Care home vaccine rollout almost finished in the north of Ireland

To date, 100% of care home residents and staff in the west and right across the north have been visited and offered the first dose of the vaccine and 90% have been offered the second dose.

The speedy roll out to care homes will come as a relief to many residents, families and carers after the virus claimed the lives of hundreds of people living in care homes and left many traumatised.

The accelerated roll out has been made possible through close collaboration between the various Health and Social Care Trusts and care home management and staff, with regional support from the Public Health Agency (PHA).

Deirdre Webb, Assistant Director of Nursing at the PHA, was tasked by the Department of Health to assist with the implementation of the vaccination programme in care homes over the past eight weeks.

Deirdre said: “The success of the vaccination rollout to care homes would not have been achieved without an incredible team effort.

“Everyone involved was committed to getting our older care home population and staff vaccinated as quickly as possible, as the care home sector has been so greatly affected by COVID-19.

“Staff were highly motivated from all sides to make the rollout work effectively among this vulnerable group,” she added.

“There are still some small pieces of work to do with those who didn’t get vaccinated at the time of our visits, as they may have been ill or may have just moved into their care home, and to complete the round of second doses, but the bulk of the work is now complete.

“This work was done at great pace over the Christmas period and into the New Year, including during the surge in COVID-19 cases during this time, so it is a phenomenal achievement for all involved that we have been able to offer protection to quickly to some of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Despite the vaccination roll out in care homes, and also to key groups in the wider population, the PHA is urging everyone to continue to follow public health guidance – maintain social distancing, wear and face covering, and wash your hands regularly.

While vaccines offer excellent protection, there is still a chance that a vaccinated person could contract COVID-19. It is also possible that a vaccinated person, while protected themselves, may still pass the virus on to someone who has yet to get the jab.