A COVID-19 Vaccine Story: Patricia Dela Torre of Educare DC

When the pandemic started, Patricia Dela Torre had a reaction similar to other people. She thought it would be like a vacation, albeit one centered around teleworking from home. That feeling didn’t last long though. “After like two weeks and three weeks, it’s like, I want to go out,” said Dela Torre. “I want to go to work.”

It was several months before Dela Torre was able to return to work. Educare DC, where Dela Torre is the Director of Comprehensive Services, closed its doors to on-site instruction on March 16, 2020 , and remained 100% virtual until August 4, 2020 when it started to reopen classrooms. Reopening in the time of COVID brought a lot of changes to the center. 

For instance, limits were put in place on who could enter their building, including not allowing parents to come inside. Instead of serving children family-style for meals, which is normally one way they teach kids social skills, they had to feed kids in groups of no more than three in and pre-plate the food, a change which limited interaction. Then there’s enrollment and attendance.

“Right now, we have 40 kids,” said Dela Torre. “There are only like 25 constant children who are coming in because [parents] just want to have the slot for their child in case they feel comfortable to let the child come in. As long as they have the support they will still let their child just stay at home, so that’s one thing, the chronic absenteeism.”

Even though getting kids to attend in-person has been a challenge, Educare DC still has to be cautious about who they let into classrooms.

“We are so strict right now when it comes to the exclusion of kids, especially with a runny nose or fever even if we know that the child already [has] allergies,” said Dela Torre. “I always explain to parents that we are not medical providers. We don’t diagnose. We need to have you bring your child to the doctor and let the doctor diagnose that it’s not because of COVID that the child has fever but other things. Once I have that note, then we can let the child return.”

Hope with the Vaccine

As Educare DC’s Director of Comprehensive Services, Dela Torre is well aware of how the pandemic has affected staff morale. Despite the precautions taken at the center, uncertainty about exposure persists. “It’s unending questions like, what if it’s here?” says Dela Torre. 

She’s hopeful though that with the vaccine, those fears might subside. “For me, the vaccine is like the magic bullet that I’ve been waiting for that we all need to have that's like a solution for our problem right now.”

One hurdle to reaching full vaccination is hesitancy to getting the vaccine. For some at Educare DC this is due to pre-existing reservations about vaccines, and for others it’s uncertainty about which vaccine to get. Luckily for Dela Torre, her role at Educare DC puts her in a position to promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. 

“At the Comprehensive Services Department, we are the one in charge for the health and safety of all staff and children,” said Dela Torre. “We encourage people to ask questions. We try to listen to them and if we don’t know the answers, I will find out to the best of my ability and just to show them that I support them whatever their decision is.”

Taking the Vaccine

When talking to colleagues about the vaccine, one thing Dela Torre is able to do is draw from her own experience. From the moment she was eligible Dela Torre was ready to get the vaccine. Despite her eagerness though, getting the shot wasn’t easy. The initial process of Educare DC sending her name to OSSE and in turn being sent a link to sign-up with One Medical was simple enough. The challenge came with actually getting an appointment.

Patricia Dela Torre Taking her first COVID-19 vaccine shot on February 24th.

“The thing is, although I was registered, I was really struggling to get the [slot] to get the vaccination because it opened only [at] 12 noon and 7pm. When they opened at 12 noon, by 12:05 all slots were taken so it was frustrating.  You’re almost there but still you cannot get it. And then, wait again, 7 o’clock,  and then just a few minutes [later], all slots are taken.”

For a week after her first attempt Dela Torre kept checking the One Medical website, One Medical app, and her phone for an available slot. Her diligence ultimately paid off, and she received her first shot on February 24, 2021 with her second shot soon after on March 2. 

Even though Dela Torre was happy to get the vaccine, she still felt some nerves. “Being a Filipino, I always pray. I [prayed] that the vaccine [would] have the kind of effect that it’s made for. [I made] a sign of a cross and everything.” 

While she did have a mild reaction, it wasn’t until about 15 hours after and included some soreness at the injection site, fatigue, and a headache. “I know those are reactions but your apprehension is still building up,” said Dela Torre. “After 24 hours, it’s okay. There’s no more.”

Even though Dela Torre had prepared herself for a more intense reaction with the second dose, it ended up being a better experience for her. 

“The second dose is a little better because you know already what’s going on. Some people said the second dose is much worse because you already have the allergen inside your body, then once you are exposed to another one, it will react and things like that. In my case, it did not. It was a little better, still the soreness and a little headache but it was bearable.”

Talking About the Vaccine

Now that she’s had the vaccine, Dela Torre wants to encourage those who are on the fence to take it. Part of that is because beyond her experience with Educare DC, she’s felt the effects of COVID first hand. 

In just the week prior to our interview with her, Dela Torre lost three people close to her because of COVID, including a first cousin.

“She was very scared to even get the test,” said Dela Torre. “ She was only there in the hospital for 15 hours and she’s gone.”

Dela Torre’s cousin wasn’t alone in her fear around COVID. Even though the vaccine in the Philippines is free, the misconception that it’s a way to make people sick is prevalent in Iloilo, Dela Torre’s hometown in the Philippines. Her desire to counteract this fallacy contributed to her becoming a part time foreign correspondent with Bombo Radyo, a major radio network across the Philippines.

“One reason … I was broadcasting is to encourage people that the vaccine is safe,” said Dela Torre. “After I talked, it’s so nice to hear that a lot of people reached out to me and because of what I explained, they’re now willing to take the vaccine.”

This is a message Dela Torre wants to bring to her community in DC as well.

“I want to say that COVID is very real. It hits home so hard. I think getting the vaccine is not only just to protect yourself but also to protect people around you, your loved ones, being kind, and being kind of maybe a patriotic way of doing things because we are social people. For those who are hesitant, please go to reliable sources like the World Health Organization, CDC, and DC Health COVID-19 vaccine. Go to their websites and educate yourself how beneficial, how safe this vaccination [is] and the efficacy of this one. As I’ve mentioned earlier in my previous interview [with Bombo Radyo], what would you rather choose, zero immunity or 95% immunity? Your call.”