COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 100-year-old retired Ohio State medical center administrative assistant rolled up her sleeve Tuesday and became the first senior to get a COVID-19 shot at Wexner’s new mass vaccination site.

Helen Formet, of Dublin said, “I’m so excited, I could jump up and down. If I were a little younger I would. Having this vaccine is so important to me and it’s important to everyone who is getting it today."

Ohio began Phase “1B” of immunizations on Monday, marking the first day of appointments for seniors 80 and older. Vaccination sites began receiving vaccine shipments Monday, and for many sites, opened their doors Tuesday.

Formet spent part of her 28-year career working as an assistant for renowned surgeon Dr. Robert Zollinger, who made significant advances studying the gut and pancreas. She lacked formal training, but she made the most of her skills with bookkeeping and records. Formet and her six siblings were raised during the Great Depression, and learned a work ethic from a young age, which she says she passed on to her sons.

She fell in love as a student at Ohio State, but her husband, who also worked in health care, “got involved with a nurse, so I raised my boys by myself,” she said.

Her family is well-connected at Ohio State, said her youngest son, David Brehm, 66, who is an alum himself, as are two of his three brothers. She had a 32-year-streak without missing an Ohio State football home game.

 

 

Brehm said his mother seemed to be enjoying her moment in the spotlight.

“Someone just got the idea, and we said she wouldn't shy away from that,” he said. “She loves attention.”

Formet said she lives an active lifestyle for someone her age. Two of her sons visit often, but she lives independently in a condo. Even in quarantine, Formet said she likes to glam every morning. Under her mask, she’s wearing lipstick, she says.

“I love life. I have a lot of friends, and a good church. I have so many things that I have to be thankful for,” Formet said.

Even with the vaccine, Formet said she is still going to be careful. When asked what the vaccine will allow her to do, she said, "It will allow me to keep wearing my mask!”

But it is sigh of relief to finally have protection from a virus that she says has caused so much tragedy for some of her friends, including several who have lost their parents during the pandemic. Being in the hospital at 100, unable to be visited by family, terrifies her.

After she gets her second shot, she said she looks forward to seeing her grandkids, some of whom live in California.

“We have definitely been curtailed on the family gatherings,” she said. “It’s a sad time for a lot of people. They don’t even get to see their loved ones when they are in the hospital. It is wonderful that we now have this vaccine. I can’t tell you how excited I am just to be here.”

And she misses her church, Northwest Chapel Grace Brethren, though she stays “well-fed spiritually” watching sermons on YouTube. But she may not be going back anytime soon, because her church stopped services after someone tested positive.

As Formet was being monitored for any side effects, she said she felt great, other than being a bit tired after having to wake up for a 7 a.m. appointment.

“I feel great. I feel wonderful, but it’s the middle of the night for me,” she said.