COVID-19 staff vaccination programme begins in local hospital
Staff vaccinations commenced this afternoon at the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore (MRHT) with plans to deliver the 1st dose of the vaccine to all staff in the coming weeks.
A peer vaccination team of up to 19 nurses will vaccinate staff Monday to Saturday ensuring that all personnel are protected in a planned and timely way.
Stephen DeRighetti, Enhanced General Nurse was the first person in the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore to be vaccinated with the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine against COVID-19. He was vaccinated by his colleague Neil Perry, Clinical Skills Facilitator Emergency Department.
Noreen Hynes, General Manager, Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore said: “I would like to commend the team in MRHT who have worked so hard to begin the delivery of this vaccination programme. We are delighted to start the new year by offering this protection to our frontline workers with this Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
"This remains a very worrying time for everybody, most especially our frontline workers who continue to face this virus. I am very appreciative of our staff, they have gone above and beyond.
"We would ask the community to continue supporting us at what is a particularly challenging time as the virus is so active in our community. Please continue to support us as you have done in the last year, by staying safe by staying at home."
Sean Johnston, Clinical Director, Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore said it has been a long few months for all of us here in MRHT.
"We are very relieved to receive the vaccine. It is our combined efforts now that will help stabilise the current COVID-19 status in our communities. This is a very dangerous virus. Please stay safe by staying at home, you can play your part and help us to beat Covid-19.
Trevor O’Callaghan, CEO Dublin Midlands Hospital Group added that The Dublin Midlands Hospital Group is very pleased to see the continued rollout of this vaccine in our hospitals following the first vaccine in St James Hospital.
"We have been extensively planning with hospitals and their vaccination teams to coordinate the supply of the available vaccine and ensure all frontline staff within the Hospital Group can be vaccinated in a timely way.
"Today, the vaccine programme will be launched in the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, & Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital. The Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise and Naas General Hospital are planning for the delivery on Thursday and Friday this week."
The group is also working with Community Health Organisation partners to include prioritised community health frontline workers as part of the vaccination roll out.
Eileen Whelan, Chief Director of Nursing at Dublin Midlands Hospital Group stressed that “vaccinations work, and vaccination is key to ensuring patient and staff safety during the Covid 19 pandemic.
"Our vaccination teams have a wealth of experience across all our hospitals to commence the roll out of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. We would like to acknowledge all the work that has been undertaken so far and we will continue to build on our capacity to fully complete this programme ensuring our staff are fully protected”.
Worldwide, vaccines save at least 2-3 million lives each year – and protect many more from crippling and lifelong illnesses. Only COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorised by the European Medicines Agency, having met stringent safety and effectiveness standards, will be used in Ireland.
All COVID-19 vaccines will be carefully monitored over time and updated safety data and information will be published and shared by the HSE, on our website and in our printed information materials.
Everyone can find factual, up-to-date information, based on scientific evidence on:
www.hse.ie/covid19vaccine
www.gov.ie/covid19vaccine
www.hpra.ie
www.who.int