Dieppe woman wonders why hospital-bound husband can't get a booster

Marti O'Connell figures if there's one place someone could get a booster shot for COVID-19, it would be in a hospital. 

But O'Connell's husband has been at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton since mid-November, and he has yet to get his booster — despite repeated requests. 

O'Connell said she phoned the hospital at least four times and spoke to someone different each time. She also called Public Health, has spoken to her MLA, and sent an email to Health Minister Dorothy Shephard. 

"I have called time after time to the hospital and apparently their hands are tied. They have no say on it," said O'Connell.

"It's just shocking to me." 

After hearing so much about outbreaks in hospitals and people catching COVID-19 while in hospital, O'Connell is concerned about her 73-year-old husband catching it. 

"He's a vulnerable senior. I mean, all they do is go on and on and on and on in the news about how vulnerable our seniors are. And to see this happening … it's just outrageous." 

Jerry O'Connell has Alzheimer's disease. He started living at a nursing home last year but was sent to hospital after a series of falls. He's been waiting ever since for a spot at a nursing home that can handle his cognitive needs and his limited mobility issues, his wife explained. 

Since he isn't able to advocate for himself, Marti O'Connell has been trying to do it for him — and all the while, COVID cases in hospitals have soared. That's why she's trying so hard to get him a booster. 

"I mean, how hard is it for someone in a hospital to give a needle?" 

There's a nurse for that

In an email on Friday, Health Department spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane said, "Although we cannot talk about specific cases, the regional health authorities have been asked to ensure that all patients in hospital that are awaiting a nursing home bed should be offered a booster-third dose once 5 months has passed since their second dose was administered."

When asked if the shot would be given in the hospital, Macfarlane said it would. 

When an extended care patient in hospital is due for their vaccine, he said, a  [in hospital] is due for their vaccine, a
"public health information solution" nurse is assigned to administer the vaccine, he said.

O'Connell said no one has ever mentioned such a nursing position and she intends to inquire about it on Monday.

Her husband had his second vaccine dose on July 7.

A spokesperson for the Vitalité Health Network deferred to the Health Department when asked about the booster delay.

"As your question was related to Public Health, Bruce Macfarlane from the Department of Health sent you a response," wrote Thomas Lizotte on Friday. 

He did not respond to followup questions by publication time.