By Emily Drooby
It was a big day for Adrian Gorcinski and his 91-year-old mother, Maria. After living in fear for almost a year, they got their second COVID-19 vaccinations.
They’re now inoculated, and they have Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens (CCBQ) to thank.
Through a partnership with The Floating Hospital, CCBQ has been vaccinating seniors from their residences and senior centers along with some caretakers, getting them highly sought-after appointments and transporting them there.
Seventy-seven people have gotten their first round. It’s a very important service, especially for the city’s older population.
“There’s so much anxiety out in the community and one of our biggest goals was working particularly with the most vulnerable in a population that we work with, seniors were on top of the list,” explained Richard Slizeski, the Senior Vice President for Mission for Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens.
According to the CDC, about 80 percent of COVID related deaths have been in people over the age of 65. That is why the shots these seniors are getting provide so much hope.
“It’s a game changer for people when you have the vaccine, it puts you in a different place,” Richard told Currents News.
“It’s pretty exciting,” explained Shani Andre, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for The Floating Hospital. “It’s great for staff, of course, when we started doing vaccinations to see that there is some relief on the horizon. But it’s even better to see patients coming back in, seeing that they’ve tolerated the vaccine pretty well, and just their excitement.”
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens plans to continue the partnership as long as vaccines are available. They have at least 40 more people scheduled for the week of February 7 – 13.