Vaccinations start in nursing homes

BLAINROE Lodge in Wicklow town is the first nursing home in the county to receive vaccinations against Covid after all residents were vaccinated ahead of schedule on Tuesday.

The rollout in nursing homes was been pushed forward by several days after reassurances from Pfizer orders are secure and will be delivered. Initially residents at Blainroe weren’t due to get the vaccination until Friday.

Director of Nursing at Blainroe Lodge Nursing Home, Louise Moran, confirmed that all of 56 residents were vaccinated.

She said: ‘We were nervous at first but once we got up and running it was absolutely fine. All of the residents were extremely happy with the process and are absolutely delighted to get the vaccine. They were all in great spirits afterwards.’

Among the first to receive the vaccination was 96 year old Charlotte Bestall, who is originally from Barniski in Arklow.

Also taking it all in her stride was Margaret Pollard, who will be 100 in July. The mother of four, grandmother and great-grandmother has been a resident of Blainroe since 2018. When asked about how she felt after receiving the vaccination, she said: ‘It was great, only a little prick.’

All nursing homes in Wicklow should have received their second dose and be fully vaccinated by the end of February.

Minister Stephen Donnelly said: ‘By the end of March we intend to have 700,000 people including nursing home residents and staff as well as frontline medical workers vaccinated.’