SALT LAKE CITY – The first Utah veterans to live in a long-term care facility received COVID-19 vaccines at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City Monday.
It was a life-changing opportunity for Dana Hare, 39, who has been in Iraq twice and is now undergoing a drug abuse program as a result of his post-traumatic stress disorder. He has been in hospital for over two months.
“I didn’t think I would be the first,” Hare told KSL. “I want to start meeting people I know and love. I want to take off these masks and start meeting again.”
Hare said the isolation resulting from COVID-19 was difficult to treat.
“It’s been difficult, that’s already a symptom of our disease. We need interaction with our families – that’s one of the things that keeps us healthy,” Hare said.
That same feeling for veteran Christian Smith, 41, who is also going through a drug abuse program to get his life back in order. He was the second person in the hospital to get vaccinated.
Here it is the 1st Utah Veteran (not a health worker) to receive the # Covid vaccine@ KSL5TVpic.twitter.com/TTYnybtSmR
– Dan Rascon (@TVDanRascon) December 28, 2020
“I feel a little guilty. I’m 41. I think there are older people who need it,” Smith told KSL. He said the isolation was a big challenge for him as well as he tries to recover from his PTSD.
“It really affected my recovery and I immediately started to struggle. It really hurt my recovery,” he said.
Medical center administrators said Monday was a huge day to get the doors open again for these veterans.
“It’s better than Christmas,” said Ashley Phillips, the primary care nurse at the medical center. “I want to be able to give all of our veterans that vaccine as soon as possible so that they can be reintroduced into that society. We don’t want them to become socially isolated at all.”
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And Rascon