PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia's oldest living resident, who lived through the 1918 flu pandemic, has now received her coronavirus vaccine.
Saying "amen," 108-year-old Ruth Hopson of Wynnefield Heights got the first of two Pfizer shots inside her daughter's condominium. 77-year-old Merle Hopson and her sister, 72-year-old Carla Tyson, are their mother's caretakers and were rolling up their sleeves to get the vaccine too.
Merle Hopson said her mother is homebound and hasn't seen her other family members for a year. Once she is fully vaccinated, however, that will change.
"We held the idea of reuniting with her family as a little carrot to make her aware that good times are ahead and she'll see her family again once more," she said.
Oak Street Health made the home visit and Hopson and her family are extremely grateful.
"We were so happy that this was available to us," said Merle Hopson. "Otherwise we would probably still be searching for someone to help us out."
In her heyday, Hopson said, she was a great dancer. In fact, she was so happy about the vaccine she said she wanted to do the Charleston.
