later be provided to the state health department for vaccine tracking purposes.

Then, recipients move in a clockwise direction to a table in the middle of the room where they are administered the vaccine, and finally, they are asked to wait at a table on the right side of the building for at least 15 minutes so medical professionals can monitor them for any possible adverse side-effects.

The process appears to be working like a well-oiled machine, one Russell likes to describe as a “community event that should be celebrated.”

While it’s the health department that is fielding the calls for appointments — about 7,000 of them in the past week alone — volunteers have come from far and wide to help with the process. Registered nurses with Kalispell Regional Healthcare have joined the health department to help administer vaccines, educators and other community members are helping recipients navigate the process, and doctors and other medical personnel are monitoring the freshly vaccinated individuals for any negative reactions.

Russell said about 40 people are volunteering their time and their expertise in order to make the event, which is only getting started, a success.

“What you’re looking at is a unified command system and each person plays such a crucial part in it,” Russell said. “This is something we wouldn’t be able to pull off without the community; that’s why it’s a community event.”

THOSE RECEIVING their vaccines have taken note of the positive atmosphere and sense of teamwork as well.

“I believe heavily in our health department and the hospital people here. Everything about this has been easy and really amazing to see,” said Thomas, who works at Flathead Valley Community College.

Russell said the vast majority of people coming through the building are excited to be a part of what he described as a “historical moment.” Each person, he said, seems to breathe a sigh of relief when they walk through the doors.

This was true for Norbert and Beverly Tombarge, who said they were grateful they got a chance to receive the vaccine. The couple said they had no hesitations heading into their appointment.

“I’ve been getting vaccinated for more than 80 years. You have to trust it,” said Beverly, who nodded to a time when she was in her early 20s and had to get 10 different shots before she could travel overseas to be with Norbert in Germany where he was stationed during his early years in the United States Army. “This is a walk in the park.”

The Tombarges, who have been married for nearly 65 years, described themselves as some of “the lucky ones,” both for emerging from the pandemic unscathed and for having the opportunity to be immunized.

This was echoed by Thomas, and by Sorte, who said she feels as though COVID took a year of her life, but added that she has been “more fortunate” than some of her elderly friends who have contracted the virus.

“I’m lucky to have been at home with my daughter and to have gotten the vaccine. I don’t know when I’ll be able to see some of my friends again or if I ever will really,” Sorte said.

Russell anticipates at least 30,000 Flathead County residents qualify to be vaccinated under Phase 1B, but actually hitting that mark will take time considering the amount of vaccine available is limited.

This past week, the health department received about 600 doses. Next week, Russell said they are slated to receive another 1,400.

“We are taking it week by week,” Russell said. “But we’ll make sure everyone who wants one, eventually gets it.”

If you fall under Phase 1B of the vaccination plan and would like to make an appointment to be vaccinated, call 406-751-8119. Callers have been asked to leave one voicemail, detailing their age and any conditions they have, and they will receive a call back as more vaccines become available.

Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com