HUGE STEP FORWARD
Joy in hospitals as the first injections of the wonder drug are given
SCOTLAND’S army of NHS heroes lined up to be given coronavirus vaccinations yesterday in a programme hailed as the “beginning of the end” of the pandemic.
Frontline care staff were the first to be immunised against Covid-19 thanks to the long-awaited wonder drug from Pfizer.
Doses were issued at hospital vaccinating hubs but will eventually be given to priority patients in care homes and GP surgeries in weeks to come.
First in line at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital was staff nurse Melissa Sheppard.
Following closely behind was colleague Andrew Mencnarowski. He is a senior charge nurse and a clinical lead of outpatient theatres with NHS Lothian. He will now vaccinate colleagues at the hospital.
Mencnarowski said he felt “absolutely fine” after the jab and thanked other staff for their hard work during the pandemic.
He said: “It’s a huge step forward in the battle against the Covid virus. I feel very proud and excited to be part of it all.”
He added: “My department has never stopped. The workload changed but the staff have been absolutely fantastic. They stepped up to the plate. They put themselves out. They went the extra mile on more than one occasion.”
Mencnarowski believes NHS workers will be relieved the vaccine is now being delivered.
He added: “Some staff are a bit wary about it. But the majority of people I’ve spoken to at the Western are keen on the vaccine and are looking forward to getting it.
“It wouldn’t have been passed by the MHRA ( Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) if it wasn’t safe. I know it seems quick but they didn’t cut any corners.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s safe and I’m willing to take the vaccine and move on forward.”
Among others vaccinated was Stirling Council worker Robert Bamford, who helps vulnerable patients readjust to home lifeife after they are discharged from hospital. ospital.
He received his jab att Forth Valley Royal Hospital, near Larbert, and said: “It was absolutelyy fine and no problems at all. A weee bit sore with the needle but straightforward htforward and as simple as a flu jag.
“It was all very well organised. You queue to go in, go to a numbered booth and are given a leaflet after the injection. It’s as simple as that. I’d encourage everyone to take it.”
He added: “Getting the vaccine helps us and those we look after, many of whom have underlying health issues.
“As a health worker, it’s really important for myself and my family. At the start of the outbreak, my wife was really worried about me potentially bringing the virus home so this offers peace of mind.
“This pandemic has been a killer and has taken so many lives but this vaccine is going to help get us back to a normal way of life.”
As well as frontline NHS staff, care home residents and the over-80s are in the first group to be vaccinated.
Scotland’s deputy chief medical officer, Dr Nicola Steedman, visited the Western General as some of the first vaccinations were performed.
She said: “This is a monumental turning point in the pandemic for everyone.
“We’ve waited so long for this. If you’d told us in March or April that it’s been shown to be 95 per cent effective at preventing clinical disease from Covid, we wouldn’t have believed it. This is of absolutely international significance.”
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Science has given us hope and we’re starting on a journey which will eventually allow us to return to the lives we want to lead.”
The Scottish Government said because those being vaccinated need two doses at least 21 days apart, 50 per cent of the vaccines will be kept back to ensure the second injection can be given within the advised time frame.