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Kitty Owens, an 88-year-old resident at St Finbarr’s Community Hospital today became the first resident of a residential facility in Cork to be vaccinated against COVID-19. She got the vaccine today at St Finbarr’s Community Hospital alongside other residents and healthcare workers from the residential unit.

Weng Limansag and Catherine O’Donovan prepare to vaccinate Kitty Owens, the first resident of a community hospital or nursing home in Cork to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

Rose O’Leary, a staff nurse at St Finbarr’s Community Hospital and herself a peer vaccinator was the first staff member to receive the vaccine there.

It feels absolutely brilliant, at long last there is some light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not over, but there is hope there now,” she said.

Cork Kerry Community Healthcare vaccinators are carrying out vaccinations this weekend at St Finbarr’s in Cork city and Killarney Community Hospital in Kerry.

Rose said everyone at St Finbarr’s is thrilled that the vaccine rollout has begun.

“You’ve no idea how delighted we are. Our residents are our priority, and this vaccine will help us to keep them safe, it’s such a relief. This is their home and I just work here, and we are so relieved that the vaccine is here.”

I’m very proud and relieved today because our residents feel like family to me. Without a doubt they come first, above all else,” Rose added.

Rose is part of the team of vaccinators delivering the first vaccines today, tomorrow and Monday. She said she’s delighted to be part of the team rolling out the vaccine and keeping residents safe. Teams of vaccinators will offer the vaccine to more than 400 residents and staff.

Everyone vaccinated today 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. They will each receive a second dose, to be fully protected, in three weeks.

Cork Kerry Community Healthcare’s vaccination campaign in residential facilities in Cork and Kerry began earlier this week at Killarney Community Hospital, and vaccinations continued there today also. In accordance with the priority list for vaccination set out by the country, residents aged over 65 in long-term care are among the first to receive the vaccine.

A comprehensive vaccination programme across Cork and Kerry will see Cork Kerry Community Healthcare teams vaccinate residents and staff in more than 90 community hospitals and private nursing homes. Our teams will travel to private nursing homes and voluntary residential facilities, as well as co-ordinating the vaccination of residents and staff at the residential facilities we run across Cork and Kerry. Our vaccinator teams will be giving vaccines at each of those locations on two occasions, three weeks apart.

Throughout next week (ie from January 11th onwards), vaccination teams will carry out vaccinations at more than 30 public and private facilities in Cork and Kerry. We expect to vaccinate more than 3,500 staff and residents next week alone, and this programme will accelerate as vaccine deliveries arrive.

While a provisional schedule of vaccination dates is in place, this schedule is subject to constant change.

We’d like to pay tribute to the staff involved in the vaccination programme who have worked tirelessly over the last few weeks in order to be prepared for this roll-out.

This is a tremendous undertaking and we  thank all staff involved in getting the vaccine delivered quickly and safely.

Unfortunately, Covid-19 is still with us and while welcome, the vaccination roll-out is only one part of our response. It’s still extremely important that we all remain vigilant and keep up all protective actions.

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

About the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme:

  • The COVID-19 vaccine offers people protection from COVID-19, and getting a COVID-19 vaccine should also protect people from the serious complications of COVID-19. Our aim in offering the vaccine to the population is to protect people and reduce the illness and deaths caused by this virus
  • The first delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine was received by the HSE on December 26th, and the vaccination programme began on December 30th.  Based on advice from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC, the first limited stock were given to people in hospital settings, where medical teams can be on call on site.
  • From January 4th, the programme is being rolled out to long term residential care facilities for older people. This will be aligned with further and ongoing deliveries of the vaccine, throughout all 582 nursing homes, public and private, all over the country. Our vaccinator teams will be giving vaccines at each of those locations, on two separate occasions, 3 weeks apart.
  • In the later phases of the programme that will focus on the next priority groups, people may be vaccinated through mass vaccination clinics, GP surgeries and community pharmacies. This will be done by qualified and trained healthcare workers, including hospital doctors, community medical officers, nurses, GPs and pharmacists. More information will be given about the later phases when they have been agreed and implemented.
  • Ireland has approximately 580 nursing homes, 80% of which are privately owned, and the vaccination of their residents is a highly complex process requiring the cooperation of all stakeholders.
  • Cork Kerry Community Healthcare is working with local nursing home providers to finalise their schedules. This requires each provider to assure themselves that they can register each staff member and resident who wishes to take the vaccine and collect the required 55 individual pieces of information on each person who wishes to be vaccinated several days before the vaccination team is due to arrive.
  • Each provider must also ensure that each staff member and each resident (and their families where appropriate) understand and give informed consent to the vaccine.
  • The HSE has commenced an information programme all about the vaccine, starting with printed and online information for the first priority groups being offered the vaccine, along with national and regional radio advertising, and social media advertising on a range of platforms.
  • You can find vaccine information materials and other details at www.hse.ie/covid19vaccine, and through the HSE social media accounts.
  • We encourage everyone in Ireland to read more about the COVID-19 vaccine and to get their information from a factual, trusted source, like the HSE, Gov.ie, the HPRA or the World Health Organisation.
  • The HSE will be publishing the reports on vaccination uptake. As the programme has just started data is being collated and validated and will be reported and published by HSE at a later date.

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 hse.ie and in our printed information materials.


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