Every single elderly care home resident in Sheffield has now been offered the vaccine

In Sheffield, groups of GP practices are working together in their primary care networks (PCNs) to administer the vaccine to their local communities and care homes via 15 community vaccination centres.

And as of January 29, residents and staff have been vaccinated in all 83 care homes for elderly people with the first covid-19 vaccination.

Over 90 per cent of care home residents and over 80 oer cent of people over 80 have now been vaccinated in Sheffield.

Alun Windle, Chief Nurse and Covid Vaccination Lead at NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Primary care networks have worked really hard to get out to all care homes for elderly residents in the city and deliver the covid vaccination.

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"As we know, elderly people are at high risk of suffering serious complications if they catch covid-19 so it is great news that all care home residents in homes for older people, and staff from the homes, have now been offered the vaccination.”

He added: “I want to thank GPs, nurses, pharmacists and many other staff who have been working long hours and weekends to ensure some of the most vulnerable people are vaccinated and protected from this awful disease.”

Mrs Mary Burrow, a resident at Beechy Knoll Care Home in Richmond who has had her vaccination, said: “I had the vaccine to protect my family and myself, I am very happy to have had the vaccine now, as the longer I leave it the more chance I have of becoming ill. The nurse explained about the vaccine and about the second vaccine, they were very kind and I felt reassured.”

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Marina Glaves, Registered Manager at Beechy Knoll, said: “We were really happy that we were able to have the residents and staff vaccinated, they are now looking forward to having their second vaccination. The team who visited to administer the vaccines were so organised and efficient, no-one was rushed they took their time explaining to every person about the vaccine. They were lovely and reassured everyone. Thank you to the team at Richmond Medical Centre.”

Councillor George Lindars-Hammond, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care praised the key workers who made all the vaccinations possible.

He said: “This is a great local success story. Given how difficult the last year has been for all of us living with this awful pandemic, knowing that our most vulnerable group of people in the city has now been vaccinated is so heartening and a real achievement. Those living in care homes, their families, and friends and the carers who work with them can now feel safer and more reassured. That must feel like such a relief all round.

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“I recognise that meeting this milestone has only been made possible by the sheer hard work of so many people, in the NHS, the council and in our care sector. We are so thankful to everyone.”

While the vaccination is a step forward in ending covid restrictions, people still need to follow social distancing and lockdown rules when they’ve been vaccinated. This is because we don’t yet know whether the vaccine stops people from catching and passing on the virus.