An emotional milestone was marked in Centric Health Ennis on Friday last with 150 patients over the age of 80 vaccinated for COVID-19.
Fifteen clinicians and ten administration staff undertook vaccination duties between the hours of 9am and 3pm on Friday. The group included in the over 80 cohort follow the over 85 age-group who received their vaccine two weeks previous.
“It was brilliant. Quickest lifesaver ever. Very gentle and painless,” Ennis native Tom Kenneally remarked of his experience.
The clinic marks the second successful vaccination of an age cohort at Centric Health Ennis as per HSE guidelines, having catered for the over 85 age group two weeks previous.
150 patients received their first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine by clinicians provided with full HSE training on the background and make-up of the vaccine and the most effective method of administration, Deirdre added.
Protocols were put in place on the day to heed patient safety including full PPE and social distancing. Patients are booked in via phone and are met at the door and given the relevant info on the vaccine. Then they are brought to a clinician, vaccinated and monitored for a duration of 15 mins after in the off chance of developing an allergic reaction.
Patients are then immediately booked in for their second appointment, four weeks later, where they will receive their second and final dose.
A number of staff members are posted outside of the clinic to administer vaccines to the relevant age cohort that are unable to make the journey in. Practice Manager Deirdre Kerin highlighted the success of the vaccination programme on the day, adding that over 70 per cent of Centric Health Clinics have administered the vaccine to date.
She stated: “It’s great to see the number of vaccines climbing, today can only be viewed as a positive. The feedback has been amazing. People are very emotional. Most of them haven’t left the house for quite a long time.”
One patient, Peadar White commented: “”I am so pleased to get the Covid injection as one who got Covid and knows what the symptoms are like and to be able to recover from it and then to receive the added bonus of the injection.”
“I would advise in speaking from experience of having Covid, that everyone should get the vaccination and work within safety regulations as prescribed,” the Ennis man said.
