A personal support worker for 32 years was the first person in Ontario to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

”Thank you very much for your help,” Anita Quidangen said after rolling up her sleeve at University Health Network.

She was one of three PSWs, a registered nurse and registered practical nurse from the Rekai Centre at Sherbourne Place to get their shots as onlookers cheered.

The Rekai Centre is a long-term care facility run by the University Health Network.

Dr. Kevin Smith is President and CEO of UHN.

”Thanks to basic science and thanks to the collaboration with the commercial enterprise like Pfizer and BioNTech, here we are today breaking the back of this horrible virus,” said Dr. Smith

Ontario’s received 6,000 doses and plans to give them to about 2,500 health-care workers.

They’ll get the first of their two shots this week, then the required second one 21-days later.

Meanwhile, a resident of a long-term care home in Quebec City was the first to receive the shot in Canada.

Officials started administering them to residents there as well as a home in Montreal. 

Health-care workers at both facilities will be next, followed by workers at other nursing homes in Quebec. 

Both facilities have special freezers capable of keeping the Pfizer vaccine at the required temperature.