Staff in University Hospital Galway were among those who received the first doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine administered on Tuesday, with management immediately hailing it as a milestone event which will offer protection for staff and patients who come into contact with the deadly virus.
Lorna Quinn Assistant Director of Nursing and one of the peer vaccinators who will deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to staff based in University Hospital Galway was the first staff member in the hospital and the Saolta Group to receive the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. Lorna received the vaccine from her UHG nursing colleague Michelle McNamara Nee.
The vaccine was one of the 10,000 doses received by the HSE on December 26. By the end of this week, more than 500 staff will be vaccinated at UHG and the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination will continue over the coming weeks.
Speaking afterwards, Lorna Quinn said she was delighted to get this vaccine.
“I am one of the assigned peer vaccinators who will deliver the vaccine to staff across the hospital and I am really looking forward to being part of this historic vaccination campaign. Information will be provided to each person who receives the vaccine explaining the process to them, including the requirement to receive a second dose of this vaccine in three weeks,” she said.
Chris Kane, Hospital Manager at Galway University Hospitals, which includes University Hospital Galway said that everyone in University Hospital Galway is delighted to see the commencement of this vaccination programme there on site.
Protection
“The COVID-19 vaccine offers us protection from COVID-19 and from the serious complications it can cause. Our plan is to provide the vaccine in the first instance to those staff directly providing care to confirmed and suspect COVID-19 cases including the Shannon and Corrib inpatient wards, the Emergency Department and Acute Medical and Surgical Assessment Units and the ICU in the hospital.
“Over the course of next week and beyond, this will be extended to all staff in the hospital”.
Tony Canavan, CEO of the Saolta Group which has overall responsibility for the acute hospitals and the west and north west said that the first vaccination was a milestone.
“We are delighted that we have commenced the roll-out of this critical vaccination programme today here on the University Hospital Galway site.
“The vaccines will be delivered in stages and we will be extending the vaccination programme across each of the hospitals in the Saolta Group as the vaccine supply becomes available.
“This is a huge vaccination programme and our priority it to provide it to our staff as quickly as possible in the safest possible manner”.
Devastating illness
Dr Pat Nash, Group Chief Clinical Director at the Saolta Group said that COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease which can cause serious illness, hospitalisation and even death.
“Across the Saolta Group over the last almost 10 months we have seen the devastating effect of this infection on our patients and their families.
“While the vaccine is not mandatory, it is recommended that everyone gets the vaccine when it is offered to them. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine should protect from the serious complications of COVID-19 and reduce the illness and deaths caused by this virus,” he said.
Marie Burns, the Director of Nursing at Galway University Hospitals whose team is delivering the COVID-19 vaccine campaign across the hospital said 2020 has been a very difficult year for everyone including health care staff.
“Tuesday was a really positive day and I want to thank our peer vaccination team here in UHG for their commitment to rolling out this essential vaccine,” she said.
Paul Hooton, Saolta Group Chief Group Director of Nursing and Midwifery said this was the start of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
“While we have begun the vaccination of staff in UHG, we will be working on the roll-out of the vaccination across all our Saolta Group hospitals as we receive vaccine supply,” he said.
