A 100-year-old retiree who attends Northwest Chapel Grace Brethren Church in Dublin, Ohio (Rob Barlow, lead pastor), was the first senior to get a COVID-109 vaccination this week at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center. A story about her is on the Spectrum 1 site. A portion of the article appears below. Click here to read the complete version.
100-Year-Old Retired Wexner Employee Is First Up At Mass Vaccination Site
A 100-year-old retired Ohio State medical center administrative assistant rolled up her sleeve Tuesday and became the first senior to get a COVID-19 shot at Wexner’s new mass vaccination site.
Helen Formet, of Dublin said, “I’m so excited, I could jump up and down. If I were a little younger I would. Having this vaccine is so important to me and it’s important to everyone who is getting it today.”
Ohio began Phase “1B” of immunizations on Monday, marking the first day of appointments for seniors 80 and older. Vaccination sites began receiving vaccine shipments Monday, and for many sites, opened their doors Tuesday.
Formet spent part of her 28-year career working as an assistant for renowned surgeon Dr. Robert Zollinger, who made significant advances studying the gut and pancreas. She lacked formal training, but she made the most of her skills with bookkeeping and records. Formet and her six siblings were raised during the Great Depression, and learned a work ethic from a young age, which she says she passed on to her sons. …
After she gets her second shot, she said she looks forward to seeing her grandkids, some of whom live in California.
“We have definitely been curtailed on the family gatherings,” she said. “It’s a sad time for a lot of people. They don’t even get to see their loved ones when they are in the hospital. It is wonderful that we now have this vaccine. I can’t tell you how excited I am just to be here.”
And she misses her church, Northwest Chapel Grace Brethren, though she stays “well-fed spiritually” watching sermons on YouTube. But she may not be going back anytime soon, because her church stopped services after someone tested positive.
Click here to read the complete version.