Once the 15 minutes was up, these residents were treated to coffee, cookies, and a picture of themselves as superheroes — flowing capes and all. The superhero photoshoot was arranged by facility staff and Andy Anderson, Avondell’s executive director, because it is heroic, indeed, to be a part of the effort to mitigate the virus that has harmed so many.

Anderson told The Baltimore Sun, “They are superheros; that is why we did it like this.”

Reportedly, Anderson was very relieved to see that so many people at the center were more than willing to get the vaccine, particularly when the staff had initially anticipated that only about 90% of the residents would consent to doing so.

“It has been a lift, but a very necessary and a very welcome one, because this is us getting over yet another major hurdle in this pandemic,” Anderson told The Baltimore Sun. “This community has risen to every challenge that it has been given, and for 99% of our residents to say ‘I want to be a part of the solution,’ it just speaks volumes to the people that live here.”

Between Brightview Avondell and the Brightview assisted living and memory care facility down the road, a total of almost 400 people were inoculated in one day. A follow-up date has been scheduled for February 15 to give them their second doses, as well as to inoculate any new residents and staffers. The vaccine was not mandatory for residents or staffers.

As staunch advocates for nursing home residents’ rights, Brown & Barron, LLC’s legal team has been keeping a keen eye on Maryland’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout. We are very happy to see the groundbreaking progress being made in the fight against COVID-19. The hope that this pandemic will come to an end has turned out to be more than just a beacon.

To speak to a legal representative, contact Brown & Barron, LLC online or at (410) 698-1717.