Senior Living center in Central Florida is ready for the coronavirus vaccine

Promise of a COVID-19 vaccine is weeks away

The promise of a COVID-19 vaccine is weeks away and has offered hope to residents in long-term care facilities.

In a video message on Wednesday Gov. Ron DeSantis reinforced guidance from the CDC recommending residents and staff at long-term care facilities be the first in line to get vaccinated.

[RELATED: Gov. DeSantis shares COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan after CDC recommendations]

Senior regional director of wellness at Sonata Senior Living, Lorrie Kovac, said staff and residents at the facility have been eagerly waiting for the vaccine.

“We are in the cue to be some of the first to receive the vaccine,” Kovac said.

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Kovac said CVS and Walgreens will serve as clinics and administer vaccines to health care workers and residents at the senior living facility.

“They’re the most vulnerable population even though they are not out roaming the streets and becoming infected themselves,” Kovac said.

While the logistics around vaccinating residents and staff may be complex the facility is waiting for the vaccine to be rolled out.

“The vaccine is going to mean life, it’s going to bring life back into the communities, it’s going to allow our family members to come back in,” Kovac said.

Staff at Sonata Living Facility said they are still waiting for advisement on whether Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccine will be approved and administered before determining their distribution plans to safeguard residents from the virus.

“It’s been the most difficult few months of my career, I’ve been a nurse for a lot of years and I have never had to deal with something that has been so excruciating to go through,” she said.