Vitals staffer Gary Zavoral contributed to this story.
John Mertens commanded attention with his towering 6-foot-plus frame as he strolled into one of Sutter’s greater Sacramento area vaccine clinics. The 76-year-old retired computer analyst and Vietnam veteran was ready to roll up his sleeve right there at check-in to get his shot.
From Mertens’ perspective, he’s known too many people who have gotten COVID-19 to take any chances. Several friends and immediate family members have had mild cases, but it has only affirmed his choice to get vaccinated.
John Mertens has Patricia Hinahon prep his arm for a COVID-19 vaccine shot.
Mertens acknowledges that even with vaccinations, there still may be limitations on what activities he can enjoy with family and friends. It doesn’t mean he can’t dream about it, his green eyes glinting above his blue and white surgical mask. For one, he can’t wait to jog back out onto the softball field. He’s been playing in league tournaments across the country since he was 50, which he humorously refers to as his “rookie” year. Mertens’ cheering section will also grow this summer as he gears up to welcome his first grandchild this summer.
It’s clear that he is ready and excited for whatever the future holds.
“I can’t wait to get the next [dose] and get back on with our lives, whatever ‘normal’ is going to be. I don’t need another pandemic in my lifetime,” he said. “I’m also tired of puzzles and TV.”
Mertens was one of several Sutter patients who was able to schedule vaccination appointments at Sutter vaccine clinics, where hundreds of seniors and healthcare workers have recently received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Beginning in February, Sutter Health will also be opening multiple large-scale vaccination clinics in the Bay Area and the greater Valley region. By expanding capacity, health systems can continue deploying as much vaccine as possible to eligible patients, as supply allows. All vaccinations need to be made by appointment.
Click here to read more about who is eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination at Sutter Health, and how to do it.
Date night has taken on a new meaning for the Fogersons. Charlene, 76, and Arron, 81, recently ventured out to get their initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Medical Assistant Arieta Caberi places bandage on arm of Arron Fogerson after COVID-19 vaccine shot.
During the pandemic, the couple have spent their time as safely as possible. They have driven to the coast to take in the scenery. They have chatted with their grandkids over the phone. They have also checked in on friends and neighbors who live by themselves and may need an extra hand. But once they heard that vaccine was available for their age group, they immediately hopped online to schedule their appointments. The CDC says those 75 years or older are one of the more vulnerable populations against the coronavirus.
The couple, who will be married 34 years this April, say the vaccine will help provide them some peace of mind during an uncertain time.
“It will take the edge off,” Arron said. It will help “to get over the anxiety so we can see our kids,” Charlene added. It also gives them some added motivation to organize and sort the various trinkets and treasures for their new antique business.
Call their date night a date with destiny. Sporting small adhesive bandages on their arms inside one of Sutter’s Sacramento-area vaccine clinics, the Fogersons are ready for the next adventure.
Sherry Klootwyk, right, shows where her husband, Ron, got his COVID-19 vaccine shot at a Sacramento-area clinic.
At another Sacramento-area vaccine clinic, Sherry and Ron Klootwyk were becoming the first seniors in their neighborhood to get the vaccine.
“We got a lot living we want to do,” said Sherry, 77, on why they got the vaccinations. “We’ve been mostly at home for the last nine months, and we’re ready to move on. We want to see our grandkids and our great-grandkids.”
The longtime Sutter patients raised their family in Sunnyvale and have their physicians there. They were early users of the video visits that Sutter rolled out about the time they moved to Chico a few years ago, and do most of their appointments by phone. But they take little trips for quick treatments … and important vaccinations.
Ron, 84, said the visits they ultimately look forward to most are the ones to visit two great-granddaughters.
“One of our grandsons is a paramedic and EMT in Spokane, Washington,” Sherry said, “and he has our two little great-granddaughters. Oh how we’d like to go to Spokane!”
Lyn Kelley, 77, of Granite Bay got her vaccination, and she’s looking forward to a little normalcy after she has both doses.
“I’ve been eager to protect myself,” she said. “We have four sons and seven grandchildren, and we had regular family get-togethers that we were doing and aren’t now. It’s just been really tough, but we don’t want to take any chances. So we’re really grateful for the vaccine.”
William Dunk, 83, of Roseville remembers well the excitement for the polio vaccine in the mid-1950s. Because of the vaccine, polio has been eradicated in the Western Hemisphere.
“I got the polio vaccine more than 60 years ago, and I haven’t gotten polio,” he said. “I wouldn’t be getting the COVID vaccine if I didn’t have confidence in it, too.”
