Sara Guenther was first in line.
The staff at Stuart Nechako Manor long-term care home in Vanderhoof thought she deserved to the first to be immunized when the city received its first shipment of COVID vaccine on Friday and it was a popular choice, especially considering Guenther will soon be celebrating a monumental birthday.
“She is the oldest in the building, she will be 102 next month, glad she was first,” wrote Cherie Currie, on the Northern Health Vanderhoof Facebook site.
“Awww Sara,” posted Mandy Polson.
“Love her so much,” wrote Michelle Nylander, who punctuated her message with a red heart emoji.
Fort St. James also received its first batch of the vaccine on Friday and Gertie Gardner, a long-term care patient at Stuart Lake Hospital was the first to be immunized. Dr. Paul Stent was first among the physicians to receive his vaccine shot.
Northern Health is planning more immunization clinics for early next week to administer the vaccine to more care home residents, health care staff and physicians.
After receiving its initial supplies of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines starting in late December, Northern Health has been focusing on immunizing high-risk patients and staff in long-term care and assisted-living residences and so far has administered 5,000 doses.
Starting in April, as more vaccine becomes available, Northern Health plans to ramp up its immunization program to 5,600 does per day. As of Thursday, the province had given 100,000 doses and the goal is to have 4.3 million adults immunized by the end of September.
