When Jenny Bailey learned she was next in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine, she could hardly contain herself.
“I was so excited when I found out we were getting it. I was just stopping myself from doing cartwheels,” she says with a laugh. “I was thrilled.”
As a member of a priority population, Bailey, who has lived at St. Vincent’s: Honoria Conway assisted living residence for five years, received her first dose of the vaccine in mid-January. Shortly before getting her shot, she agreed to take part in a study to help researchers understand how effective COVID-19 vaccines are among residents of long-term care and assisted living facilities operated by Providence Health Care, as well as the staff who care for them. The study has recently further expanded to recruit all health care workers at Providence who provide direct patient care, as well as elderly people living in the community.
The objective of the study, which is being conducted by a team from Providence, the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, is to better understand how elderly peoples’ immune systems respond to COVID-19 vaccines. The researchers will also assess the viral, immunological and social factors that have contributed to COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities, studying why the disease was fatal to so many residents.