First care home residents and staff to get vaccine

BOSSES HAIL ‘BRILLIANT CHRISTMAS PRESENT’

A CARE home in Mirfield is set to be the first in Kirklees where residents and staff are given the Covid-19 vaccine.

While some people over the age of 80 in the borough have received the coronavirus vaccine, Hopton Cottage Care Home is thought to be the first place where a wide scale vaccination programme will take place.

Sixty residents and about 100 staff are to be offered the life-changing protection from this week.

Hopton Care Cottages director, Joseph Martin, said he was delighted they had been chosen, which he put down to their impeccable infection control standards and their record of keeping the deadly virus out of the home over the past year.

“It’s fantastic that care homes have been put first for once,” he said.

“It’s not bankers getting the vaccine first,

Hopefully it brings the ‘Annus Horribilis’ to an end for residents and they can go back to

normal.

it’s care home residents and staff.

“We’ve had no Covid outbreaks and no deaths at all.

“Kirklees has had a big problem but we haven’t had it at Hopton. “It’s been a difficult year but the last few months have been good so getting this news is the icing on the cake.

“It’s kudos that we’ve been selected and a brilliant Christmas present and hopefully it brings the ‘Annus Horribilis’ to an end for the residents.

“Hopefully after the second dose they’ll be able to see their families again and go back to normal.”

Joseph said keeping Covid at bay had been the home’s “finest hour” in many ways and he paid tribute to his staff and Kirklees Council for their support.

He added: “My staff have saved lives – there’s no doubt about that.

“Kirklees (Council) have been really supportive and worked really well with us, it’s been a great team effort.”