Artis Senior Living will be among the first memory care facilities to hold a COVID-19 vaccine clinic.
Located at 861 Alexander Road in Princeton, the community will make the vaccines available to residents and staff members beginning Feb. 3.
“Today is an exciting day as we take an enormous step in fighting back against this terrible virus that has been controlling our lives for so long,” Don Feltman, Artis Senior Living president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “Through our renowned partnership with physicians from Johns Hopkins, who are on the frontline of COVID research, we formed the Artis Safety Council which has allowed us to monitor the development of the vaccine and plan for the safest way to get it to our residents and associates.”
Two COVID-19 vaccines, produced by Pfizer and Moderna, have now received emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration. The vaccines were developed and tested with tens of thousands participating in the trial. Results show both vaccines to be 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 with no serious side effects reported.
With 20 memory care assisted living communities in operation throughout the U.S., Artis Senior Living is strongly encouraging all of their residents and associates to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to them.
“As a leader in the industry, we are proud to be taking this essential step toward the slow return to normal for our residents, associates and all of their families,” Feltman said in the statement.
Artis Senior Living has planned a vaccine clinic for each of their communities for initial vaccine distribution, with follow-up clinics planned for the second required dose 3–4 weeks later.
“At Artis, we spend each day caring for our most vulnerable population and filling their lives with joy, purpose and engagement, but we also know that the limited time they’ve had with their loved ones in-person has been hard on everyone,” Feltman said in the statement. “With this vaccine, we are one step closer to more frequent visits, one step closer to hugs, one step closer to the peace-of-mind everyone so desperately needs.”
While Feltman has great confidence in the vaccine, he reminds the public that Artis will continue to use all safety protocols developed in partnership with physicians from Johns Hopkins and the Artis Safety Council in an effort to provide the safest possible environment for residents and those caring for them, according to the statement.