Thursday 7th January 2021
Frances Hearne is the first person to receive the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Community Hospital of the Assumption, Thurles.
Frances Hearne, a 90 year-old woman from Mullinahone, has become the first person at Community Hospital of the Assumption to be vaccinated against COVID-19. She got the vaccine today at Community Hospital of the Assumption alongside healthcare workers from the Unit who were also vaccinated.
Frances stated that “that today was a very special day and I couldn’t sleep a wink thinking about it all night. I am especially looking forward to the future as my third great grandchild was born in Clonmel yesterday, there is a great feeling of excitement here today.”
Nessa Merrigan, a CNM1 at Community Hospital of the Assumption was the first staff member to receive the vaccine. Nessa said “I feel very honoured to get the vaccine today, we are lucky here at the Hospital of the Assumption to be one of the fist in the Country and over the next two days all staff and residents will have received their first vaccine and we are grateful for that”
All Staff, residents and their families were given a HSE vaccine information leaflet, along with more detailed manufacturer’s patient information leaflet, before getting the vaccine. Afterwards, each person vaccinated was given a vaccine record card, showing the name and batch of the vaccine they have received. They will each return for their second dose, to be fully protected, in three weeks.
Mairead Greene, Director of Nursing, Community Hospital of the Assumption, Thurles said today: “As the director of nursing I am very pleased the Community Hospital of the Assumption was chosen to be the first to rollout the vaccine in North Tipperary. It is a great day for the staff and residents and there is a great air of positivity, excitement and still a little anxiety in the unit but you get a great sense of people now looking forward with optimism, we are delighted with how today has gone”
Mary O’Brien, Head of Service, Older Persons, HSE Mid West Community Healthcare said today:
‘I am delighted to see the roll out of the COVID vaccine to the first 2 Community Nursing Units in the Midwest. The remaining units will received the first dose of the vaccine in the next few weeks. All Residents and staff welcome this and are delighted to receive the vaccine, uptake is really high overall’.
Anne Ryan, Head of Service, Health and Well-Being & HSE Mid West Community Healthcare Covid-19 Vaccination Lead, said:
'Today is a momentous occasion for us all in the Mid-West as we begin administering the vaccine which will offer protection from coronavirus.
We are looking forward to working with all residential facilities across the Midwest to provide this vital protection for residents and staff.
2020 has been a difficult and demanding one. We now embark on the rollout of the vaccine which offers hope for a better future and a safe and healthy 2021'.
Worldwide, vaccines save at least 2-3 million lives each year – and protect many more from crippling and lifelong illnesses. Only COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorised by the European Medicines Agency, having met stringent safety and effectiveness standards, will be used in Ireland. All COVID-19 vaccines will be carefully monitored over time and updated safety data and information will be published and shared by the HSE, on our website and in our printed information materials.
Everyone can find factual, up-to-date information, based on scientific evidence on:
www.hse.ie/covid19vaccine
www.gov.ie/covid19vaccine
www.hpra.ie
www.who.int
ENDS
Issued by: HSE Mid West Community Healthcare
Notes for Editors:
About the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
The COVID-19 vaccine offers people protection from COVID-19, and getting a COVID-19 vaccine should also protect people from the serious complications of COVID-19. Our aim in offering the vaccine to the population is to protect people and reduce the illness and deaths caused by this virus.
- The first delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine was received by the HSE on December 26th, and the vaccination programme began on December 30th. Based on advice from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC, our first limited stock were given to people in hospital settings, where medical teams can be on call on site.
- From January 4th, the programme is being rolled out to long term residential care facilities for older people. This will be aligned with further and ongoing deliveries of the vaccine, over a 6 week rolling programme throughout all 582 nursing homes, public and private, all over the country. Our vaccinator teams will be giving vaccines at each of those locations, making 2 separate visits, 3 weeks apart.
- In the later phases of the programme that will focus on the next priority groups, people may be vaccinated through mass vaccination clinics, GP surgeries and community pharmacies. This will be done by qualified and trained healthcare workers, including hospital doctors, community medical officers, nurses, GPs and pharmacists. More information will be given about the later phases when they have been agreed and implemented.
- Ireland has approximately 580 nursing homes, 80% of which are privately owned, and the vaccination of their residents is a highly complex process requiring the cooperation of all stakeholders.
- Each CHO is working with their local nursing home providers to finalise their schedules. This requires each provider to assure themselves that they can register each staff member and resident who wishes to take the vaccine and collect the required 55 individual pieces of information on each person who wishes to be vaccinated several days before the vaccination team is due to arrive.
- Each provider must also ensure that each staff member and each resident (and their families where appropriate) understand and give informed consent to the vaccine.
- The target completion date for all 580 Public, Private and Voluntary Nursing Homes is February 28th next, bearing in mind that COVID outbreaks may interrupt vaccination.
- The HSE has commenced an information programme all about the vaccine, starting with printed and online information for the first priority groups being offered the vaccine, along with national and regional radio advertising, and social media advertising on a range of platforms.
- Our information covers the topics that people told us were most important to them – when the vaccine will be available, who is in the priority groups, safety and long-term side effects, and how effective the vaccine is. You can find our vaccine information materials and other details at www.hse.ie/covid19vaccine, and through our social media accounts.
- We encourage everyone in Ireland to read more about the COVID-19 vaccine and to get their information from a factual, trusted source, like the HSE, Gov.ie, the HPRA or the World Health Organisation.