Team of nurses vaccinates homebound Queens residents
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VNSNY nurse Shana Powell has vaccinated hundreds of homebound residents in Queens. Photo courtesy of VNSNY.
By Jacob Kaye
With over half of New York City at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19 and infection rates hitting new lows, one group in Queens is doing their part to keep those numbers going in the right direction.
Nurses with the nonprofit Visiting Nurse Service of New York have spent the past month visiting homebound residents to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine. So far, the team of 10 nurses has vaccinated over 1,300 people in Queens.
Deploying the small team of nurses across the borough, VNSNY has vaccinated residents who are unable to head down to the pharmacy or to their doctor’s office to get the life-saving vaccine.
“I’ve seen people tear up out of joy, they take pictures, they take selfies, so they can show family members and post on social media to say they finally got the vaccine,” said Shana Powell, a nurse with VNSNY. “They’re very excited when they see me coming to give the vaccine.”
VNSNY partnered with the city early this year and signed on to be the Queens provider for the city’s COVID-19 Homebound Vaccination Program. The organization has no doubt contributed to the borough’s strong vaccination efforts. Queens has the second highest rate of inoculation, with 52 percent of adults having received at least one dose of the vaccine. Only Manhattan, with 60 percent, has a higher vaccination rate.
“When the opportunity came up for us to partner with the city on this very important initiative to offer the vaccine to individuals who can’t otherwise leave their home to get to their doctor’s office or the pharmacy, we really couldn't be more in line in the mission and were excited to join forces to get that done,” said Maya Seidel, the co-leader of VNSNY’s partnership with the NYC COVID-19 Homebound Vaccination Program.
The organization, which is one of the largest providers of home care in the country, has adapted to the demands of the pandemic, something it’s done multiple times in its 127 year history.
The organization has offered aid during the influenza pandemic in 1918, polio scares, the AIDS epidemic, 9/11 and Superstorm Sandy.
“Our mission and our history has been to collaborate and coordinate care with other organizations and the city and state to find solutions to the health care needs of our patients, their families and their communities,” Seidel said.
Powell, who’s been a nurse for a decade, said she vaccinates 10 patients a day, five days a week and has been doing so for around four weeks through the homebound vaccination program. In the past month, she’s inoculated around 200 people with the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
“We’re saving lives,” she said. “It’s been very touching. From what I saw last year, to this year – it’s been a great feeling to know that I’m helping so many other people.”
If you, or someone you know, is homebound, visit vnsny.org/homevaccine or call 646-599-3034 to sign up for an appointment.
