Norma leads the way in vaccine roll-out
AN 80-year-old hospital volunteer who had Coronavirus earlier this year has become the first person in East Lancashire to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
Norma Roe was given the inoculation at Royal Blackburn Hospital on Tuesday and urged other eligible residents to follow her example.
She was the first person to get the Pfizer vaccine from the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust vaccination hub based at the hospital where she has volunteered on the main reception for 14 years.
Vaccinations in Rossendale will begin before the New Year, although exact dates and venues are yet to be confirmed.
A council spokesperson told the Free Press people should NOT contact their GP to find out about vaccinations, but instead please wait to be contacted.
Norma, from Blackburn, said: “I am delighted to be the first person to get the vaccine and I have been made to feel very special by the vaccinating team!
“I was actually very poorly with Covid-19 earlier this year so I had no hesitation in getting the vaccination when it was offered to me.
“I feel it is extremely important to protect yourself and others from the spread of Covid-19 as it is a really unpleasant illness to have.”
Kevin McGee, chief executive of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “It is fantastic news that the trust has now been able to begin administering the vaccine, taking us one step further in the fight against this dreadful virus.
“I am so extremely grateful to the number of different teams both within our hospitals and our partners that have come together to make this happen.”