Halie Forstner took a wagon from her home on the Sand Mountain to Chattanooga, TN, to get vaccinated against the Spanish flu in 1918. Last month, she moved into a Chattanooga assisted living community to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
At 109, Forstner is one of the oldest living U.S. citizens and no stranger to the challenges of a pandemic. Born in 1911, she lived through the Spanish flu of 1918, watching friends and family members succumb to the illness. She vividly remembers keeping a safe distance from her father as he battled — and eventually beat — the virus.
She moved into Morning Pointe of Chattanooga at Shallowford, which was rebuilt after the 2020 Easter tornado, in January. Morning Pointe Senior Living is partnering with CVS Health to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in its 35 communities.
“I want to keep myself and others around me safe, so I’m interested in getting the vaccine,” Forstner said.
Greg A. Vital, Morning Pointe Senior Living president, said he was thrilled to welcome Forstner to Morning Pointe.
“It certainly is an honor that she chose Morning Pointe as her next home, and we look forward to celebrating many more milestones with her in the coming years,” he said.
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