(January 5th 2021) Staff vaccinations started this morning at Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) with plans to deliver the 1st dose of the vaccine to all staff in the next two weeks. A peer vaccination team of up to 30 nurses will vaccinate staff Monday to Saturday ensuring that all personnel are protected in a planned and timely way.
At 10am Louise Power, Arthroplasty Nurse Specialist became the first person in Tallaght University Hospital to be vaccinated with the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine against COVID-19. She was vaccinated by her colleague Vivienne Dick, Clinical Nurse Facilitator.
Louise was given a HSE vaccine information leaflet, along with more detailed manufacturer’s patient information leaflet, before getting the vaccine. Afterwards, each person vaccinated was given a vaccine record card, showing the name and batch of the vaccine they have received. Appointments for staff to receive the second dose of the vaccine are automatically generated ensuring they will be fully protected, in three weeks.
Lucy Nugent CEO Tallaght University Hospital said, “We are delighted to start the new year by offering this protection to our frontline workers with this Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. It is a very worrying time for everyone, particularly our frontline workers who continue to face this dangerous virus. I would like to commend the team in TUH who have worked so hard to begin the delivery of this vaccination programme, which also includes CHI at Tallaght staff who are located at TUH. This virus has really taken its toll on our people and services, yet despite the challenges the sheer optimism and determination has to be commended. Huge sacrifices have been made by the community and our staff. I am very proud of the staff, they have gone above and beyond. We would ask the community to continue supporting us at what is a particularly dangerous time as the virus is so active in our community. Please continue to supporting us as you have done in the last year by staying at home and staying safe, which is the current advice from NPHET.
Dr. Peter Lavin, Consultant Nephrologist and Clinical Director of the TUH Medical Directorate said “It has been a long few months for all of us here in TUH. We are very grateful to receive the vaccine, it is the beginning of the end but there is a long road ahead of us. It is our combined efforts now that will help stabilise the current COVID-19 status in our communities. Please stay at home and stay safe. It’s our actions today that may result in the avoidable sickness or death of a member of your family in the coming weeks.
Mr Trevor O’Callaghan, CEO Dublin Midlands Hospital Group said today: “We are very pleased to see the continued roll out 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 vaccine and ensure all 11,000 staff within the Hospital Group can be vaccinated in a timely way. In the coming days, the vaccine programme in the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital and St Luke’s Radiation and Oncology Network will get underway. We also are working to commence vaccinations in the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise and Naas General Hospital in the latter part of this week.
Eileen Whelan, Chief Director of Nursing at Dublin Midlands Hospital Group said, “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/covid19vaccinewww.gov.ie/covid19vaccinewww.hpra.iewww.who.int
