Elderly married couple vaccinated together

Elderly married couple of 58 years, Abraham Edmond Schilder (86) and his wife Maureen Roslyne Schilder (84) received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine together at the Yvonne Parfitt Place retirement home in Westridge, Mitchells Plain. 

As the vaccination plans kick into gear this week, Health teams have been going to Old Age Homes in the Metro since Tuesday which assists the Western Cape Government Health in getting to and vaccinating as many registered and eligible people in communities.  

The Schilder’s have been living at the retirement village for six years. They have two children and four grandchildren. While sharing their story and experience, Abraham lovingly assists his wife Maureen in completing her sentences. 

“We never had COVID-19 and when I heard that we could register on the EVDS system, I got excited and couldn’t wait,” says Abraham with excitement. 

“I felt scared but myself and my husband discussed it and we do everything together,” says Maureen. 

Both Abraham and Maureen suffer from chronic illnesses, Abraham has a heart condition and regularly visits his cardiologists while Maureen has diabetes and visits her doctor. 

“We are aware of the side effects of the vaccine but we both think it was a good decision we made to be vaccinated for our safety from the Coronavirus,” says Abraham. 

“I am on blood thinners for my heart and I did consult my doctor before taking the vaccine,” says Abraham. 

“I was afraid, but the staff treated me well, it was not painful at all and the process went very fast,” says Maureen.  

She encourages elderly people to get vaccinated against this virus and as a diabetic, suggests that people must eat before being vaccinated to avoid feeling lightheaded. 

The couple educated themselves on the vaccine by listening to the news on the radio and watching updates on the television. They can’t wait for their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine which they will receive in 3 weeks’ time after receiving their first dose on Wednesday 19 May 2021. 

Registering to receive the vaccine is easy 

Western Cape Government Health encourages all caregivers and family members of persons older than 60 years to register their loved ones on the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS). Remember you can register at no cost by using the USSD service. Dial *134*832# from your phone to start the registration process OR send the word “REGISTER” to 0600 123 456 on WhatsApp OR visit http://vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za. You can also access this link on our website, www.westerncape.gov.za.  

The public is urged to only visit vaccination facilities once their appointments have been confirmed. This will ensure that everyone is assisted and gets vaccinated.