#WhyIGotTheShot

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world and changed each of our lives in different ways. As we move forward, we must continue to work diligently in our efforts to promote health and safety in the workplace. Getting your vaccine is crucial and a valuable part of keeping you and your loved ones safe. The OGCA presents #WhyIGotTheShot to share our members' stories and to focus on the “good” during the final stretch of this pandemic.

Deb Henhoeffer, Health and Safety Manager at Melloul-Blamey, shares her story today and why she got her shot.

“Family is very important to me, so when the pandemic hit, I knew that I would do anything I could to get back to my family roots and have our family get-togethers like we used to. Before the pandemic, my family would come over every Sunday for dinner, and once the pandemic hit, we attempted to re-create the tradition over Zoom. Unfortunately, it just wasn't the same. I knew that once vaccines were rolled out, I must get vaccinated for various reasons. As a mother, grandmother and wife, protecting my family and getting back to our roots was extremely important to me. I got my vaccine to protect myself and my family, but I also got my vaccine to protect my work family.

We have a robust support system at Melloul-Blamey that helped us get through the pandemic. When the pandemic happened, we came up with a plan and remained committed. At the end of the day, we are all family and we must look out for each other. We worked very hard to maintain safety and follow the proper COVID-19 procedures.

The construction industry did very well throughout the pandemic. We were able to keep the economy moving, which was great. If we want continued success, we all must work together. We have thousands of workers on our sites every week; not being vaccinated limits you and puts you and others at risk.

I understand the fear of being vaccinated. Everything felt like it was coming at us so fast, but if the government has given us the green light to be vaccinated, we have to trust them. We have to trust our healthcare professionals. We have to trust the science. We just have to have trust. We must have faith that they will not give us something that would harm us. They are here to protect every Ontarian.

Being vaccinated in the construction industry shows a commitment to safety. If we work together, we can make it to whatever our "new normal" will be. It's a team effort!”

For more information on COVID-19, visit: https://ogca.ca/health-safety/covid-19/