Meet the team that helped get vaccinations to so many of us
Last Wednesday marked a year since the first coronavirus jabs were administered at the International Centre of Life in Newcastle. SAM VOLPE speaks to some of those who have been involved in the massive vaccination effort – an effort that must now be stepped up once again to beat back Omicron
SINCE Suzanne Medows gave the first Covid-19 vaccine at the Centre for Life on December 8 2020, more than 231,500 doses have been administered there.
On the anniversary of that first jab, staff at the vaccination centre reflected on “an incredible achievement”.
But even as they did so, an even bigger vaccination drive was being planned to deal with the rise of the Omicrom variant.
One member of the vaccination team said they themselves had given more than 14,000 jabs.
Suzanne, a nurse who retired on November 30 last year, only to return to work to train vaccinators just 24 hours later, explained how she was drafted to deliver the first jab.
She said: “As I was retiring, Neil Watson [who leads the North East and North Cumbria vaccine programme] asked me if I would be prepared to come back and train staff in how to give vaccinations and how to handle the fragile vaccines we would be using. I said I would. But I had planned for a month off before coming back, instead I had 24 hours. Of course I was straight in.”
And Suzanne, who lives in Whitley Bay, said that when health bosses needed someone to give the first vaccine, “they just thought, ‘oh, she can do it’”.
The former senior nurse at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust added: “It was a really amazing experience.
“I have had the most wonderful time doing this, and eventually did finish and retire in September. I feel like I have done something that’s really, really worthwhile.
“I’ve been working with an amazing team of people, and people who I would never in my career have had the chance to work with.
“I even trained the Royal Marines bandsmen to be vaccinators – and
they were the best students I have had in 42 years!”
With the centre now playing a key role in the effort to ensure every adult is offered a booster vaccine by the end of this month, the team at the Centre for Life also encouraged everyone eligible to come forward.
Booking a booster is open to all adults who had their second jab at least three months ago.
Dr Stewart Findlay, clinical director of the vaccine programme, said the past year had been a hectic one.
He added: “I have never been as busy in my life as I have been since I took on this job. At the beginning, it was extremely difficult.
“We had GPs who had been working in the most difficult environment for a year – trying to protect staff and patients from Covid – and they then had to help roll out vaccinations very, very quickly. We had guidance change perhaps hourly but certainly daily.
“We were treating the vaccines like liquid gold at the beginning, no-one wanted to waste a drop.”
Dr Findlay, who has also held a number of senior roles at County Durham CCG and spent decades as a GP added that medical staff had worked incredibly hard on the vaccination programme.
“All of our staff, our GPs, practice managers, practice staff, pharmacists all did a brilliant job – and as a result primary care has given the vast majority of vaccinations,” he said.
“It’s very very difficult at the moment. I think many members of the public think life is back to normal – of course it’s far from normal.
“The workload on GPs is as high as it has ever been. I don’t think our GPs have ever worked as hard as they are at the moment – and that’s not even accounting for their role in the vaccine programme.”
He said many GPs were forgoing holidays and working seven-day weeks to help get the jabs to people, but warned this was not sustainable.
Reflecting on the anniversary of the vaccine programme, Dr Findlay added: “As we come to the end of this year of delivering the vaccine it’s important to look back and think about what a huge achievement this has been, how many lives we have saved and how much we have done to improve the economy to get us out of the economic disaster Covid has inflicted on us.
“Without the incredible vaccination staff across the region, this country would still be in the sort of mess places like Germany and Austria and others are in at the moment.”
Dr Findlay said the emergence of the Omicron variant had highlighted that it was vital there was a “truly worldwide effort” to vaccinate people against the virus.
Sue Short, who used to be a district nurse based in Blaydon came out of retirement in February to join up at the Centre for Life as a vaccinator. She said: “I did that to help with the vaccination roll-out and to save still-registered nurses from coming out of the NHS to do this, and so I could help relieve some of the pressure on them. I have found it incredibly rewarding. My family were saying I needed to get out of the house!”
Linda Conlon, chief exec at the Centre for Life, said agreeing to host the mass vaccination centre there was an easy decision, citing a “long and fruitful relationship with the NHS” over the centre’s 22-year history.
She added: “What’s interesting is we were the first science centre in the world to set up a vaccination centre onsite.
“Twelve months on and it’s been a really great fit. It fits with our mission – to support world class science and health and to make it accessible and relevant to everyone in the North East. What’s more relevant than a vaccination centre?”
She also paid tribute to the “incredible staff” adding: “Many have been working here for the whole year, and they continue to be so incredibly helpful and as welcoming as they were on the very first day.
“It’s such an achievement to be like that every single time.”
Matron Alison Heathcote, one of the clinical managers at the centre, said: “It’s been such an amazing experience. I have been able to work with so many wonderful professionals – people from the ambulance service, people from the army.
“It’s been a great example of people all coming together. It’s been hard work, especially with so much change which at times has been challenging, but it’s been incredibly positive and I’ve been privileged to be part of it.”
Prof Neil Watson added: “I remember that very first day where we had people who were so very keen to get their vaccine. One lady in particular stood out for me. It was the first time she had been out of the house in months, she was so grateful and said it was like a day trip out.
“It was an enormous privilege to be able to witness that joy and to be part of delivering hope to people. Everyone who has worked on the programme of course have worked very hard and continue to do so as we deliver vaccines to the over 12s and boosters ahead of winter.”