'The eagle has landed': First coronavirus vaccinations given in Shropshire and Mid Wales
The first Covid vaccination was administered in Shropshire today, marking a major point in the battle against the virus.
Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) received a special delivery of a batch of the Pfizer vaccination yesterday paving the way for vaccinations to begin.
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital has become the base of the programme in the county initially, after it was one of 50 hospitals across the country selected for the programme.
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Dr Arne Rose, medical director at SaTH, confirmed this afternoon that the first vaccination had been given to a vulnerable person at RSH.
He posted a picture of the occasion on Twitter, and said: "Here is the first vulnerable person in Shropshire to receive the @pfizer @BioNTech_Group vaccine.
"The eagle has landed. I am feeling quite emotional."
Dr Catriona McMahon, SaTH's chairwoman, told a meeting of the trust's board this morning that Dr Rose had been busy finalising preparations for the vaccine roll-out.
She said it had given everyone a 'shot in the arm of hope and opportunity' adding: "But we must not forget it's going to be exceptionally hard work for the people who work within health care and social care.
"They will be ensuring both themselves get the vaccine, that they deliver the vaccine to everyone else that needs to have it and critically our most vulnerable people get access to the vaccine first.
"We are delighted but at the same time we must not forget this is hard work."
Louise Barnett, chief executive of SaTH, said: "Today is really exciting in terms of being a vaccine hub.
"We have got many of our colleagues in the trust and our partner organisations involved.
"It's fantastic to be able to play our part in this for the community that we serve."
Eleri Tossell also became the first person in Powys to receive the first dose of the Covid vaccine today.
The district nurse, from Ystradgynlais, who received the jab at Bronllys Hospital, said: “I had the vaccine for protection, so that I can work and care for my patients safely.
"My husband had Covid back in April and was very poorly so I have seen first hand how serious this illness can be.”
Dr Anja Pinhorn works at Brecon Hospital and also received the vaccine this morning.
She said: “I’m over 50, which makes the dangers of Covid even more serious. I’m pleased to have had the vaccine this morning and it didn’t hurt at all.”
The NHS vaccine programme will see patients aged 80 and over who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, and those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay, among the first to receive the jab.
Care home providers have been asked to book staff in to vaccination clinics, while GPs are also expected to begin vaccinating care home residents shortly.
People who receive the jab are given two doses of the vaccine, three weeks apart.
Those who are vaccinated will receive some level of protection around 12 days after the first jab but the best protection comes a week after the second dose.
