BATON ROUGE – Many eager nursing home residents will have to wait until the new year to be vaccinated. Facilities are starting to receive the date of when a pharmacist will come and administer the vaccines. Those doses will go to skilled nursing homes first, and then to assisted living facilities.

“Hopefully we can get back to normal and end the pandemic,” said Lakesha Davis, the Director of Nursing at Jefferson Manor.

Davis signed up with both CVS and Walgreens to get the shots. Walgreens got back to her and scheduled a pharmacist to administer the first round of the COVID-19 vaccine on January 5.

“The vaccine is bringing them hope to when they get their vaccine and spend more time with their family and bring a little sense of normalcy back,” said Davis.

Having a date set puts Jefferson Manor ahead of facilities. Many assisted living facilities haven’t heard when they’ll get vaccinated, as nursing homes are a top priority in Louisiana.

The majority of the residents and half of the staff have given their consent to get the shot.

"Initially the staff were iffy, I've encouraged the staff, I've encouraged the residents as well,” said Davis.

Other nursing homes in Baton Rouge have been given a vaccination date. The majority are in January. Baton Rouge Health Care Center is scheduled to get the vaccines on January 11, Capital Oaks is scheduled for the first round of doses on January 18, and Old Jefferson Community Center is scheduled for January 31.