The first vaccines have been administered in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire as part of the national Pfizer vaccine roll-out across the UK.
All NHS organisations and partners across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire have been preparing for the roll-out of the vaccine for a number of weeks. Following the vaccine getting the green light from regulators last week, staff have been working around the clock to manage the huge scale logistical challenge of deploying the vaccine and administering it to the public.
It has been confirmed that the first priority members of the public who will receive the vaccine are care home staff and the over 80s, along with NHS workers who are at higher risk.
On Tuesday 8 December, Nottinghamshire’s two hospital hubs at Queen’s Medical Centre and Kings Mill Hospital went live and started administering the vaccine.
Andy Haynes, Executive Lead at Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System, said: “This is an historical moment for the people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire It really is great news that we are able to be one of the first hubs to receive the vaccine and have a detailed plan in place to administer it, with those most vulnerable at the forefront.
“This is an important moment for the country, the latest world first for the NHS, and the start of the largest vaccination programme in our history. This would not have been possible without an incredible amount of hard work and planning and we now find ourselves at an important milestone in the battle against the virus. We shouldn’t be under any illusions though that this will be a marathon, not a sprint, and we cannot let down our guard – we need to continue to follow the advice on ‘hands, face, space’ and adhere to other restrictions.”
The roll-out of the vaccine means NHS staff can now prevent people from becoming ill, as well as continuing to care for those who do become infected, and it is a welcome first step on the path back to normal life for our region and across the country.
The public have an important part to play to help them do this:
