The first shot of a vaccine to protect against Covid-19 has been administered in the Republic this afternoon, marking a new milestone in the coronavirus pandemic.
Annie Lynch, a 79-year-old woman from Dublin, is now the first person in Ireland to be vaccinated against Covid-19 after receiving the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine at St James’s Hospital in Dublin.
Ms Lynch was vaccinated alongside other healthcare workers from the hospital.
“I feel very privileged to be the first person in Ireland to receive the vaccine,” Ms Lynch said.
“Like everyone else I have been waiting for the vaccine and I really feel like there is a bit of hope there now. It’s brilliant that it’s here. Everything was explained very clearly to me beforehand.”
Ms Lynch is currently a resident in the Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing at St James’s and lives in Drimnagh, Dublin after being born in Christchurch and growing up in the Liberties.
She is a mother to three children and also has 10 grandchildren, while her husband John passed away in September.
Also vaccinated in St James’s on Tuesday afternoon was Bernie Waterhouse, a clinical nurse manager and the first healthcare worker to receive the vaccine in the Republic.
Working in a designated Covid-19 ward in St James’s Hospital, Ms Waterhouse said she wanted to receive the vaccine “to protect myself, and the people I work with and care for every day, from Covid-19.”
Each person vaccinated was given a vaccine record card, showing the name and batch of the vaccine they have received. They are set to return for their second dose, to be fully protected, in three weeks.
Ms Lynch’s vaccine was the first to be administered by vaccinators at four hospitals across the country on Tuesday.
Vaccines are being administered at St James’s Hospital and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Cork University Hospital, and University Hospital Galway, after the first delivery of 10,000 doses were received by the HSE on December 26th.
Mary Day, CEO of St James’s Hospital, said it was “very proud to be the first hospital to offer the vaccine.”
On Tuesday, the Minister for Health described the vaccine’s roll-out as “a ray of light” after a “trying” year.
“It is testament to the work of the medical and scientific communities that we now have safe and effective vaccines to help to protect us against the devastating effects of Covid-19,” Stephen Donnelly said.
“Our healthcare workers have worked day and night to care for their patients throughout this pandemic. I would like to acknowledge their dedication and commitment, and thank them for the central role they will play as we now move into administering the vaccines.”
The director of the HSE’s national immunisation office reminded that Covid-19 vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency had met “stringent safety and effectiveness standards”.
“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,” Dr Lucy Jessop said.
“Worldwide, vaccines save at least two to three million lives each year — and protect many more from crippling and lifelong illnesses.”
Historic process
Chief of the HSE, Paul Reid, said he was “proud to see the vaccinations commence today, safely, with thorough vaccinator training and patient centred communications at its heart.”
“This is a great start to an historic process,” he added.
The HSE’s chief clinical officer, Dr Colm Henry, described beginning of the roll-out in the Republic as a “great relief”.
Vaccines in the Republic will be delivered in stages, beginning in acute hospitals before moving to long-term residential care facilities for older people from January 4th.
In a six-week rolling programme, vaccines will be administered in all 582 nursing homes around the country.
