Fay (81) one of first to get COVID jab
Care home vaccine roll-out
The first COVID-19 vaccinations have been delivered to residents and staff at a Perth care home as the vaccine programme rolls out across Tayside.
Fay Mackay (81), resident at the Balhousie North Inch care home, was one of the first care home residents to receive the Pfizer vaccine in the region this week.
It follows on from last week’s launch of the vaccine roll-out to frontline health workers.
The phased programme will see more than 8000 care home residents and staff vaccinated over the coming weeks.
Fay Mackay said: “It’s just a wise thing to do.
“I think it’s silly to refuse it just in case it spreads.”
Emma Roberts, operations manager for the Balhousie Care Group was also vaccinated and said: “We’re extremely proud that Balhousie North Inch, our very first care home in Perthshire, was able to be part of history today for Tayside.
“Getting a COVID-19 vaccine – especially if you work with vulnerable groups - is an important step in preventing the spread of the virus.
“For us at Balhousie Care Group it is another tool to making safe care home visits happen, alongside excellent infection prevention and control and efficient and accurate testing.”
NHS Tayside director of public health Emma Fletcher said: “The extent of the work undertaken to get us to this point cannot be underestimated and it is the product of a lot of effort from many teams in the NHS, Health and Social Care Partnerships and care homes themselves.
“The logistics of the delivery of this vaccine are complicated and therefore everything we are doing is designed with patient safety as a priority.
“We are planning every aspect very carefully with all our partners and I would like to thank everyone involved for the immense work undertaken so far.
“I would strongly encourage all eligible care home residents and staff to take up the offer of the vaccine – it is the best way to protect themselves and others.
“I would also like to say that this is the biggest vaccination programme ever undertaken and it is important that we look at it as a marathon not a sprint.
“We are starting to vaccinate those who are most vulnerable and in the highest risk categories and then we will be working through other priority groups in our population.
“A final plea to everyone in Tayside is to stick with the rules.
“Wear a face covering, avoid crowded places, clean your hands frequently, stay two metres apart and selfisolate and book a test if you have symptoms.”
I think it’s silly to refuse it just in case it spreads