No new cases of Covid-19 have been reported among more than 1,000 members of one Dublin hospital’s staff, after almost all were fully vaccinated.
The Irish Times reports that almost all 1,100 staff members at the National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street have now received their second dose of the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine.
Staff at the hospital received their first dose of the vaccine over a four-day period between January 7th and 11th, and the second on February 1st.
At its worst point in the pandemic, some 107 members of staff at the hospital were off work due to testing positive for Covid-19 or after close contact with a confirmed case.
Since last March, 70 members of staff have tested positive for Covid-19. The number diagnosed peaked in the week beginning January 4th, with 11 cases reported. In the previous week, 10 staff members tested positive.
After the first vaccine was administered, the number of weekly cases dropped the following week to six, then to five, then to one. Over the last fortnight, there have been no reported cases.
Joy and relief
NMH’s clinical director Dr Roger McMorrow said the experience of the hospital staff shows that vaccines work and that no member of staff had reported any side effects other than a mild fever for 24 hours after receiving the second dose.
He added that the reduction in community transmission in recent weeks was unlikely to have been the critical factor, as infections in hospital staff are usually higher than in the general population.
“When we got our first vaccine, there was such joy and excitement and relief from the staff,” Dr McMorrow said.
“Back in January we were facing into the very high peak of that wave. To get the vaccine offered a ray of hope for us all. The mood shifted quite noticeably among staff.”
With vaccine-based immunity reaching 95 per cent effectiveness about nine days after the second dose is administered, Dr McMorrow said the hospital's staff had now reached that stage.
“To have a whole hospital fully vaccinated gives us more confidence working with each other. It is an extra layer of protection from catching the virus,” he said.
“Though we don’t yet have the data, it does reduce the transmission of the disease. I hope as evidence is gathered, it will show a reduction in transmission as well.”
Just a small number of workers on maternity leave or long-term sick leave have yet to receive a vaccine at the hospital.
