‘Emotional day’ as COVID-19 vaccination programme is delivered to first Care Home hours after it is rolled out in NI

Health Minister Robin Swann has welcomed the news that the newly launched Covid-19 vaccination programme has already reached its first care home.
By Gemma Murray
Published 8th Dec 2020, 17:41 BST
Updated 8th Dec 2020, 18:05 BST
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A mobile team from Belfast Health and Social Care Trust vaccinated residents and staff at Palmerston Care Home in Sydenham today.

Palmerston provides care to older people who are living with dementia.

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Further vaccination deployments to care homes are planned for tomorrow, and the intention is to cover all homes across Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.

The hands of an elderly womanThe hands of an elderly woman
The hands of an elderly woman

The Health Minister said: “This is a massive exercise and I am pleased we have already started to deliver on our pledge to prioritise care homes in the first phase of the programme, in line with JCVI advice.

“This has been an emotional day, as we start to allow ourselves to hope for a better future in 2021.

“It is critical that we keep doing everything we can to stop the virus spreading, while we begin the process of vaccinating those considered most at risk from Coronavirus.”

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Registered manager of Palmerston residential home Paul Johnston said: “We are very pleased to be the first care home in Northern Ireland to be included in the Covid-19 vaccination programme. This has been an incredibly tough year for the care home sector and it is great to be able to end it on a hopeful note.

Elderly people in care homes and their carers are top of the list to receive a Covid-19 vaccine after the UK became the first country in the world to approve a jab from Pfizer and BioNTech.Elderly people in care homes and their carers are top of the list to receive a Covid-19 vaccine after the UK became the first country in the world to approve a jab from Pfizer and BioNTech.
Elderly people in care homes and their carers are top of the list to receive a Covid-19 vaccine after the UK became the first country in the world to approve a jab from Pfizer and BioNTech.

“It is so important that everyone remains vigilant about the threat from Coronavirus. The more infection rates increase in the community, the greater the risk is to care homes – so please do all you can to stop the virus spreading.”

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Related topics:Robin SwannCovid-19Health MinisterJCVI