Vantage Point Staff and Residents Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

Staff and residents of Residences at Vantage Point in Downtown Columbia have received the first of the two-part vaccine to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019. Forty-two residents of the Vantage Point Health Center and 49 staff members were given the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, which is injected into the muscle. The two-dose series is administered three weeks apart.

“The residents are happy to have received the vaccine,” said Vantage Point Marketing Director Patti Hutton. “Vantage Point has followed enhanced infection control protocols as recommended by the CDC, State and local Health Departments since March, and residents have proved strong adherents to safety precautions. They were enthusiastic about getting the vaccine,” she added.

Residences at Vantage Point prioritizes the health and safety of its employees and residents, Hutton noted. The retirement community is known for the care being provided and for the safety protocols established at the onset of the pandemic. In addition, Hutton pointed out, Baltimore Magazine recently named Dr. Andrew Lazris, Medical Director for Residences at Vantage Point, among the Top Doctors in the area, specializing in geriatrics.

Vantage Point was selected as a site to administer the vaccine because as a continuing care retirement community it provides assisted living, memory support assisted living and comprehensive nursing care as part of its overall active retirement community. The U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The EUA is supported by a Secretary of Health and Human Services declaration that circumstances exist to justify the emergency use of drugs and biological products during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an ongoing clinical trial, the Pfizer-BNioNTech Vaccine has been shown to prevent COVID-19 following two doses given three weeks apart. The duration of protection against COVID-19 is currently unknown. There is no FDA-approved vaccine to prevent COVID-19.

Residences at Vantage Point is Howard County’s only not-for-profit retirement living community offering a combination of enriching opportunities, flexible living options, and the security and value of a Life Care-style contract. For more information, visit www.VantagePointResidences.org.